If you’re a teacher, you know how it’s important to come up with fun and innovative ways to teach your students. The same can be said for public speaking. While some students take to it easily, others may need a little more coaxing in order to learn.
That’s where these ten public speaking games come in! They’re designed to get students comfortable with speaking in front of a group, thinking on their feet, and using their imagination – all skills that will come in handy when they’re giving a presentation or speech.
Contents
1. The Tongue Twister Game
From a box of tongue twisters, the speaker picks one that was originally made by a fellow student and written down on a piece of paper. The goal is to recite the phrase three times without making any mistakes.
Tongue twisters are a great way to get students warmed up and comfortable with enunciating their words properly. It’s been a proven and tested oral exercise for many years, and one that always gets a few laughs from the students as well.
2. Word Association Game
This game can be played by the whole class or in small groups. One person starts by saying a word, and the next person then has to say a word in response that is associated with the first. This continues until someone either can’t think of an association or repeats a word that’s already been said.
This game helps students to think on their feet and come up with quick, clever responses. It can also be a chance for them to learn new words that they can, later on, incorporate into their own vocabulary.
3. Sell Me This Pen
This is a classic game that can be used in many different situations, but it’s especially good for public speaking. One person starts by picking an odd object from the box and then try to sell it to the class by giving a short pitch. You can identify the winner through applause or by having a vote.
Students learn how to be persuasive and create a quick sales pitch. With very little time to prepare, they will need to be able to come up with solutions on the spot.
4. Debates
Now, this is a public speaking activity that is sure to get everyone’s attention. Debating in teams of two or more students is a fantastic way to hone critical thinking skills on topics that can be argued from multiple perspectives. It doesn’t have to be a formal debate, but you can set some ground rules and even use funny topics to get everyone engaged.
This activity teaches students how to research and develop a point of view on a topic. Students will learn how to back up their opinions with evidence and reasoning, which are essential skills for public speaking.
5. Desert Island Game
Not only is this game a great icebreaker, but it also gets students to think quickly. The premise is simple: the class is stranded on a desert island and they can only take one item with them. Each student has to pick a random drawing made by the rest of the class and then explain why their item is the most essential for survival.
This game isn’t only great for encouraging students to think quickly, but it also gets them comfortable with speaking in front of a group. If you have students who are typically shy or struggle when they have to speak in front of others, this is a fun activity for them!
6. Secret Word
Each student is given a random topic and an unrelated word. The goal is to incorporate the secret word into a speech about the topic without getting caught. Other students will be listening carefully for any clues about what the hidden word might be.
This game is a great way to get students to be creative with their speeches. It’s also a good opportunity for them to practice using vocabulary in context and listening for keywords.
7. In The News Today
The point of the exercise is to take any subject and write it in the standard news format, covering who, what, where, why, when, and how. You can have them tackle any current event, or just simply how they prepared for school.
This is a fun way to teach students some structure to speeches and make them more interesting for the audience. It will also allow them to learn how to deliver a news report and is a great way to practice using proper grammar and formatting.
8. End Lines
Prepare catchy lines from well-known speeches, movies, or songs. Students then have to create an impromptu story that should end with that line. It can be any catchy phrases like “And that’s how I met your mother”, “Look what you made me do”, etc.
This is an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their creativity with speeches, as well as be able to think on their feet. The activity also helps with storytelling and delivery, two important aspects of public speaking.
9. Balderdash
With this game, students come up with odd terms and write them down on slips of paper. One person must draw a term from the box and explain it to everyone else before using it in a sentence. If the student can guess the meaning of the term, then that student gets a point. Other students can also challenge the definition and give their own.
This game is a great way to get students to practice their vocabulary and learn new words. It’s also a fun way to encourage creativity in speech-making.
10. Two Truths and A Lie
In this game, each student comes up with three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. Another student must then guess which statement is the lie and can only guess once. If they guess correctly, they get a point.
It’s a simple yet effective game that gets students comfortable with speaking in front of others. This will train students to be more confident when delivering speeches and also help them learn how to gauge their audience’s reactions.
Final Thoughts
Having a fun and interactive speech game is a great way to engage your students in the classroom while they learn. Not only will they be able to have fun, but they’ll also be developing essential skills for public speaking. So try out some of these games the next time you’re teaching a lesson on speeches!
