Enhance motivation, learning, and fun with these active group therapy activities ideal for teens.
Getting teens to open up is hard enough. Now put them in an organized group with their peers and ask them to talk about their feelings … good luck!
Studies show that teenagers may respond negatively to feeling they are being “manipulated” or told what to do. They get quite a bit of lecturing in the classroom anyway, and that style may not do well to enhance social-emotional skills.
Not to fear–there is a much easier way to encourage teens to engage in group therapy sessions. Make it fun (and less intimidating) with creative therapy games, challenges, and activities.
For example, while more research is needed, board games are shown overall to “enhance interpersonal interactions,” increase motivation, and teach concepts better (Noda, et. al, 2019). Digital games, such as those that help teach CBT, may offer similar benefits (Iuga et al., 2023).
So therapy games and other interactive strategies not only make groups more fun, but are effective as well.
Ready to gamify therapy concepts and wake up a group of less-than-enthused adolescents? Here are 17 fun group therapy activities to keep adolescents engaged, learning, and even a bit entertained.
Coping Skills Game Show(s)
This CBT Coping Skills Game Show is inspired by Jeopardy and is based on a similar style of choosing categories and questions. But instead of trivia, teens are answering prompts about how they can practice mindfulness or deal with a conflict at school.
There are actually two versions of the game. An earlier version is simpler and friendly for kids and up. It would make an appropriate activity for middle school or earlier high school. It specifically uses CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) strategies that revolve around thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and related skills.
If you’re working with more mature upper class students or college students, you might try the adult version. It includes more involved and advanced questions that also include CBT strategies but stretch beyond it as well.
Both games include fun features like intro music, applause, and animations like the question boxes disappearing once they’ve been answered.
You can buy each game individually, or in a pack that includes supplemental Wheel of Fortune-Style and Family Feud-style games. Since the games are in PowerPoint, you can download them and play right away. Check it out to learn more!
2. Tumbling Blocks Prompt Game (with PDF stickers!)
Looking for something simpler that you can reuse through sessions? Try sets like Jenga and other tumbling blocks and add prompts based on the topics you’re working on.
For example, add icebreaker questions for a new group, or write down feelings words to discuss.
Traditionally, teens draw a block from the stack, answer the prompt, and then place it on top. But I’ve seen teachers and counselors do many other types of variations. You can even just put the blocks or stickers in a cup and have people draw that way.
These pre-made stickers come as a PDF and you can cut them out and tape them on (or print them on sticker paper). To add another fun activity, have your group help set it up! Learn more.
3. Coping Shuffle Card Game
Looking for a fun and easy way to help teens learn and discuss coping skills? Coping Shuffle is a positive printable card game that teaches and reviews helpful therapeutic strategies . It works best with groups of 2 to 5 (if you’re one-on-one you can play along with your client). If you have a larger group I’d recommend splitting up and using two decks.
Like the other group therapy games for teens it comes as a printable PDF, so you can print out as many copies as you need.
In Coping Shuffle players match up goals and skills. For example, a goal card might list the skills of “Wise Mind” and “Asking for Help.” Once you have collected both of those skills you earn points. Meanwhile, each of the skill cards have discussion prompts to help reinforce the ideas.
If you’ve ever played deck-building games like Fluxx or Dominion it might seem familiar to you. If you haven’t, not to worry. Once you get the basics down it will flow easily. Download it and play today!
4. “Change Your Tune” Playlist
Music is an important part of life for many adolescents and young adults. It can also be a great way to teach about emotions, mental health, and coping skills. In this worksheet focused on self-esteem, the theme of “changing your tune” is used to help teens challenge negative thoughts.
But the fun part comes next, when they actually create a list of positive music that helps them feel upbeat. In a group setting you can have kids take turns recommending songs. Once each person has their list started they can choose one song to play and discuss with the group
Encourage different genres to expose group members to different styles and ideas. If you don’t have music or apps available, you can find most songs on YouTube. Get the worksheet here.
5. CBT Lingo
If you’re looking for a game that’s a bit calmer and more organized but still has engaging prompts, consider CBT Lingo. It’s based, as you might guess, on Bingo! I’d recommend this game if you have a basic understanding of CBT yourself, or if your group has been learning CBT for a bit.
Some of the prompts are easy to answer for anyone, and others might need a bit of help from the leader. That’s perfectly okay – would you rather learn an idea by being lectured at or discussing it while playing a game?
While many therapy “Bingo” cards are just one page with theoretical activities, this game includes multiple different cards like in a real game. Each player will have their own card and could get “Lingo” at anytime! Get the game on its own or in this bundle.
6. The Greatest DBT Board Game on Earth
DBT, or dialectical behavioral therapy, is one of those modalities that can be broken down to address many areas of mental health. In this case, you can learn or review skills through a printable board game called The Greatest DBT Board Game on Earth.
It uses a fun carnival theme to encourage participation as group members respond to various prompts and challenges. You can choose the prompts that work best for your group, making it easier or more difficult, depending on your familiarity with DBT skills.
The board game is available in a bundle which also includes DBT worksheets on wise mind, DEAR MAN, and radical acceptance. These are all helpful skills for teens and can be used in individual or group settings. Download and play the game in your next group session!
7. Self-Esteem Collage
I’m not sure what it is that’s so inspiring about cutting out pictures from magazines and gluing them next to each other, but it can be quite powerful. There are many versions of positive collages such as vision boards and goal boards.
One fun activity for teens is creating a self-esteem collage. The collage can focus on countering negative thoughts such as cognitive distortions that often torture teens and young adults. By focusing on the positives about yourself and challenging negative thought patterns you can build a more varied and positive outlook about yourself.
One worksheet walks through self-image restructuring and builds into a collage activity. You might work through it as a group and then make your collages alongside each other. Download it here.
8. Mindful Movement
Many teens sit still for most of the day, staring at screens or listening to lectures. Adding more movement to the mix can shake things up (literally). There are many possibilities ranging from basic yoga practices to a full-on dance party. You can start simply with the still, slow, go activity.
It works like this. Each person spreads around the room and chooses a starting point. When the leader says “go”, they choose another spot in the room and move quickly to it. When the leader says “slow” they walk gradually to the spot. The rest of the time is “still” and calm.
Once group members get the hang of it you can put on some music and they can move around the room, but they must either be in slow, go, or still mode. Afterwards ask people to share what the experience was like.
If it goes well, offer the group the chance to move around freely, adding their own embellishments to the movement, or sticking to the basic ones. Put boundaries around it such as the length of a song so it can feel more contained and organized.
9. Nature Art Walk
Do you have the chance to get your group outside? Host a nature (or urban) art walk. There are two ways you might do this.
One is to go out as a group and practice mindful noticing of what you see. Ask group members to look for details they might not normally notice. It could be the colors of a leaf, the shape of clouds, or the feel of a breeze. When you return to your regular space, members can use tools such as pencils, watercolors, or clay to create a piece of art that reflects their experience.
Another option is to do what’s called a plein air trip. For this one, group members take along art supplies such as a sketch book or even paint set and sit in the environment where they’re painting. It might include a beautiful waterfall or a cityscape. The experience can be very memorable and meaningful!
10. Holding Ice Cubes
For teens who have particularly strong emotions, this can be a great (albeit quick) exercise. I recommend planning it for an outdoor location, weather permitting.
Invite each group member to hold ice in their hand, such as a frozen cube (I like to use a handful of crushed ice). Participants hold it as long as they can stand it, although they can drop it at any time. The helpful thing is that the exercise can be used at home anytime someone feels overwhelmed with emotion or stress.
If anyone is particularly against the idea of holding the ice, you can invite them to “pretend” they’re doing it (next to the rest of the group members) and imagine what it might feel like. That could potentially get them interested enough to try it.
The cold sensation forces the mind to focus on nothing else, which can also illustrate the point of staying in the moment. I sometimes call this “extreme grounding.” It’s often used in DBT as a self-regulation skill.
At the end of the exercise invite group members to talk about their experience and how they might use it. (If they hate it, that’s fine too!)
11. DBT Wise Mind Practice
One of the most powerful exercises in DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) is DBT Wise Mind. It’s illustrated as a venn diagram, with the areas of the rational mind and emotional mind overlapping.
This part of the mind is imagined as the “wise mind,” or a place where logic and emotion work in harmony. An example might include choosing between an indulgent and healthy meal. Junk food one night a week might be fine as long as the rest of the week’s dinners are balanced. Or you might go light on the calories in your main meal so you can enjoy a big piece of cake without worry.
For more help with teaching wise mind and other DBT concepts, check out this set of DBT worksheets and games.
12. Emotion Wheels
If you’ve been to much therapy yourself, there’s a fairly good chance you’ve been handed an emotion wheel at some point and asked what you’re feeling. There might not seem much more to it, but you can actually make it into a group therapy activity.
Review a basic emotion wheel and discuss possible triggers of emotions. For example, how might you feel after a relaxing day? What about before a big test? Get the group thinking about labeling emotions.
Next have them each create their own emotion wheel, or use an emotion worksheet. This feelings wheel worksheet kit has sections to label and understand the physical sensations of emotions and coping skills that can be used if you’re feeling overwhelmed. At the end they can share one of the feelings or skills they included.
13. CBT Island Quest Board Game
This printable game includes prompts relating to CBT, including areas of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The goal is simple: round the board as you answer questions and discuss your ideas with the group. Sample prompts include:
You think your friend is mad at you because they canceled your plans together. Challenge the thought.
What's a coping skill you can used when you're depressed?
What does it feel like in your body when you're relaxed?
The game works best for a group of 4 or 5, but if your group is bigger you can print out two copies and take turns sitting with each group. It’s an indirect way to get teens talking about important topics! Download it now.
14. CBT Triangle Worksheet
Speaking of CBT, its most basic building block is actually a triangle. At each point there is a feeling, thought, or behavior. It’s a great way to teach how these tie together, and how patterns of negative thought can affect mental health, stress, and self-esteem.
To make it feel more engaging, try this colorful worksheet that walks you through using the triangle. At the end group members will create a visual of a more helpful and positive thoughts to counter a common negative one. They can then share their new positive thought with the group and reflect on the experience.
15. Gratitude Letters
Gratitude letters are a common practice within positive psychology theory. Just the practice of writing the letter, even if you don’t send it, can be therapeutic.
For this exercise, adolescents think of someone who has made a positive difference in their life. It could be a friend, teacher, coach, family member, or even acquaintance. They write a detailed letter, at least three to four paragraphs, describing why they are grateful and the difference it made in their life.
It might be a bit personal to share all of the letters aloud, but you can offer the option for the group to tell a partner about the person they are thanking. Provide markers, stationary, and envelopes, and/or stickers to decorate to add to the group experience.
Teenagers might sometimes present as cold or unmoved, but that’s only the surface. Underneath they are often full of whirling thoughts and emotions. Exercises that are affirming but structured, such as group therapy activities, games, and worksheets, can help them make sense of those experiences and turn them into helpful and positive moments of their lives.
16. Therapy Dice
Dice is another way to prompt discussion indirectly. For teens it also gives a sense of control. Rather than an adult choosing for them, the odds are in the roll of the dice. You can either use a traditional set of dice with corresponding dice, or a set that has prompts specifically for therapy and groups.
Another option is to use printable dice that can e fun to cut out and put together--another activity for your teenagers! There are pre-printed dice like these, or you can make your own.
17. Feelings Games
There are several printable feelings games that focus on empathy or coping skills relating to emotions. Examples include the well-known game FEELOPOLY , which is all about validating emotions, or Feel, Act, & Draw which is a combination of Pictionary and Charades. FEELOPOLY may work best for pre-teens or younger teens while Feel, Act, & Draw can be adapted for all ages. Check out the feelings games in this bundle.
Get a Bundle of Activities
For a full set of activities (including most of the games and worksheets mentioned above) download our Giant Store Bundle. It includes dozens of downloadable and printable games, worksheets, PDFs, and PowerPoint games to help you not just fill up sessions but make a positive difference in the lives you serve. Learn more and download it here!
References
Noda S, Shirotsuki K, Nakao M. The effectiveness of intervention with board games: a systematic review. Biopsychosoc Med. 2019 Oct 21;13:22. doi: 10.1186/s13030-019-0164-1. PMID: 31641371; PMCID: PMC6802304.
Iuga IA, Tomoiaga CT, David OA. The REThink Online Therapeutic Game: A Usability Study. Children (Basel). 2023 Jul 25;10(8):1276. doi: 10.3390/children10081276. PMID: 37628275; PMCID: PMC10453373.
About the Author
Jennie Lannette Bedsworth, MSW, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in the areas of anxiety, PTSD, and incorporating creative activities in individual therapy and groups. She creates supportive therapy games like FEELOPOLY, Family Pursuit, printable therapy PDFs, and more. She's been featured as an expert on sites such as Psychology Today and GoodRx.