Updated October 2026
Communication games for kids are simple activities, like Telephone, Simon Says or a chain story, that help children listen, explain what they think and understand others while they play. They work from age 2, need almost no materials and fit a living room, a birthday party or a classroom. Here are 15 ideas, sorted by age.
Kids start communicating on day one: crying, smiling, pointing at the thing they want. Then come the words, the endless “why?” and the stories that never seem to end. Games are the easiest way to support all of it, because nobody feels like they’re practicing. They’re just laughing together.
Quick guide: communication games by age
| Game | Ages | What it builds | You need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action songs | 2 to 3 | Copying, gestures, first words | Nothing |
| Guess the Object | 2 to 5 | Vocabulary, describing | A bag |
| Simon Says | 3 to 6 | Active listening | Nothing |
| Tin Can Telephone | 3 to 6 | Taking turns to talk | 2 cups and string |
| Picture Storytelling | 3 to 6 | Vocabulary, sequencing | Photos or a picture book |
| Obstacle Course | 3 to 7 | Following directions | Pillows, chairs, toys |
| Show and Tell | 4 to 8 | Speaking up | A favorite item |
| Telephone | 4 to 8 | Careful listening | Nothing |
| Chain-Link Story | 4 to 8 | Creativity, turn-taking | A ball |
| Feelings Charades | 4 to 8 | Body language, emotions | Slips of paper |
| Little Reporter | 4 to 8 | Asking questions | A “microphone” |
| Role-Playing | 3 to 8 | Asking for help, saying what they need | Dress-up clothes (optional) |
| Ten Questions | 5 to 8 | Questions, reasoning | Nothing |
| Draw What I Say | 5 to 8 | Explaining clearly | Paper and crayons |
| Exact Instructions | 5 to 8 | Clear communication | Bread and a spread |
What are the types of communication?
Verbal communication is the words we use and how we say them:
- Volume: a loud voice or a whisper.
- Tone: calm, firm, loving, angry.
- Word choice: “Please speak more softly” and “Shut up” ask for the same thing, but they don’t land the same way.
- Language: using words your child understands.
Nonverbal communication is everything the body says:
- Touch: hugs, high fives.
- Gestures: a thumbs up, waving goodbye.
- Facial expressions: smiling, frowning.
- Eye contact and personal space.
Why are communication skills important?
When we talk with our kids, we show them how to get along with others, name what they feel and ask for what they need. The way they learn to communicate at home sticks with them long after they grow up.
Good communication helps kids with:
- Emotional well-being and emotional intelligence.
- Confidence to say what they think.
- Empathy.
- Self-control and patience to wait their turn.
- Setting and respecting boundaries.
15 communication games and activities for kids
Kids are sponges. They copy how we talk, how we listen and how we react. These games give you an excuse to practice together without it ever feeling like a lesson.
1. Guess the Object (ages 2 to 5)
- Put an object in a bag and give clues until your child guesses it.
- Hiding a spoon? “It’s small.” “It’s silver.” “We use it to eat.”
- Then switch: your child hides something and you ask questions until you get it right.
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Dress Up. Pick an outfit for Elliot, then ask your child to describe what they chose.
2. Telephone (ages 4 to 8)
A classic that never gets old. Best with 3 to 5 people, so the whole family can join.
- Stand in a line.
- Start with an easy sentence, like “The ball is red,” and whisper it to the next person.
- Everyone passes it along quietly.
- The last person says it out loud.
It almost always comes out different, and much funnier. Make the sentences longer each round.
3. Show and Tell (ages 4 to 8)
- Everyone picks a favorite item from their room.
- A grown-up goes first: what it is, why they love it, where it came from and how it works.
- Then it’s your child’s turn.
Silly version: Show and Tell your least favorite item. Will they go straight for the broccoli or the toothbrush?
4. Picture Storytelling (ages 3 to 6)
- Grab a photo and ask your child to tell you everything they see. On a farm: barn, cat, farmer, pig, cow.
- Then ask them to make up a story about it.
- If they get stuck, nudge them: “The cat is grumpy because she has to share her dinner with the pig.”
To level up, shuffle a few pictures and have them put the story in order (first, next, last), then tell it with their own details.
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Farm Race. After a round, make up a story together about the farm animals.
5. Chain-Link Story (ages 4 to 8)
- Sit in a circle with a ball.
- Start the story: “Once upon a time there was a baby dinosaur who…”
- Pass the ball, and whoever catches it adds the next bit.
- Keep going until the story ends, no matter how ridiculous it gets.
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Tiny Tales with Lisa. Your child picks the scenes and builds a story, then tells it to you out loud.
6. Feelings Charades (ages 4 to 8)
Great for body language and naming emotions.
- Write emotions on slips of paper (or draw them for kids who can’t read yet) and put them in a bowl.
- Each player picks one and acts it out without talking.
- Everyone else guesses the feeling.
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Billy’s Feelings. Spot happy, sad and angry faces together, a great warm-up before acting them out.
7. Ten Questions (ages 5 to 8)
- One person thinks of an animal and keeps it secret.
- Everyone else gets 10 questions to figure it out: “Does it have a tail?” “Does it live in the ocean?” “Does it have fur?”
Asking good questions is half of communication, and this game makes it a challenge.
8. Obstacle Course (ages 3 to 7)
Builds active listening and burns off energy.
- Set up a course with pillows, chairs, shoes and toys, with a start and a finish line.
- Call out directions: “Hop on each pillow,” “Go around the shoe,” “Crawl under the chair,” “Spin 3 times.”
- Celebrate together at the finish line.
9. Exact Instructions (ages 5 to 8)
The one that gets the biggest laughs. It’s all about clear communication.
- Tell your child you want to make a sandwich and need them to explain how.
- Set out bread, a spread, a knife and a plate.
- Do exactly what they say. If they say “put the peanut butter on the bread,” put the whole jar on the bread.
- Ask for clearer instructions and try again.
Little by little, they learn to be specific. Watch this dad playing it with his kids to see how it goes.
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Pizza Maker. Let your child tell you, step by step, which toppings go on and in what order.
10. Role-Playing (ages 3 to 8)
- Play vets, firefighters, astronauts, grocery store clerks or mermaids.
- While you play, say what you need and ask for help: “This horse is nervous. Can you help calm him while I fix his hoof?”
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Dentist Builder. Play dentist and patient: what hurts? What should we do?
11. Action Songs (ages 2 to 3)
For the youngest kids, communication starts with copying. Songs like “If You’re Happy and You Know It” or “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” mix words, rhythm and gestures, so toddlers can join in even before they say much.
- Sing slowly and make the gestures big.
- Pause before a word they know and let them fill it in.
- Repeat. At this age, repetition is the fun part.
Need a playlist? Here are the best songs for toddlers.
12. Simon Says (ages 3 to 6)
- One person is “Simon” and gives orders: “Simon says touch your nose.”
- Only follow the order if it starts with “Simon says.”
- Whoever slips up becomes Simon.
It trains listening and attention without anyone noticing.
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Body Parts Memory. Find the pairs, then use those body parts in your next round of Simon Says.
13. Tin Can Telephone (ages 3 to 6)
- Poke a hole in the bottom of 2 plastic or paper cups and tie them together with a long string.
- Pull the string tight. One person talks, the other listens.
- The golden rule: take turns. If you both talk at once, nobody hears anything.
It’s a craft and a game in one, and it teaches turn-taking better than any lecture.
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Air Hockey. A two-player game on one screen, where everyone waits for their turn.
14. Little Reporter (ages 4 to 8)
- Hand over a “microphone” (a hairbrush works) and let your child interview a family member or their favorite stuffed animal.
- Help with open questions: “What do you love doing most?” “What scared you when you were little?”
- Then swap, and you’re the reporter.
15. Draw What I Say (ages 5 to 8)
- Sit back to back. One person holds a simple picture (a house, a sun, a tree).
- Without showing it, they describe it so the other can draw it: “There’s a yellow circle in the top right corner.”
- Compare drawings at the end.
Perfect for pairs and classrooms, and a funny reminder of how much clear explaining matters.
Communication games for groups and classrooms
Planning a party, a class or a playdate with lots of kids? These work best with a crowd:
- Telephone and Simon Says: no materials, any group size.
- Chain-Link Story: great in a circle of 5 to 15 kids.
- Feelings Charades: play in teams with emotions, animals or jobs.
- Draw What I Say: in pairs, ideal for elementary kids.
For more ideas, see our group games for kids.
🎮 Play it in Lingokids: Teamwork Puzzle. A puzzle to solve as a pair, talking it through and agreeing on each move.
How to build communication skills every day
- Get down to their level when they talk to you and make eye contact.
- Wait a few seconds before answering for them. Often they just need a little more time.
- Ask open questions: “What was the funniest thing today?” instead of “Did you have a good day?”
- Narrate what you’re doing together: “Now we cut the bread, then we spread the jam.”
- Read and sing together. Stories and songs are vocabulary in its purest form.
Communication and Lingokids
In Lingokids, Billy, Lisa, Cowy and Elliot sing, play and act out feelings in games and songs made for kids ages 2 to 8, with no ads. Our fun ways to help kids understand emotions pair nicely with the games above.
Download Lingokids to explore all our games, or watch the videos on our YouTube channel.
FAQ
What are communication games for kids?
They’re games that get kids talking, listening, asking and explaining while they have fun. Some focus on verbal communication, like Telephone or a chain story, and others on nonverbal communication, like charades.
What communication games work for 2-year-olds?
At 2, keep it simple: action songs, Guess the Object with familiar things, and narrating what you do together. Short, repetitive games with gestures work best at this age.
How can I improve my preschooler’s communication skills?
Talk with them a lot during the day, narrate what you’re doing, give them time to answer and play simple games like Simon Says, picture storytelling and Tin Can Telephone. If you’re worried about how their speech is developing, talk to your pediatrician.
What are good communication games for groups of kids?
Telephone, Simon Says, Chain-Link Story and charades all work well in groups. They need no materials and fit a classroom, a party or a family get-together.
