5 Fun Activities that Improve Communication Skills in Children

Known as talking skill, communication skill is the ability to express ideas, feelings and observations effectively. It is also known as talking skills. The ability to communicate effectively is a life skill that, if a child masters at a young age, chances are high that they grow up into an effective and confident speaker. Like any life skill, communication skills are developed, refined and mastered through constant correct practice. 

Since communication skill is fundamental to child development, providing children with the proper tools to improve their communication skills is a top priority. These tools come in many forms.

Tools that help improve communication skills:

• Books, magazines, journals. These materials are wonderful sources that target children's reading skills. Kids with well-developed reading skills also grow to become great communicators.
• Songs and music. One of the first ways children learn words is through songs like rhymes and lullabies.
• Educational TV programs. Children learn to speak by imitating the sounds they hear in their surroundings. When sounds are associated with visuals, learning becomes more powerful.
• Toys and games. Toys and games are effective ways of teaching kids speaking skills.

Here are fun activities that help develop communication skills in children: 

1. Telephone game. Telephone games are also known as message relay or sentence-relay games. This fun game is a team game and is easy to play. A message is passed on from one team member to another but in a way that the next person doesn’t hear the message. The goal of the telephone game is to test whether a child is a good communicator, and it gets revealed when the last team member shares the original message with everyone. 

Note that the telephone game is one of the ways to develop communication skills, and playing it is more fun if there are many members in one team.

2. Picture Prompts. Picture prompts are effective communication training materials. Provide children with thought-provoking pictures. Have them describe what they see in the picture and how they feel about it. Ask some other questions to reinforce their thoughts. Encourage them to add more details. This activity will help them work on their communication skills.

Flashcards are great teaching materials for developing communication skills in young children. A card of a child's favourite fruit can evoke various emotions from them, inspiring them to talk more about it.

3. Pointing Directions. Pointing directions is one of the best ways to improve communication skills in children. It also encourages them to be observant of their environment, teaching them to become aware of the things that are going on around them. For example, ask what directions they take to go to school. What can they find along the way? Which shop is next to or in front of an ice cream store? 

One way to involve them in this communication skill training is to have them draw a maze. Instruct them to add the places in between. Then let them walk you to the end of the maze. Just ensure that they identify the right places in their right directions. 

4. Finish a Story. Kids like stories. Stories boost imagination too. Start a story and have your child finish it by coming up with an alternative ending to it. Expand the speaking session by asking some more questions about its characters and what they like about it. This activity trains them to be better listeners and effective communicators.

5. Emotional charades. Emotional charades are nonverbal communication cues that complement verbal communication. These fun activity games enable children to express what they know as an actor and as someone who is guessing. They help kids understand facial expressions and body posture/language. Hand out a few cards with facial expressions written on them and let the fun game begin.

For now, grab this "Kids on Stage: The Charades Games for Kids" to start with this activity.

Children with developed communication skills are great communicators, perform better in school and grow to become confident public speakers. Develop your children’s communication skills with these five fun activities that improve communication skills. learned best when accompanied by fun activities that improve communication skills.