Ask the children to sit in the floor in front of you. Read a short story book to the children and tell them to listen carefully as you read. After you finish the book, allow children to ask questions about the story or characters. Ask the children what they think the story meant and tell them if they are correct. Alternatively, ask your own questions about the story to see how well the children listened. Another idea is to give each child a sheet of paper after you read the story. Have them draw a picture of something from the story.
Give the children a set of commands and have them follow the commands. For example, ask the children to stand up and push in their chairs. Each time add on another command making the task more difficult. Another idea is to ask the children to stand up, put on their backpack and walk to the door. Ask the children to scatter around the room and give them a series of commands, such as hop on one foot, rub your stomach, pat your head and smile. Encourage positive reinforcement by awarding small prizes like stickers to children for a job well done.
Record sounds onto a CD or MP3 player of different animals. Play the sounds and have the children guess what animal is making each sound. For younger children, record animals like chickens, horses, cows and dogs. For older children, record sounds from animals like hyenas, pigs and snakes, as these are harder and the children will have to listen carefully to figure the sounds out. Pre-recorded animal sound CDs are available online, too. Other ideas include recording sounds of random activities like the shuffling of change in a pocket or a baby crying.
Watch children's television shows or videos together. Stop the show and ask the children questions about the show to make sure they are listening. Ask questions about each character, such as what the character is saying and doing. Show ideas include Sesame Street and Blue's Clues. The children can also play along with the show by answering the questions asked by the characters.