Articles related to "Communication Skills Activities"

Team Building Activities for Teens:

It is used for communication skills and articles related to communication skills activities and the group of class room games to promote communication skills and fun ways to corporation skills and icebreakers for teens and kids.

Group and Classroom Games to Promote Communication Skills:

Building Blind:

Students work in pairs or triads. One student is designated as the “leader”, the other students are the “builders”. The leader has visual access to a simple structure (made of Lego's, tinker toys, or similar items), but the builders do not. Each group also has a box of building materials identical to those used to make the hidden structure.

The task is for the team to duplicate this structure under two conditions: the builders cannot see the original structure, and the leader cannot touch the original structure or any of the building materials. The leader must direct his teammates using verbal cues only. This forces the leader to be precise in the directions he gives and forces the builders to use listening skills and follow instructions exactly. A great game for helping kids learn how to work together.

Back Drawing:

This game is played in pairs. One student is the “artist” and sits behind their partner. The artist is given a short list of simple items and shapes (i.e. heart, star, face, etc.) that she will then use her finger to trace one at a time onto her partners back. The object is for the partner to identify as many of the shapes as possible. Each drawing can be repeated only one time. This activity forces kids to pay careful attention and use visualization skills.

Blind Obstacle Course:

Set up a simple obstacle course that involves items to walk around, step over, and duck under. Students work in pairs. One member of each team is blindfolded and must rely on their partner to direct them through the course. Leaders must give clear, specific directions, and followers must rely solely on their listening skills to gather information about how to navigate the course. Another great activity for promoting teamwork.

Directions, Directions:

Students work in groups of 4-6. One person starts, identifying and performing a small task (i.e. “Clap hands three times”). The next person repeats and performs the same tasks, then adds on one of their own (i.e. “Clap hands three time, stick out tongue”). Play continues around the group, with each person performing and adding a new task to the mix. Students who cannot complete the sequence correctly are out until the next round. This game requires students to follow directions, focus, listen carefully, and utilize memory skills.

Team Building Games for Kids and Teens:

Fun Ways to Learn Cooperation Skills:

Group games are a great way for kids to get to know each other and begin the process of learning how to work together in a fun, non-threatening way. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Tell Three Things:

Each person writes down three things about himself: two of which are true and one of which is a lie. After everyone has finished making this or her list, students take turns reading their lists aloud and asking other students to guess which one is the “lie”. Students can answer either individually or in a “raise your hand if you agree” format. Students can also be asked to justify their guesses if time allows. Whether groups are just getting to know one another or have been together a long time, they can still learn things about each other from this activity.

Chair Swap:

For this game you will need enough chairs for everyone, except for one person, to have one. Arrange the chairs in a circle and have everyone sit down except for the remaining person, who starts off in the middle of the circle. Pick a random starting point somewhere on the circle and have everyone count off (starting with one) until everyone in the circle has a number.

To play the game, have the person in the center call out two numbers. The people who have been assigned those two numbers must quickly switch seats. Meanwhile, the person in the center’s task is to get to one of the empty seats first. Whomever is left without a seat starts the game off again in the center, and the players who switched seats assume the number of their new seat.

Concentration:

Players stand in a circle and count off so that everyone has a number. Player one starts by calling out his own number and another number at random, for example, “One, four.” Then, player one calls out his number and another random number, for example, “Four, five.” After a few rounds to get the hang of it, another dimension is added to the game.

Now the players must clap their hands, in unison, in two beat units while the numbers are being called out. The object of the game is to see how many pairs a group can get to before someone messes up, forgets their number, or the group is unable to clap in unison any longer. The game becomes challenging because while players are concentrating on listening to their numbers, the tendency is for the clapping to get faster, which means that they will have to call the numbers out faster, as well.

Ball Toss:

Start with all of the players in a circle, with one person holding a ball. The starter throws the ball to the person directly across from them. That student then throws the ball to the person to the left of the starter. Play continues the same way, which each person throwing the ball to the person to the left of the person they got the ball from, until all players have touched the ball.

Now a pattern has been established, and the game starts. The ball will be thrown around the circle in the same way, with each person always getting the ball from the same person, and throwing the ball to the same person. Once the group has found its rhythm, add another ball into the mix without breaking the momentum. Add several more balls and see how long the group can go without dropping the ball. For an added challenge, use balls of varying sizes.

Group Learning Activities:

More Classroom Games and Icebreakers for Kids and Teens:

What Do You Think: Ahead of time, make up four signs: Agree Strongly, Agree Somewhat, Disagree Somewhat, and Disagree Strongly. Hang a sign in each corner of the room. Make up a list of statement to ask your students. Statements can relate to students’ values and beliefs (I am pro-death penalty, I believe people are innocent until proven guilty, I think most people are basically honest), their abilities (I am good at math, I am a hard worker, I am organized) or their interests (I like to read, I enjoy sports, I like action movies). When each statement is read, students choose the statement that best reflects their own feelings, and move to that corner of the room. Students can even comment on why they chose the way they did, if they are comfortable doing so. This activity gets students to think about themselves and to see similarities and differences between themselves and others. You can even have students make up their own statements to present to the class, as well.

Treasure Hunt: Divide students into groups of 3-5 and give each a list of items/people to search for. The search can be classroom wide, building wide, or any other parameters that suit your needs and situation. This can be especially helpful to students coming to a new school or program (i.e., find a math teacher, find the gym, find a staff member whose last name begins with B.) Arrange with staff members beforehand to have them give students an item to prove they were successful (for example, if the task was to “find the nurse”, the nurse could give each team a band aid or other small item to bring back.) Teachers can also initial students’ list to show proof. This activity helps kids acclimate to a new situation, get used to talking to unfamiliar people, and helps kids work together as a team.

The Human Chain: Students stand in a tight circle. Each student reaches his arms into the center of the circle and clasps hands with two other students. Once everyone has grabbed hold, the task is to untangle the knot back into a circle without dropping hands. This is a great getting to know you activity that also helps with team building,problem-solving, and communication skills.

The leader chooses a random object in the classroom. Students take turns asking questions in an attempt to identify the object. Answers can only be in the form of yes or no. Students can ask questions to clarify color (is the object blue?), location (is the object near the door?), size (is the object smaller than a baseball?), purpose (is it something you write with?) or other qualities that will help them narrow down their options. This activity helps kids pay attention to details, listen to others, and categorize. This is also a great activity to have students lead, as well.