Listening Activities for Elementary Students
Try these fun and interactive listening activities for elementary students.
One of the most important skills for learning is an ability to listen to what’s important. Elementary students can definitely struggle with this, but the attention and memory required are key components of executive function.
These listening activities for elementary students are a great way to build fun right into exercising a critical skill!
Listening games you can start right now!
Simon Says – this one also packs a punch of impulse control-building!
Draw what you hear – Have one or more kids grab a paper and pencil and give them step-by-step directions on an image to draw. It can be concrete, like “draw a square with a circle inside it” – see how accurately they can follow. Or, let their creativity shine with something like “draw a monster with three eyes and big ears” – see what they come up with!
I spy – this one has the added impact of building visual scanning and perceptual skills.
You can even play I spy online! Describe the character, and players identify the correct image. For example, “I spy with my little eye a gnome with a brown hat coming out of a box”.
BINGO game cards for listening skills
Ever thought of Bingo as a listening activity? Well, these are more than just find the word on your grid. These games require kids to listen carefully to a description, then identify the correct image on their grid. Still just as fun, but it takes a little more skill!
For example, it’s not just “monster”, it’s a three-eyed green monster coming out of a pumpkin!
Online listening games for your elementary students
These listening activities use my favorite digital tool, Boom cards!
Following multi-step directions
This group of games teaches players to follow directions in gradually increasing complexity. Each activity starts with one instruction, then at each step adds one to the chain. It’s fun while challenging and a great way to encourage practice. See how far you can get this time, then come back and do better next time!
These listening and following directions games will get you through the entire school year, so there’s always something new to try!
To sum it up, helping kids become better listeners is super important for their growth. The fun activities aren’t just enjoyable – they actually boost listening skills and teach valuable life lessons. When teachers and parents use these activities, they’re not just improving how kids understand information; they’re also helping them become more patient, empathetic, and good team players. These skills are handy not just in school but also in life!
