Friendship Dynamics: The High School Game
Navigate the ups and downs of high school friendships. Players land on spaces and discuss real social situations—conflicts, loyalty, group dynamics, and personal boundaries. Through speaking tasks, teens practise expressing opinions, giving advice, and understanding different perspectives.
A free Board Game for Teens at CEFR B1 level. Topic: Understanding and navigating the complexities of social dynamics in high school friendships.
Speaking prompts on the board
- Ask your partner: have you ever felt left out by a friend group? What happened?
- Your team must agree: what makes someone a loyal friend? Discuss together.
- Act out saying no to a friend without hurting their feelings. Your partner guesses the situation.
- Describe a time when you disagreed with a friend. How did you resolve it?
- Ask your partner: if a friend started hanging out with someone mean, what would you do?
- Stand up and mime feeling jealous of a friend's new friendship. Others guess your emotion.
- Your team has 30 seconds to agree: is it okay to have friends outside your main group?
- Explain why you think some friendships change when people enter high school.
- Ask your partner: have you ever had to choose between two friends? What did you do?
- Compare your friendship style with your partner's. How are you different or similar?
- You have 60 seconds to convince your team: what is the biggest friendship challenge in high school?
- Act out a friend spreading a rumour about you. Show how you would respond calmly.
- Discuss with your group: when is it right to tell a friend a hard truth?
- Describe what you value most in a best friend and why those qualities matter to you.
- Ask your partner: have you ever felt pressured to do something by a friend? What was it?
- Stand up and show with your hands how you would comfort a sad friend without speaking.
- Your team must agree: is it ever okay to stop being friends with someone? When and why?
- Explain how social media affects your friendships compared to talking face-to-face.
- Ask your partner: what would you do if your best friend started bullying someone?
- You have 45 seconds to present: describe your ideal friend group and what makes it work.
- Act out apologizing to a friend for hurting their feelings. Make it sincere and specific.
- Discuss with your group: how do you balance being yourself and fitting in at school?
- Compare a friendship that got stronger versus one that faded. What made the difference?
- Explain: what is one friendship mistake you have made and what you learned from it.