Communication Skills on Holidays: The holiday season is a special time to help children express themselves, listen actively, and interact confidently with family and friends. Family games during holidays create opportunities to strengthen communication skills in a fun, relaxed, and festive environment.
In this article, we share 12 interactive family games that enhance communication skills while helping children connect with family and make lasting memories.
1. Holiday Charades
Charades encourages children to portray body language, gestures, and verbal cues.
How it works:
- Prepare cards with holiday actions or characters: “decorating the tree,” “building a snowman,” or “Santa coming down the chimney.”
- Take turns acting out prompts while others guess.
- Encourage your child to describe what they are doing or give clues if needed.
Benefits:
- Encourages expressive language and vocabulary
- Supports turn-taking and active listening
- Strengthens non-verbal communication skills
Variation: Act out a sequence of actions to tell a short holiday story.
2. Holiday Pictionary
Pictionary promotes visual communication and descriptive language.
How it works:
- Prepare a list of holiday words or phrases like “reindeer,” “Christmas lights,” or “gift wrapping.”
- Players take turns drawing while others guess.
- Encourage children to describe their drawing without using the actual word.
Benefits:
- Supports expressive and receptive language
- Encourages creative thinking and descriptive vocabulary
- Promotes teamwork and collaboration
Variation: Use digital drawing apps or whiteboards for interactive fun.
3. Holiday Storytelling Circle
Storytelling builds communication skills and engages imagination.
How it works:
- Sit in a circle and start a holiday story with one sentence: “On Christmas Eve, the snow began to fall softly.”
- Each person adds one sentence to continue the story.
- Encourage descriptive language and dialogue for characters.
Benefits:
- Enhances expressive language and narrative skills
- Encourages listening and turn-taking
- Promotes creativity and problem-solving
Variation: Record the story for a keepsake and allow children to retell it later.
4. Holiday Bingo
Bingo supports language practice with a festive twist.
How it works:
- Create Bingo cards with holiday images or words, e.g., “Santa,” “snowflake,” “candy cane.”
- Call out words or descriptions and have children mark the spaces.
- Encourage them to say each word out loud.
Benefits:
- Supports listening comprehension and word recognition
- Encourages expressive language and articulation practice
- Improves focus and attention in group activities
Variation: Add holiday sounds or actions for a multi-sensory experience.
5. Holiday “I Spy”
“I Spy” encourages observation, description, and communication.
How it works:
- Choose holiday decorations or festive items around the house.
- Example: “I spy with my little eye, something that is red and shiny,” and have the child guess.
- Encourage the child to take turns giving clues using descriptive language.
Benefits:
- Promotes vocabulary development and descriptive skills
- Encourages attention to detail and active listening
- Builds confidence in speaking and turn-taking
Variation: Use sensory bins with holiday-themed objects for tactile exploration.
6. Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts integrate movement, language, and problem-solving.
How it works:
- Hide holiday items such as ornaments, candy canes, or figurines.
- Provide picture or word clues to find each item.
- Encourage the child to describe each object, its color, shape, and location.
Benefits:
- Encourages descriptive language and vocabulary
- Supports sequencing and problem-solving skills
- Provides opportunities for expressive and receptive language
Variation: Create themed challenges like “Find all red objects” or “Collect items starting with S.”
7. Holiday Memory Game
Memory games boost attention, verbal recall, and language skills.
How it works:
- Create pairs of cards with holiday images: Santa, gifts, stockings, snowmen.
- Lay cards face down and take turns flipping two to find matches.
- Encourage the child to describe the pictures after flipping.
Benefits:
- Supports memory and cognitive skills
- Encourages vocabulary and expressive language
- Promotes turn-taking and social interaction
Variation: Add storytelling by having the child write a short story based on matched pairs.
8. Holiday Telephone Game
The telephone game practices listening, speech clarity, and sentence formation.
How it works:
- Whisper a holiday sentence, e.g., “The reindeer flew over the snowy mountain,” to the first person.
- Each person whispers to the next; the last person says it out loud.
- Discuss changes and encourage repetition for clarity.
Benefits:
- Supports listening, auditory memory, and speech clarity
- Encourages expressive language and sentence structure
- Promotes attention to detail and careful communication
Variation: Use silly holiday phrases for laughter and motivation.
9. Holiday Puzzles With Description
Puzzles enhance communication and problem-solving.
How it works:
- Choose holiday-themed puzzles: Santa, snowmen, Christmas trees.
- Have the child describe each piece and where it fits.
- Ask them to describe the completed picture.
Benefits:
- Encourages expressive language and vocabulary
- Supports sequential thinking and spatial reasoning
- Promotes cooperative play and communication
Variation: Make it a group challenge with each person describing one piece.
10. Holiday “Show and Tell”
Show-and-tell boosts expressive language and confidence.
How it works:
- Ask your child to bring a holiday item or decoration.
- Have them describe the item, why they like it, and its holiday significance.
- Ask questions to encourage sentence expansion.
Benefits:
- Supports expressive language, vocabulary, and sentence structure
- Encourages storytelling and descriptive language
- Instills confidence in speaking and presenting
Variation: Include siblings or friends for larger group interaction.
11. Holiday Freeze Dance With Prompts
Freeze dance combines movement and speech practice.
How it works:
- Play holiday music and have children dance freely.
- Stop the music and give prompts like “Name a holiday word” or “Describe your favorite decoration.”
- Resume dancing and repeat with new prompts.
Benefits:
- Encourages expressive language and word retrieval
- Promotes attention, listening, and following directions
- Makes speech practice active and fun
Variation: Use props like Santa hats, bells, or scarves for a multisensory experience.
12. Holiday Puppet Theater
Puppetry develops narrative, expressive language, and social communication.
How it works:
- Use holiday-themed puppets: Santa, elves, reindeer.
- Have children create dialogues or short stories.
- Encourage expressive language, descriptive words, and conversational skills.
Benefits:
- Supports narrative skills, expressive language, and social communication
- Facilitates creativity and imaginative play
- Provides a playful, low-pressure environment
Variation: Make a small cardboard theater and perform short puppet shows for family.
Wrapping Up
The holidays are the perfect time to target communication skills while having fun with family. From charades and Pictionary to scavenger hunts and puppet theaters, these 12 interactive games offer meaningful opportunities for children to practice speech, language, and social skills in a festive, playful setting.
By integrating these games into your celebrations, you can create lasting memories while supporting your child’s communication growth, confidence, and connection with loved ones.
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