Aim: 

• To encourage participants to identify those affected by the issue at hand.
• To enable participants to see perspectives which might not be their own.

Basic Structure:

• Explain the topic to be debated.
• As a group, identify as many stakeholders in the debate as you’d like (ie. people whom the issue effects). (Debate title example: “Gummy bears for school lunches”. Stakeholder examples: “Gummy Bear Producer”, “Diabetes Patient”, “Students” ect.)
• Ask individuals to take on the role of the stakeholders mentioned.
• Each stakeholder is to act out his or her point of view in the debate.
• The group can join in by asking questions to the individual stakeholders.

Variations:

1. The role-play can also take place in the form of a panel, where those who will be acting out the role of the stakeholders are to sit at the front and answer questions presented by the rest of the participants.

Adapted from: www.linkedin.com/pulse/debate-activities-classroom-farah-najam

Aim:

• To enable participants to discuss a topic with different individuals.

Basic Structure:

• Participants are to form two concentric circles.
• Each person from the circle on the inside is paired with someone on the outside. They are to stand facing each other.
• The leader asks a question to the whole group and pairs discuss their responses with each other, for a set amount of time (for example 2 minutes).
• When the time is up, the leader signals the young people to rotate: Those in the outside circle move one space to the right so they are standing in front of someone new.
• The leader can use the same question or a new question with every rotation.

Variations:

1. Instead of two circles, participants could also form two straight lines facing one another. To switch partners, one line just slides over one spot, and the leftover person on the end comes around to the beginning of the line.
2. When used in a debate, each circle can be assigned a particular viewpoint which they need to argue in favour for (for example, the inner circle is to argue in favour of eating gummy bears for lunch, while the outside circle have to argue against it – refer to “Creative Debate”).

Adapted from: www.cultofpedagogy.com/speaking-listening-techniques/ 

Basic Structure:

• Have participants stand in the centre of the room.
• A statement that has two possible responses—agree or disagree—is read out loud.
• Depending on whether they agree or disagree with this statement, participants move to one side of the room or the other (establish which side means which beforehand).
• From that spot, students take turns defending their positions.

Variations:

1. Can be used as a “True or False” game when presenting facts about a topic.
2. Can be used as a “Me or Not Me” icebreaker where participants pick a side depending on whether or not the statement describes them, from trivial facts to deep truths (for example, “I like gummy bears” or “I have been bullied”)

Adapted from: www.cultofpedagogy.com/speaking-listening-techniques/

Aim:

• To encourage the group to reflect on an individual level.
• To enable different people to contribute to the same reflection.

Resources:

• Papers
• Pencils/pens/markers

Basic Structure:

• Ask participants to write a key reflection (or the answer to a reflective question) on a sheet of paper.
• When done, the papers are to be crumbled up into a ball & tossed to the other side of the room.
• Once participants catch a “snowball”, they read it and add something new to the reflection.
• The paper is to be crumbled up again and the process repeated.

Variations:

• Key reflections can be drawn instead of written down, and after every toss, someone adds on the drawing they receive.

Adapted from: www.nureva.com/blog/education/15-ways-to-spark-student-reflection-in-your-classroom

Aim:

• To help participants reflect on a situation/session.
• To enable reflection without the use of words.

Resources:

• Papers
• Pencils/pens/markers/colouring pencils

Basic Structure:

• Present a question to be reflected upon. (For example: What have been the effect of gummy bears in your life?)
• Ask participants to draw their answers.

Variations:

• Sketch reflections can be stuck onto a noticeboard. (If the setting allows it, a wall can be dedicated to the affixing of reflective notes/sketches after sessions.)
• Sketch reflections can be made as part of other journaling activities.

Aims:

• To facilitate a discussion which is inclusive to the entire group.

Basic Structure:

• Participants begin in pairs, responding to a discussion question only with a single partner.
• After each person has had a chance to share their ideas, the pair joins another pair, creating a group of four.
• Pairs share their ideas with the pair they just joined.
• Next, groups of four join together to form groups of eight, and so on.
• Repeat until the whole group is joined up in one large discussion.

Variations:

1. Participants could be required to reach consensus every time they join up with a new group.

Adapted from: www.cultofpedagogy.com/speaking-listening-techniques/

Uno

https://www.letsplayuno.com/

The classic Uno game & a more adventurous version are available to be played among groups, in teams and you can even host a tournament! 

Scattegories 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magmic.android.squash&hl=en

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scattergories/id1011376303

This category game allows you to host a challenge between a closed group of people (by sharing a code). 

Words/Crosswords/Chess/Boggle With Friend:

https://www.zynga.com/games/words-with-friends-2/

This website has 4 different games which can be played online between people. Most are one-to-one games but you can use them by creating teams. 

Kahoot!: https://kahoot.com/

Kahoot! makes it easy to create, share and play learning games or trivia quizzes in minutes. You can host a live Kahoot! by sharing a screen while participants answer on their devices.