Here, we will describe six communication games for couples. Readers will first learn about how communication brings couples closer. Then, we will explore these games in more detail. This information can help you strengthen your bond with your partner.

What are some Communication Games for Couples?

Below are listed some useful communication games for couples:

The Eye Contact Game
Picture This
Our Future Moodboard
The Question Game
I-Statements
Reflective Listening
The Love Languages
Daily/Weekly Check-In

How Communication Brings Couples Closer

Healthy communication is a vital ingredient in any successful relationship. Since two people, no matter how fond of each other, are separate individuals, they tend to have conflicts and different ways of looking at the same thing.

Through communication, partners can effectively get to know each other’s point of view, learn to empathise, and discover how to navigate problems in a solution-oriented way. There are no perfect relationships, but they can be good enough.

A good enough relationship spends one third of the time spent together in sync, another third out of sync, and the final third in repair. Communication is the heart of repair in any relationship.

6 Fun Communication Games for Couples

In this section, we are going to describe six communication games for couples in more detail. Let’s begin!

The Eye Contact Game

A highly popular game in couples therapy, the eye contact game is all about being vulnerable with each other. The rules are simple. All you have to do is be in front of your partner and look into each other’s eyes without speaking.

It may feel awkward to start with but the goal is to make it more comfortable by continuing it. After about five minutes of maintaining eye contact, you can take turns speaking about what’s on your mind.

To make the most of this game, try to keep your body as relaxed as possible. Notice if you can feel any tension in your muscles. If you do, release it immediately. When you look at each other’s eyes with a relaxed body, real intimacy occurs. Before you know it, you’ll feel yourself falling deeper in love.

Picture This

This is another popular communication game that can be played by anyone, including couples. For Picture This, you need a few items that you can play with. Take anything that can be used to create or build something.

It can be a piece of paper and a marker, building blocks, modelling clay, or other articles for craft or imaginative play. Once you gather your items, sit with your backs to each other. Split the items between each other so that each partner gets the same parts.

One partner will make something out of the material provided and when done, they need to instruct the other one on how to build a replica, without mentioning what the final product is. It’s not as easy as it sounds because you’ll need to communicate precisely.

But even if you’re not able to replicate the original, it’s still a fun way to realise how your communication needs to be improved.

Our Future Moodboard

It’s a good idea to talk about your relationship’s future together. Maybe you want to have kids someday, buy a house, travel, or intertwine your careers. It’s important to discuss these things regularly with your partner to ensure you’re on the same page.

However, just talking about it may seem inadequate after a point. That’s when you can try this fun activity together to communicate your relationship goals and dreams pictorially.

You can either create this using a piece of mountboard and cut up magazines. Or you can go digital and make it using a graphic design tool. The former feels like a more holistic experience because of its tangibility.

Spend a Sunday afternoon building this collage and keep adding pictures, words, lists, flyers, catalogues, and decorations to it as your goals become more specific. Place the mood board somewhere accessible so you can be reminded of your couple goals.

The Question Game

If you’ve heard of 20 Questions, you know how to play this game. It’s basically the same, except that there’s no limit on the number of questions. You can ask each other absolutely anything. The idea is to get to know each other better.

If you can’t come up with questions, you can try Arthur Aron et al. ‘s 36 questions that lead to love. There are also plenty of lists you can find on Pinterest and Redditt.

Sit together with a cup of tea or coffee and chat to each other using these questions in turns. It will probably lead to many anecdotes from your past and create opportunities for intimacy. Make sure you don’t judge each other and listen attentively.

I-Statements

I-statements are a communication tool used for assertive communication in all kinds of relationships. The idea behind these statements is that often, by using attacking statements or problem-focussed words, we end up making the listener defensive.

That’s unhelpful because neither do we get to convey our point nor do they get a chance to reflect and understand. Instead, using an I-statement is more helpful because it takes away any blaming language and focuses on your feelings.

The structure of an I-statement is I feel ______ when _____. You can use these to communicate new things or revisit statements you’ve already made and repair them.

For example, instead of saying, “you’re always so late”, say “I feel unimportant when I’m made to wait for you frequently.”

Reflective Listening

Reflective listening is another communication tool, which allows your partner to feel heard and understood. You can try this out the next time your partner is telling you about their long day.

Typically, it’s very easy to jump in and start giving solutions to the problem. But that method skips some important steps that can strengthen your bond with each other. Instead, try to listen carefully and with attunement.

Don’t interrupt or get distracted. Once they’re done talking, repeat what they said in your own words. It helps to reflect on the emotion they must have been feeling.Then, check if you got it right. Here’s an example to demonstrate.

PARTNER: “I’ve had such a terrible day. My boss yelled at me in front of all the employees, my presentation got delayed because of a stupid mistake, and I missed the bus home so I had to walk.”

YOU: “Oh wow that does sound like a pretty rough day. Getting yelled at in that way could not have been pleasant and the delay must have added to your frustration. I can only imagine how difficult it would have been to walk all the way home in that mood.”

Conclusion

Here, we described six communication games for couples. Readers first learned about how communication brings couples closer. Then, we explored these games in more detail. This information can help you strengthen your bond with your partner.

The communication games mentioned in this blog were The Eye Contact Game, Picture This, Our Future Moodboard, The Question Game, I-Statements, and Reflective Listening..

FAQs (Communication Games for Couples)

What can couples do to improve communication?

There are many ways to improve communication between couples. A few methods are listed as follows:

Work on self-awareness and understanding your emotions
Make time for each other to explore these reflections
Speak using non-attacking language
Listen attentively and with empathy
Work on setting boundaries
Think about timing when you have to say something
For every complaint, also offer five statements of gratitude
Check in with each other regularly
Try couples therapy

How do you teach couples to communicate?

In order to reach couples to communicate, they first need to identify healthy and unhealthy patterns of communication. Once they can recognise whether their interactions are going in a healthy way or not, they can learn how to improve it.

It always helps to train couples on how to communicate assertively, with empathy, and patience. If required, they can even consult a couples’ therapist to mediate and train them in these useful communication skills.

What are the 8 types of communication?

The eight types of communication are listed below:

Formal Communication
Informal Communication
Verbal Communication
Non Verbal Communication
Upward Communication
Horizontal Communication
Diagonal Communication
Downward Communication

References

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Communication Games for Couples (5 Fun Activities)