5 Games for Speaking, Listening & Thinking
The games are great for developing speaking and listening skills, and thinking and reasoning abilities.
1. How many?
This simple game started by asking a question about a specific animal and she would call out as many responses as she could think of;
- How many animals can you name that eat leaves?
- How many animals can you name that live in the sea?
- How many insects can you name that have six legs?
- How many vehicles can you name with four wheels?
- How many things can you name that are cone shaped?
- How many things can you name that can fly?
2. I’m thinking of…:
A simplified version of 20 questions, and somewhat easier than I Spy we start this game with a single object in mind and the phrase, “I am thinking of something ….,” and then name a feature or attribute of the object or thing. So it might begin, “I am thinking of something that is blue.” The other person is welcome to make a guess or ask for another clue and we go back and forth between clues and guesses until they work out the correct answer.
3. Guess who?
We started by focusing on a storybook or movie character or an actual movie instead of an object.
4. Secret Message:
This well known game is best played with a group of children from kindergarten age upwards. Everyone sits in a line or circle and the first person whispers a short message to the next person in line, with the message then being passed from person to person in whispers along the line or around the circle. The last person announces the message they have heard to the whole group and everyone has a good laugh at how the message had invariably changed as it has been passed along.
5. Sound tennis:
Great for children . The players agree on a sound, say ‘P,’ and then take turns back and forth, each saying a new word that begins with that sound, until the round comes to a finish when one player cannot think of a new word beginning with the nominated sound. We allow the other player, the ‘winner,’ to choose the new sound for the next round.
