Suggested Grade/Age Range: Grades 4-6 (ages 9-11)

Activity Objective: The goal of this activity is to help children recognize the importance of both verbal and non-verbal communication and how we use both when we try to express ourselves. Factors that facilitate good communication will be discussed as part of the activity.  

Learning Goals
Big Messages to Kids

Link to Ontario Curriculum

Materials Required: none

Prep Time: 10 minutes

• You may choose to write out instructions for the game on the board for children to refer to

Task Time: 45-60 minutes

• Explain the game to the whole class
• Play 2-3 rounds of Part 1 and 4 rounds of Part 2
• Gather the class for a discussion about communication

Activity Description:

Activity:

Part 1:

1.       Tell the class that they will be playing a game called The Telephone Game whereby the goal is to pass a message successfully all the way around the circle. Review over the instructions and make sure everyone understands how to play the game

2.       For the first round, ensure the messages chosen are only one sentence long and the content can vary depending on what is relevant for that particular class. The facilitator will always start each round

3.       After the first round, have a discussion with the class about whether or not the message was passed on successfully. It is likely that the children may have experienced some barriers along the way (e.g., someone saying it too softly or too loudly so others claim they heard it or cannot hear it, etc.). Give them an opportunity to discuss these and then ask the class what they could do during the next round to ensure the message gets passed around (e.g., saying each word slowly and clearly, making eye contact with the individual you are communicating with afterwards to check for understanding, saying the message more than once if needed, asking respectfully for the message to repeated, etc.)

4.       Play another round or two of the game and have a mini discussion around what worked and what did not work each round and what could be done to facilitate better communication

Wrap-up Discussion:

5.       At the end of three rounds or so, have an overall discussion with the children about what factors helped to improve communication. Write these down on the board or on chart paper

6.       Make sure to mention that when trying to communicate something important, it is actually important not to have a lot of others pass on this message, which may change the meaning of it. It is important to communicate directly with the person one wants to speak with

Additional Comments:

• Children may become frustrated when encountering a variety of barriers during the game, have a discussion with them in the beginning about respectful behaviour and review over classroom rules/agreements as needed
• Sometimes, the messages may be intentionally changed by individuals during the game. Use this as a teaching moment to discuss about how this may happen when we try to communicate something important in real life. Emphasize the importance of respecting one another throughout the entire game playing process and of respecting the right of the whole class to play this game by following the game rules
• Allow the children to play and have fun, especially with (appropriately) humourous messages or when messages do become unintentionally mixed up. At the same time, emphasize how messages can become miscommunicated in real life and use this as an opportunity to discuss the importance of clearly saying what one needs when communicating

Additional Resources:

You may choose to review over the Communication Literature Review before implementing this activity. It can be found here.