Group Activities for Teenagers to Build Communication

Partners

• Most teenagers don't like to do things alone, but would rather work with a partner, especially when the activity is something new. When planning activities to build communication, first demonstrate how the activity is performed successfully using an adult volunteer. By having the teens watch how the activity goes first, the group is more likely to participate and learn from the experience if everyone knows what to do. In activities like "Spider's Web," tape yarn or string around a room in different locations and at different heights, creating a spider web. Divide students into partners and blindfold one person in each group. Have each duo navigate through the spider web by giving each other commands until each team of teens travels from one end of the web to the other.

Small Groups

• In order to build communication amongst teens, divide participants into groups randomly of three or four teens per group. Teens who don't know or aren't too familiar with one another and are assigned to work together will need to talk and share with one another to complete the task at hand. Give each group two 2-by-4 pieces of wood, or wooden planks. In "Walk the Plank," each team member stands on the same piece of wood. The object of the task is to get from one side of a large room to another, without stepping off a board. Teams must pass boards over each other and get to the finish line first. This activity promotes communication, coordination and encourages teamwork.

Mid-size Groups

• Teens, for the most part, like to express themselves whether through fashion, art or speech. Let your mid-size group of teens show off their creativity by decorating a garbage can. Give each group a clean trash can, paint, brushes and stencils. Allow each group of students to decorate the exterior of their trash can. Tell the group they must decide on a theme prior to decorating. This activity encourages teamwork and communication while allowing teens to express themselves through art.

Large Groups

• Finding an activity that promotes and encourages communication when working with a large group of 20 or more teens can be challenging. A simple game can be planned ahead of time by creating a list of things that teens must find answers for by talking and sharing with one another. Each person is given the same list that may include topics about siblings, birth places, family vacations and names. One topic may be, "Find someone who has twins in their family." At this point, each participant must talk to different members of the group to find someone who has twins in their family. They must continue to find answers to each topic until they have a different name next to each topic. The list should consist of up to 30 different topics.