- Randomly choose sides
- Have one or 2 moderators for the debate
- Choose a topic
- Choose an issue from the news
- Choose an issue that has affected the family
- Choose a silly topic that you always talk about
- Example Topic: Should the parents always get to choose where the family goes for vacation?
- Example Topic: Should teenagers be forced to give up their phones if they pay the bill?
- Be sure to choose topics that are age appropriate
- Teens love to debate. This is a great opportunity to do this in a fun and engaging way
- Flip a coin and the side that wins gets to choose if they are for or against the topic
- Each side gets 15 minutes to go off to another room to do any research and discuss how they will structure their debate – Be sure to set a timer
- Come back and the side that didn’t win the coin toss gets to go first.
- Each side gets 3 minutes for their initial argument and 2 minutes for a rebuttal – Don’t forget to set the timer each time
- The moderator(s) who were taking some notes during the debate decides the winner by stating who presented the strongest arguments and what those arguments were
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This is a great idea!
I’m glad that you like the idea. Please do pass it along to other parents who are working to find ways to entertain their children at home.