In this activity, kids learn to listen to other people’s ideas and to be creative with a group. It might seem like a game of chance but kids will learn to hone their listening skills as they learn to immediately make the connection between hearing the music stop and taking action. Then when the music stops, everyone must sit in a chair. They must walk (or dance!) around the chairs while one is removed. Everyone starts by sitting in a chair and then music plays. Musical ChairsĪ great game to play at a party or in the classroom, this game is much more fun when there is a large number of players. You can also give the game a theme, for example if they’ve been learning about a certain subject, have them say what they know about it. It can be fun to alternate who comes up with the first sentence and who is the last person that must say it out loud. The first person should write down their sentence so that they can show the players what they actually said. They then have to whisper it to their neighbour and so on until the last person announces the sentence out loud. One person begins by whispering a sentence to the next person. For it to be most effective you will need at least 6 people, so this could be a good game to play in a classroom or at a party. This one is best played with a group of people. By having them listen out for, not only an instruction, but also a specific phrase, kids will learn to really hear what someone is saying to them. When the players do the action without hearing ‘Simon says’, they’re disqualified. However, they only do the actions if the speaker says ‘Simon says’ before giving the instruction. Instructions usually include actions such as ‘put your hand on your head’ or ‘hop on one leg’. In case you need a refresher: one person calls out instructions that the rest of the players must perform. Simon SaysĪ classic game that has been played for generations, and for good reason! This game is fun but also helps kids to hone their listening skills. These games require few to no materials and are most effective when played in a large group. In this article, you’ll find six fun games that your kids will love, while helping them to improve their listening skills. They will learn to take instruction, to value other people’s input and to succeed because they understood what was being asked of them. Many parents will complain that their kids don’t listen, but you can work on this by having them play fun games! Perfecting their listening skills now will equip them for later challenges. Of those skills, listening is one of the most important, and sometimes overlooked. As such, this is the best time to help them build up essential life skills. Young kids are developing quickly, especially in the first few years of their lives.

Active listening skills for kids