Understanding the communication process and learning its importance should start out young. In that direction, here are certain exercises that will help you inculcate the same in kids.
Communication. The potential it holds. Used well, and it could well be the greatest tool ever. Communication becomes a part of everything. Every single thing. Without communication, there could never ever be any balance. How else would anyone convey what they wanted, felt and said? Too vague? Let’s make it simple. Communication allows for one to say and convey exactly how they feel. It, therefore, needs to be improved upon and taken to perfection. Another factor that needs to be understood? Communication is important, no matter what age one is at. With this theory firmly in place, it should help to start young. And so, communication exercises for kids come through. In the following section, we will look through certain communication games for kids that we can use for inculcating the importance of the communication process in children and help them improve this skill.
Communication Activities for Kids
It is very, very important that proper communication skills for kids are brought into the picture at a young age. This will help them develop the essential skills that are required for communication. In the following section, we will take you through certain activities that can be used for improving the communication process in children. You’ll notice that when the element of fun is added to these exercises, it helps to make it more interesting.
Communication Exercise # 1
Arrange for several objects of varied nature. They could be things like stationery, fruits, t-shirts or anything else that you can think of. Divide the group of children into two teams. Each participant comes to the stage and randomly picks up an object from the bag. He then gets a minute to talk about the properties of the object and help his team guess what the object is. He cannot take the name directly. The success of the game completely depends on how he explains the object to them and how fast he is able to do the same. For the spirit of the game, there will be a score kept and the team that manages to get the maximum guesses, wins. Let each kid come forward and explain an object.
Through the game, you’ll find that some kids have a unique way of conveying what they have to say and that their communication skills are down pat. This only helps in providing a lesson to the rest of the kids of the different tactics that can be used for the same.
Communication Exercise # 2
Another way in which the communication process can improve is by learning how to provide directions. This improves your skills of being able to relate exactly what you need to say so that the other person understands you. Gather a group of kids and divide them in pairs. One of the kid is blindfolded while the other has to be his guide. Next, place several objects on the floor in a haphazard manner. The objective of the game is for the blindfolded kid to cross over to the other side of the room without touching any object. If he does, he has to start all over again. At the blow of the whistle the guide will commence his directions of how to cross over. Thus, the clarity and the nature of the instructions is what matters. The team that manages to go across the room without touching anything in the least amount of time, wins.
Communication Exercise # 3
Sit the kids down in a circle and then randomly pick out a kid and provide him with a situation. For example – ‘You’re walking home and you are approached by a stranger. What will you do?’
Another variation that can be tried is of sitting them in a circle and providing a start up story line that they have to continue. For example –‘There was once a boy who lived in Georgetown and he…’. Each kid has to continue with the story for as long as they can.
Communication Exercise # 4
Collect some scenes from famous animation movies and then have a group get into the center. Replace one of the characters with the tagged kid. For example, if we take up the famous noodle scene from Lady and the Tramp, then replace the kid with the tramp and give him clues about the scene without naming the scene directly. Through the clues provided, the kid should be able to guess his character and the film. This game truly highlights the importance of the kind of instructions that you give. The difficulty level of this game is quite high and works well with slightly older kids.
These communication exercises are some of the best ways by which to help them understand, and thereby improve their skills of communication. And having fun while they learn something? Now that’s what’s the icing on the cake, really.
