Communication Skills Exercises

Group Communication Exercises 

• Card Pieces - This activity uses card pieces to enhance empathy, negotiation, and communication skills by engaging participants in a bartering game.
• Listen And Draw - Participants listen to verbal instructions to draw an object, emphasizing active listening and attention to detail.
• Communication Origami - Through origami folding, participants learn how interpretation of information varies, highlighting the importance of effective communication.
• Guess The Emotion - Participants act out and guess emotions, fostering empathy and understanding of emotional cues.
• The Guessing Game - Similar to "Twenty Questions," this game encourages effective questioning and communication to identify objects.
• Power Of Body Language - Participants engage in actions based on verbal instructions, illustrating how body language impacts communication.
• Clap And Follow - This game reinforces nonverbal communication skills by requiring participants to follow commands based on clapping.
• Wordless Acting - Participants act out a script without verbal communication, emphasizing the importance of nonverbal cues in conveying emotions.
• We Have To Move Now! - This activity helps participants express and identify emotions through physical actions and nonverbal communication.
• Stack The Deck - Participants silently organize into groups based on card suits, highlighting nonverbal communication and teamwork.
• Silent Movie - By acting out scenes without speaking, participants practice interpreting nonverbal cues and conveying messages effectively.
• Square Talk Activity - Blindfolded participants collaborate to form a square, demonstrating the importance of clear communication and teamwork.
• Follow All Instructions Activity - This activity challenges participants to follow written instructions precisely, emphasizing attention to detail and communication skills.

7 Communication Games For Couples

• Copycat - Couples use building blocks to replicate structures through verbal instructions, emphasizing teamwork and communication skills.
• Minefield - One partner guides the other blindfolded partner through an obstacle course, emphasizing trust and effective verbal communication.
• Give Me A Hand - Couples complete tasks with one arm tied behind their backs, highlighting communication and coordination skills.
• Twenty Questions Times Two - Couples ask and answer personal questions to enhance understanding and communication skills.
• Eye-To-Eye - Couples share conversations while maintaining eye contact to deepen intimacy and communication.
• The Top Three - Couples express gratitude by sharing three things they appreciate about each other daily.
• Make A Playdate - Couples plan surprise activities to strengthen their bond and communication.
• Back-To-Back Drawing - Partners describe images to each other without seeing them, focusing on clear communication.
• Effective Feedback In “I” Mode - Participants practice giving feedback using "I" statements to express feelings constructively.
• Storytelling With CCSG - Participants craft narratives using the CCSG structure to convey information effectively and inspire others.

3 Activities To Improve Communication Between Employees

• Direction Direction - Teams pass complex instructions through verbal communication, reflecting on clarity and listening skills to minimize misinterpretation.
• Mimes - Participants mime actions based on topics, emphasizing the importance of clarity in communication through questioning and awareness of implicit assumptions.
• Let’s Face It - Players express emotions through facial expressions, fostering self-awareness and discussing the role of nonverbal communication in understanding emotions.

3 Active Listening Games And Exercises For The Workplace

• Concentric Circles - Participants engage in structured discussions within inner and outer circles, reflecting on their experiences as talkers and watchers to enhance communication dynamics.
• 3-Minute Vacation - In pairs, one person describes their dream vacation while the other actively listens, then summarizes and discusses how accurately they understood their partner's description, emphasizing active listening skills.
• Pet Peeve - Colleagues take turns ranting about pet peeves while the other practices empathetic listening, decoding the rant to isolate key positive points and fostering appreciation for constructive feedback.

3 Team Building Communication Games And Exercises

• Personal Storytelling - Participants share personal stories in a structured setting to foster empathy, team building, and improved communication skills, using prompts such as dreams, first experiences, or symbolic objects.
• I’m Listening - Participants engage in a structured feedback exercise where they take turns being talkers and listeners, practicing constructive listening strategies and discussing feedback received.
• “A What?” - Modeled after the game Telephone, participants pass objects while answering and asking questions, highlighting the importance of effective communication and teamwork while observing how messages can change.

3 Communication Exercises And Activities For Groups

• Crazy Comic - Teams collaborate to create a comic strip, facing communication challenges as they decide the plot, tasks, and frame content without seeing each other's progress.
• Blindfold Rope Square - Participants navigate blindfolded through an obstacle course to arrange a rope into a square, emphasizing the importance of effective verbal communication and teamwork.
• Zen Counting - Group members count from one to ten collectively, practicing silent communication and learning to embrace moments of silence for better listening.
• Blind Drawing - Pairs engage in a drawing activity where one describes an image while the other draws, highlighting the importance of clear communication and active listening.
• Forming Groups - Employees form groups based on commonalities, promoting communication and collaboration while discussing their shared traits.
• Blindfolded Obstacle Course - Trust and effective communication are emphasized as one employee guides another blindfolded through an obstacle course using clear verbal instructions.
• Just Listen - Pairs take turns speaking about topics while their partners listen silently, promoting active listening skills and objective summarization of information.
• Don’t Listen - Participants practice speaking while their partners intentionally stop listening, highlighting the importance of active listening for effective communication.
• Four At A Time - Teams nonverbally coordinate standing and sitting in groups of four, emphasizing nonverbal communication and teamwork.
• Acting Emotions - Employees act out emotions to practice interpreting nonverbal cues and understand their impact on communication in various contexts.
• Body Language Speaks Louder Than Words - An exercise demonstrating how body language influences communication effectiveness and the importance of clear instructions.
• Listen And Recap - Partners take turns speaking while their counterparts summarize their thoughts, promoting attentive listening and clear communication.
• The Name Game - Employees guess the identity of a famous person based on questions asked by their partners, fostering effective questioning and communication skills.
• Telephone - Participants pass a message around a circle, illustrating how messages can be distorted in communication chains.
• Two People Talking - Teams practice simultaneous conversation and active listening, highlighting the challenges of multitasking and the importance of focused communication.
• I Feel - Encouraging expressing feelings with “I feel” statements promotes open communication and reduces defensiveness in discussions.
• Show And Tell - Children describe personal items, fostering communication skills and encouraging active listening.
• Taking Turns - Children take turns speaking on different topics, promoting communication and listening skills in a group setting.
• Team Presentations - Students collaborate on a project and present their findings, practicing teamwork, communication, and public speaking skills.