Teenage Conflict Resolution Activities

Just like feeling happy and laughing with friends and family, conflict is another emotional experience that we all will have to go through throughout our lifetimes many times.

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From disagreements with family members to feeling frustrated with friends or neighbors – it’s simply a part of life.

Even though it is something that cannot be avoided, that does not mean that it’s something that should be ignored or avoided.

In fact, it is widely believed that conflict, when dealt with correctly, can help to inspire positive feelings of change between all parties involved – and this is where the beauty of conflict resolution comes into the mix.

Conflict resolution abilities are one of the greatest things that you can teach your teen, and in this article, we are going to be sharing some of the best teenage conflict resolution activities that you can try (If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy Teenage Self-Esteem Activities).

Not only will these help to diffuse any conflict you experience together, it will also benefit them as they grow into young adults, too. Let’s begin.

Creative Writing

As we have already mentioned above, conflict is just something that we all experience throughout life – often multiple times!

So, instead of trying to ignore it as much as possible, it’s much better to deal with it out in the open to ensure that a happy and positive experience can come out of it.

With that being said – one of the very best ways to help build conflict resolution skills is through the mode of creative writing.

To provide you with an idea of what we mean by this, have your teen sit down and spend some time creatively writing, while also incorporating whatever issue is causing them to experience conflict or anger.

This will allow them to channel their feelings in a healthy way, while also providing a cathartic feeling as they transfer their thoughts to paper.

Once this has been done, you can then read through the story or poem together, and work together to find a happy solution.

This can also be incorporated into classroom teachings if you happen to be a teacher, as conflict resolution is an invaluable skill that will benefit both personal and professional life.

Arm Wrestling

If you’ve got a teen on your hands, chances are they don’t like to spend too much time doing one thing before getting bored.

That’s why we’ve decided to include arm wrestling as an activity that you can both enjoy!

Arm wrestling is a very popular conflict resolution activity in workplaces, and is often intended to be a fun way to help instill conflict resolution skills in both of you.

Here’s a game you can play:

Sit opposite each other and assume the traditional arm wrestling position.

But, instead of playing just once, the aim of the game is to get as many points as possible – and these are achieved through tapping the opposite person’s hand with the surface of the table.

However, there’s a catch!

Both of you need to reach over 10 points in ten seconds (collectively), which means that you are going to need to work together and negotiate how those ten points will be achieved.

Even though this game is fun, the requirement to hit 10 points in ten seconds will require you to work together to solve the problem and communicate, which are two skills that will come in handy when trying to resolve future conflicts and problems.

The Four Words Game

If you want to play a game and make conflict resolution fun, then one way that this can be done is by playing the four word game!

To play this game, give both yourself and your teen a pen and notebook.

Then, once you have done this, you are then going to need to spend a few minutes writing four words that you both associate with conflict or any other topic that you might like to choose.

Once you have done this, you will then need to spend time comparing the 8 words you have both come up with.

From there, you will need to both negotiate down to four words, which will help with conflict resolutions.

Debating

Last but certainly not least, another conflict resolution activity that you can try with your teenager is debating – with a twist!

To do this correctly, pick a random topic (it can be anything that you like) and for the purpose of the game – assign yourself with one opinion, and your teenager with an opinion that directly disagrees with yours.

Once you have gotten to this point, you are then going to need to grab a timer (such as using the timer on your phone) and then allow both you and your teenager to spend 2 to 3 minutes debating your differing opinions.

By doing this, you will then need to switch sides and repeat the same process, taking the time to spend 2-3 minutes both providing your differing opinions.

By doing this, you and your teenager will both have the opportunity to listen to different opinions in a respectful manner, while also allowing the both of you to work on your critical thinking skills.

By looking at an issue or topic for both sides and understanding each (even if you might not necessarily agree) it will help to encourage the skill to be able to reach a positive resolution – regardless of personal opinion.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have taken the time to read through some of our conflict resolution ideas from the list above, we are hoping that you are feeling more confident about positively approaching conflict with your teenager next time it arises.

Remember, by dealing with issues head on and coming up with positive solutions via some of the options we have shared above, you will ensure that both you and your teenager feel heard, understood and appreciated, while also having the opportunity to create a happy compromise resolution.