Games for conversation practice: a collection of ideas everyone can enjoy
“I can’t keep a conversation going.” “I’m not good at talking with people I’ve just met.” Do you have these conversation-related worries? In fact, games are perfect for practicing conversation! Simple rules naturally spark dialogue—and laughter too! In this article, we introduce games that let everyone enjoy practicing conversation together.
From telephone (whisper-down-the-lane) and finding common ground to coordination/communication games, they’re all easy to use as workplace icebreakers or at get-togethers with friends.
Your communication skills will naturally improve through these games, so give them a try!
- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
- Fun two-player games recommended that you can play using conversation only
- Games that get everyone excited without any equipment! A collection of simple ideas everyone can enjoy
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- Party games you can play without any props! A collection of ideas everyone can enjoy together
- Fun games recommended for making friends with people you’ve just met
- [Conversation Skills] Get the Crowd Going! A Collection of Talk Theme Ideas
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- A collection of icebreakers you can enjoy with a small group
- Games that get the whole family excited! A collection of ideas you can start right away with no equipment
- Games for three people with no equipment: Fun activities that get lively using only conversation and your bodies
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
Games for conversation practice. A collection of ideas everyone can enjoy (1–10)
Ten people, ten colors game
The key to this “Ten People, Ten Colors” game is how well you know the person.
For a given question, one respondent silently thinks of an answer.
The other participants then have two chances to ask questions and try to guess what the respondent is thinking.
The questions can be anything, like “What’s your favorite food?” Just try to keep the answers short and to the point.
Think carefully about what to ask so you can get closer to the answer.
If there are many participants, it might be better to split into groups.
You’ll need to discuss what to ask within your group, which should help the conversation flow.
LEGO Serious Play
An educational program using Lego bricks called “LEGO Serious Play.” Build models with Lego bricks based on a given prompt, then present your creation.
After that, you’ll engage in dialogue by answering questions from participants.
Any prompt is acceptable, but abstract and open-ended ones are considered ideal—for example, “What challenges does our team face?” or “What is the ideal team?” Thoughts and visions that are hard to put into words can be conveyed through Lego models.
Through dialogue, you can also strengthen team cohesion.
Talking Game
If you want to cultivate the ability to listen to others and to express your thoughts, I recommend the “Talking Game.” You simply flip over one card at a time with a prompt on it and talk according to that prompt, so it’s enjoyable for both children and adults.
Since there’s no time to think about the topic in advance, it seems like it can also train your quick thinking and summarizing skills—what to say and how to structure it on the spot.
The game naturally gets conversation flowing, making it perfect for practicing communication! It’s also a great way to get to know the other person—two birds with one stone!
Who did what, when, and where game
The “When, Where, Who, Did What” game is a very simple game! Participants take turns, each being responsible for one of the four keywords—“When,” “Where,” “Who,” or “Did What”—and write an answer on a piece of paper that fits their keyword.
Any content is fine, but using the participants’ names for the “Who” part tends to make it more exciting.
Once everyone has written their parts, you reveal them in order and enjoy the sentence that emerges.
Because everyone writes their answers freely, the sentences connect but the content turns out wonderfully bizarre and funny.
It’s sure to spark lively conversation.
Bibliobattle
A Bibliobattle is an intellectual book review showdown.
Each participant brings one favorite book and takes turns presenting it, conveying what makes the book appealing.
After everyone has presented, choose the one book you most want to read and announce your choice.
The book presented by the person with the most votes is the champion! It’s an especially recommended game for book lovers, but it’s also delightful when people who don’t usually read say, “I want to try that.” As you talk about the books’ contents, the conversation naturally expands—it’s a fun idea with lots of potential.