Games to Improve Communication Skill

Crazy Sentence

Listening to details can be very important when trying to solve a problem or when attempting to follow complicated directions. Sometimes the details are not essential but at other times these details are the most important part of the information being conveyed. Being able to listen carefully to what is said and to all the words that a person is saying isn’t an easy task. Sometimes we must listen with our eyes and observe body language, facial expressions, and eye movement in order to get all the information needed. The better you “listen” to the details, the more you will hear and the better you will understand what is being said. 

Objective 

To use good listening skills in order to win the game.

Who

People who need to work on their ability to listen carefully to what is said so they can increase their understanding of the information given. 

Group Size

4 or more

Materials

- Paper
- Pens or pencils
- 2 Chairs

Description

Prior to this activity make up a dozen or so sentences that are complete and correct but make them crazy and random; then write each sentence on a small piece of paper. 

Some examples of crazy sentences are:
“My prom date had a large tattoo.”
“Big Bird is my idol.”
“The blue cow swam over the moon.”
“It is good to eat spiders and caterpillars for breakfast.”
“Rubber bands stick to the ceiling on Christmas day.”

Be creative and come up with many more. Also, prior to the game set up two chairs in the front of the room. For the activity select two people from the group and ask them to sit in the chairs that you have set up in the front of the room. Give each person a piece of paper with one of the crazy sentences on it. The two players must read the sentence to themselves and then engage in conversation. Each player attempts to state his/her sentence in the course of conversation. The object is to slip in the sentence without the other person guessing what it is. You may wish to give them a topic to start with such as fishing, country music, bowling, buying shoes, or anything else that has nothing to do with the sentences. Also give them a one or two minute time limit to slip their sentences in during the conversation. After the time limit, allow the people in the audience to guess what the crazy sentence is and whoever guesses correctly is given the opportunity to play the game for the next round. 

Discussion Prompts 

1. What did you have to do in order to detect the hidden sentence?
2. When do you use your best listening skills? Why?
3. When is it important for you to show good listening skills?

Variations

- Each player may tell a story, instead of engaging in conversation with one other player. 

- This game can be done with three people engaging in conversation at the same time instead of just two. 

- Play in teams and allow each team to make up sentences for the other team to use when telling a story to their own team. 

Direction Direction

In our society there is a constant transfer of information from one person to another. You must be careful when you pass information on if you want it to stay accurate. One great example shows up in rules for a game. If you check with people in different parts of the country you will find out that many of the games have different rules. Someone, something changed the rules a little bit 

In this activity someone gets a set of rules and the group gets to see how easy it can be to make mistakes in passing them on. This can be a fun way to see what can happen when information is not passed on correctly. 

Objective 

For people to recognize the importance of using good communication skills when giving directions and when receiving directions. To recognize the difficulties encountered when interpreting what someone else said. 

Who

People who believe everything they hear.
People who could benefit from listening carefully to directions and passing them along correctly.


Group Size 

2 or more


Materials

- Varies

Description

Chose a game that has a few specific rules that must be followed in order to play the game (and enough rules to make it hard to remember them all). Prior to the activity select one person and give him/her the direction for the game without telling the rest of the group. Verbally explain the game can clearly state all of the rules. 

At the time of the game, the person who has heard the rules will give the directions to the rest of the group without any help from you. Allow the group to play the game once through before having a group discussion or making any corrections or clarifications in the rules of the game. 

Discussion Topics 

1. Was there any confusion about the rules of the game?
2. Why do you think the game was explained correctly (or incorrectly)?
3. What is important to remember when listening to others and when giving directions?


Variations

- Select a game that requires two teams. Separate the two teams and select one member from each team to receive the directions for the game. Each person explains the rules to his/her team.

- Give each team a different set of directions, on purpose.