Debate Games

I have generated and adapted this list from a variety of impromptu games. These are fun for those
awkward extra class minutes or early on in learning how to debate. A lot of them require students to think
on their feet, but when you add time restrictions, you can also teach them how long a minute is when
you’re trying to speak.

What will they think of next?

Purpose: I love using this one as a speaking exercise. They also get comfortable with the timing of real
debates.
Choose one student to be the host of this “game show” about inventions. Choose four students
(you can be flexible with the number) to compete. The host should begin by introducing the
competitors by stating a name, a country, and an invention. The competitor must use the persona
that the host created for the rest of the game.
Host: “Our next inventor is NAME from COUNTRY and is the inventor of the NOUN VERBer”
Example: “Our next inventor is Kinsha from Austria and is the inventor of the Door Mover.”
The contestant should talk about this invention for at least one minute.
When the host sees that the contestant is either stuck or finished speaking, he/she should say
“What will they think of next?” This is the cue to move on to the next contestant.
After all four have finished, you can have the audience provide feedback and vote on their
favorite. The “winner” can get a prize (if you do that type of thing), or get to choose the host and
contestants for the next round. The winner can be the host if he/she wants to.

Voices in my head
Purpose: I love to use this one to get a group of debaters comfortable with each other and to get the
anxieties out. They have to think on their feet, but it also serves as a nice teamwork activity.
Select four students. Two students will be the voices and the other two students will be the actors.
You may choose to have the voices interview each other or set up a plot and have them tell a story.
As the voices talk, the actors must mime the interview or act out the plot.

Audience Dialogue
Purpose: Creative thinking, public speaking, timing

Ask all the students to write down lines of dialog (advertising slogans, lines from movies or songs,
favorite quotes, etc.). You could even tailor it to make the students write down something related
to the current unit. Scatter the lines around the stage. During the scene, students grab a line now
and then. All the lines must be logically incorporated into the scene. Once a student has grabbed
a couple lines, you can have a new actor step into the scene.

History
Purpose: Team work, timed speaking, impromptu speaking
Select a panel of four 'experts' to talk about the history of an audience-selected object. One
panelist begins explaining its history, and when MC claps hands, next panelist starts talking. It
does not matter when the MC claps his/her hands, even if it is mid-sentence. Once everyone in the
panel has spoken 3-5 times, the MC ends game by clapping three times. Panelists say in unison
'And that's the history of _______'

Yes and...
A pure game of all accepting. One player makes and offer. The other player enthusiastically agrees
and adds to the offer with another one. 'I'm a walrus.' 'Yes, and what beautiful tusks you have.'
'Yes, and this liferaft is very cosy.' ...