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Printable Collaboration Cards

Simple cards you can copy, print, or rewrite by hand. Keep them nearby — a step you can actually find in the moment beats a beautiful chart you can't. Cut them out, tape them inside a notebook, or keep them where the group works.

Everyday collaboration skills, not unsafe conflict management

These cards teach everyday collaboration skills. They are not therapy, bullying intervention, conflict mediation, legal advice, or a replacement for trusted adults, educators, caregivers, or qualified support. Kids should not be expected to manage unsafe, coercive, bullying, discriminatory, or threatening group situations alone. If group work feels unsafe, targeted, or too big, involving a trusted adult is part of safe collaboration.

Collaboration Loop Card​

THE COLLABORATION LOOP

  1. What are we making or doing together?
  2. What does done look like?
  3. What roles do we need?
  4. How will we share the work fairly?
  5. How will we check in?
  6. What will we do if we disagree?
  7. What will we do if the plan gets messy?
  8. How will we finish and give credit?

Quick Collaboration Card​

WHEN GROUP WORK STARTS

  • Name the shared goal.
  • Picture done.
  • Choose roles.
  • Share the work.
  • Check in.
  • Disagree respectfully.
  • Repair messes.
  • Finish together.

Shared Goal Card​

AIM AT THE SAME TARGET

  • We are working together to ___.
  • Done looks like ___.
  • This is for ___.
  • The most important part is ___.
  • We will know it worked when ___.

Role Check Card​

MAKE THE WORK VISIBLE

  • What roles do we need?
  • Who is doing each role?
  • What does each role actually do?
  • Does anyone need help?
  • Should roles rotate?

Fair Work Check Card​

FAIR IS DISCUSSED, NOT GUESSED

  • What work needs to happen?
  • Who has which part?
  • Does anyone have too much?
  • Does anyone have too little or no way to contribute?
  • What support is needed?
  • What should change?

Three Check-In Questions Card​

GROUP DASHBOARD

  • What is done?
  • What is stuck?
  • What help or change is needed?

Disagree and Build Card​

DISAGREE WITHOUT ATTACKING

  • I see it differently because ___.
  • My concern is ___.
  • How does this help our shared goal?
  • Could we test both ideas?
  • Could we combine parts?
  • Do we need help deciding?

Group Repair Card​

UNTANGLE ONE PART AT A TIME

  • What happened?
  • Who was affected?
  • What does the group need now?
  • What should change?
  • Who can help if this is too big?

Finish Together Card​

LAND THE PLANE

  • Did we meet the shared goal?
  • What still needs to be checked?
  • Who contributed what?
  • What needs cleanup or handoff?
  • What worked well?
  • What should change next time?

Ask for Support Card​

SOME GROUP SITUATIONS NEED A TRUSTED ADULT

Ask a trusted adult for support if:

  • someone feels unsafe
  • someone is being bullied, targeted, or excluded
  • someone is pressured to do something wrong
  • the group cannot repair the problem safely
  • one person is being forced to carry everything
  • the situation feels too big for kids to handle alone

Getting help can be part of safe collaboration.

Collaboration tools help with everyday shared work. They do not replace trusted adults, educators, caregivers, conflict support, legal help, therapy, or emergency help when group situations feel unsafe, targeted, coercive, discriminatory, threatening, or too big.

These cards pair with the eight toolkit lessons, starting with What Are We Making Together?.