What’s it like to be a child today? Communicating with children can be tricky, especially in a world that has changed so much since we were children ourselves. But we all want to be sure our children are happy and getting along well at school and with their friends.
While working with children around the world, our Kids Today project found that although, to us as parents, it might seem as though the world is very different since our early years, kids are still kids, and they love to play! So we’ve collected some fun games to get your little ones talking about their lives.
Three Fun Ways to Build Communication with Children
There are plenty of fantastic games and activities that can help you communicate with your kids. Whether you end up chatting away or not, these three fun ways to communicate with children through games will be fun for both of you.
1. Story Collages
Cut people out of magazines and newspapers, along with headlines, and captions (use your judgment when deciding what’s suitable). Once you have a wide variety, your child can make a story collage – they’ll love the opportunity to get sticking, painting, and drawing, and the variety of expressions in newspaper photos mean that you can see some really creative results!
If your little artist gets carried away with their creation, don’t worry – Persil detergents can be relied upon to help shift stubborn stains. Finally, ask them to tell you the story! This activity can really give you a fascinating insight into how your little one sees the world. For another fun collage activity, check out our guide to making a family portrait collage.
2. Play Memory Games
Setting challenges with prizes is always exciting for kids! There are lots of fun ways to test your memory skills that are also great starting points for conversation. Try setting some items out on a tray for five minutes, then covering it and asking them what the objects were. When they come into a room, you can ask them to shut their eyes and tell you what you’re wearing, too – you could also keep a few small prizes on hand to make the game worthwhile.
Another fun option is to play Fancy Dress Hide-and-Seek together – while one player counts, the other players quickly put on as many fun items as they can find before hiding. When the Seeker finds someone, they have ten seconds to look at what the hiding player is wearing before they have to close their eyes.
If the Seeker can remember four items correctly, or guess the costume, they win and the player is caught – if not, they can run off and hide again! This game adds an extra challenge to normal Hide-and-Seek, and is bound to make you both laugh!
3. Try role-play games
Fancy dress can be a great starting point for all kinds of amazing games – try getting involved in the make-believe by joining them in a role-play game. Letting them paint your face or dress you up on the odd rare occasion is a lovely bonding activity, too. As an alternative, try dressing up as characters from a book you’re reading together – it’s a great way to talk about plot twists!
Playing other characters and performing in this way can help build up their confidence, and they’ll love using their imagination to transform into someone else! If you’re short on fancy dress items, try making paper masks as a quick and easy costume option.