5 Games To Encourage Listening In Children
Do your children listen to you or do they hear you? Well yes, there is a difference. Surely they hear you, the problem is that they do not pay attention to you and do not pay attention to what you say. Fortunately, they are children and they love to play; That’s why we present you 5 games to encourage listening to them in a fun and entertaining way.
How do games work to encourage listening?
These games are based on different guidelines that children must follow. If you don’t pay attention, you won’t be able to develop it well. They can be used for children of ordinary education who have difficulty concentrating. Also for those who show difficulties in language.
Sometimes it is not enough to just tell them the order: you have to give them examples of how the game is played. If you have to show it to them multiple times to get the idea, feel free to do so.
Reinforce a positive attitude through motivation and support. It is recommended that you or another adult be involved in the game, so that you can keep the thread of the action. If at any point children get distracted and stop playing, you can interfere so they don’t lose interest.
If you see that after several attempts one of the children cannot understand the game, then try it at another time or start another activity. This particular little one may need more attention or another type of technique.
5 games to encourage listening
Game: “The people say”
The children are told to perform an action after hearing the phrase “The town says.” So you will tell them, for example: “The people say we touch our noses”; “The people say that we raise the right foot” or other phrases of that style.
- You can make it a bit more complex by asking them to play with their eyes closed.
- Also try telling them what to do without saying the phrase “the people say.” If they are listening they should not take the action.
Game: “Fruit salad”
Make cards with pictures of fruits. Have the children stand in a circle and distribute a fruit to each one. Name two fruits at the same time, for example orange and apple.
The children who have these fruits will have to switch places. Explain to them before beginning that when you say the phrase “Fruit salad” everyone must switch places.
- Add complexity by removing the cards after they have memorized them.
- Vary the game by changing the children’s cards after several rounds so they will be on the lookout for their new fruit.
Game: “Listen carefully”
This activity is very simple but keeps the children’s interest alive. Read them a story or story and ask them to take an action each time you say a certain word.
- For example, every time you say the name “Maria”, they should lift their right leg.
- Make it more complex by specifying more words and actions each time you repeat those words.
Game: “The talking hat”
Get these supplies: themed discussion cards, a hat, and an hourglass (this is optional, you can use the timer on your watch). Place the children in a semicircle and stand in front of them. The game consists of giving the hat to a child and making him choose a card.
The little one should talk about the chosen topic for a minute and then pass the hat to another classmate so that they can choose a card and repeat the process. While they wait for their turn, the rest of the children must remain silent.
Game: “Let’s go shopping”
This is a very entertaining and dynamic activity. It consists of starting with the phrase “We are going to buy” followed by a word, for example “We are going to buy apples.”
Then the child to your right should continue with the phrase by adding one more word and repeating the entire phrase. It would look like this: “We are going to buy green apples.”
- Then it is the turn of the next child, who will repeat what was said previously and add a new word, and so on.
- The game ends when the sentence becomes too long and it is difficult to repeat it in full.
- You can vary the beginning of the sentence and say for example: “Let’s go to school” or “Let’s go to work.”
- If a child gets stuck and doesn’t know what to say to continue with the sentence, you can guide them by asking them a question or giving them a hint. For example: “Apples are green and …”.
Game dynamics
No matter which listening games you choose, try to keep children’s interest alive. If you see that at some point the mood of the group falls, change the game or reverse the roles.
After a while, the children will become more involved in the games and the progress will be more evident. See which activity attracts them the most and try to make variations to keep them motivated.
