4 Communications Building Car Games

Communication skills are essential throughout life. You’ve got to be able to talk confidently and concisely. One way to help your children practice communications skills are with these four car games.

These games

• Are easy to learn.

• Provide a fun activity for a variety of ages.

• Need no materials (no need to pack anything special!).

• Have been kid-tested and approved.

Ready to play? Here are the rules for each one!

1. Asking & Answering Questions

This game is super simple, but it focuses on an important communication skill: being able to ask and answer questions. Change up the questions based on your children’s ages and abilities.

How to Play:

First, one person asks a question. It can be about anything. Then, everyone else takes a turn answering.

Next, another player asks a question. Continue taking turns asking until everyone has had at least one turn.

Some of the Questions We’ve Used:

1. Who is your favorite character in (name a TV show)?

2. If you could be an animal, what kind would you be?

3. What time do you think we’ll arrive at Grandma’s house?

4. Did you see that cow? What would be a good name for it?

5. If you could have a super power, which one would you pick?

6. What’s your favorite book?

7. If you could go into a TV show for one day, which show would you go into?

8. Why do you think giraffes have long necks?

9. What would you do if it started raining gumdrops?

10. What supplies do you think you’ll need for art next year?

2. Radio Ads

This game builds creativity and confidence. It works best for upper elementary-aged and older kids.

Take a minute to discuss advertising on the radio. How is it different from the television?

Since radios don’t have a visual component, advertisements are completely auditory. There are no special visual effects to help sell the product.

Now that everyone knows what a radio ad is, it’s time to create one for a product you invent.

How to Play:

Give everyone 5-10 minutes to think of an invention they think the world needs.

When the time is up, each person takes a turn offering an oral presentation about their invention. You’ll want to share

• What you’d call your invention.

• What your invention does.

• Why someone would want your invention.

The goal is to make other people want your invention. Speak with confidence! Think of it like an elevator pitch for your invention.

3. What Movie Has . . . ?

Quick thinking is an important part of communication. This game practices that skill in a kid-friendly way.

How to Play:

Select one person to be the first host. This person’s job is to ask a question. Everyone else provides an answer.

The host thinks of an object, and then asks, “What movie has a ____?” filling in the blank with the name of the object.

Everyone else thinks quickly and names a movie with the object in it.

Here are some examples:

What movie has a spaceship? (Possible responses: Star Trek, Flight of the Navigator, Toy Story)

What movie has a dog? (Possible responses: Space Buddies, Balto, Bolt)

What movie has a baseball? (Possible response: A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, The Sandlot, The Rookie)

As you can see, answers can vary widely. There’s no correct response in this game.

Of course, if someone questions an answer, it’s time to use factual information to defend the answer. The person who gave the movie must describe the scene where the object occurred.

If one person can’t think of a response, you can just skip them for that turn. Or see if someone can help them out and supply another answer.

4. The Tone Game

This is a fun car game for younger kids. It helps them learn how the tone of voice impacts a message.

How to Play:

As the host, you’ll give directions. Ask your kids to say things in a certain way to share a message. It sounds complicated, but it’s not.

Here are some examples to help you understand how to play.

• Pretend that you’re mad. Now say, “I don’t want to go.”

• If you were scared, how would you sound if you said, “What was that?”

• In a surprised voice, ask “When did you get here?”

After each response, you can talk about the emotions displayed in the voice.

Then, you can switch it up a bit. This time, you’ll do the talking and it’s the kids’ turn to decide what emotion you’re feeling.

So, say something in a cheerful voice, and ask the kids how they think you are feeling. Next, use your serious voice and say something else.

Take turns, and let your kids say things for you to guess, too.

Communication Building Car Games

If you’re getting tired of playing I Spy and the License Plate Game, give these communication car games a try the next time you hit the road. If you have any other car games that practice communication skills, please share them in the comments below.

Lisa Tanner is a homeschooling mom of eight. She loves writing about balancing diapers and deadlines, and ways to make learning fun.