Listening is an important life skill. It allows people to communicate and understand others. But listening doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are 10 fun and engaging listening activities for kids that will make spending time with them more enjoyable.

1. Play a game of “Telephone.” One person starts talking and the other person listens. The listener must then repeat what he or she heard. If the listener gets a word wrong, the speaker must laugh and say “oops.”

2. Play “Simon Says.” One person starts talking and the other person must listen and do what he or she says.

3. Play “Spot the Dog.” One person starts talking and the other person has to point to the animal or object that the speaker is describing.

4. Play “Simon Says with Words.” One person starts talking and the other person has to repeat the words after the speaker.

5. Play “Pat-A-Cake.” One person starts talking and the other person has to answer a question. For example, the question might be “What does dad do for a living?”

6. Play “I Spy.” One person starts talking and the other person has to guess what he or she is looking at.

7. Play “Memory Match.” One person starts talking and the other person has to match the words or phrases to the pictures.

8. Play “Pictures with Words.” One person starts talking and the other person has to spell the words out.

9. Play “Word Association.” One person starts talking and the other person has to say a word in response to every word that the speaker says.

10. Play “Simon Says with Songs.” One person starts singing and the other person has to sing the words after the speaker.