In a school pastoral meeting, counselling session or family conversation, these teen problem-solving scenario cards give young people a concrete situation to talk through rather than asking them to invent one. The 24-card activity suits teenagers who need practice with safer choices, respectful boundaries, online judgement and asking adults for help.
Print the cards, cut them out and invite a teen to choose one scenario for discussion, role-play or problem-solving practice. Each card presents a relatable dilemma followed by open questions that encourage young people to pause, consider options, identify helpful people and think about possible consequences before acting.
Several cards focus on online safety and digital citizenship for teenagers, including suspicious offers and scams, embarrassing photos shared without permission, protecting a friend’s private image, online meet-up risks, unreliable health claims and accidental in-app purchases. Prompts encourage critical thinking about privacy, reporting, blocking, checking sources and speaking to a trusted adult.
School and peer-pressure situations include group-chat teasing, rumours, borrowing a phone and reading messages, lunch-money intimidation, uneven team-project work, vaping pressure and being asked to share homework answers. Other scenarios cover returning a wallet, reacting after a football match and noticing when a friend may need support.
School counsellors, pastoral staff, youth workers and therapists working with adolescents can use the cards one-to-one or in small groups. They can also support parents and carers who want structured conversation starters for children and teens, while the short question prompts leave room for each young person’s own ideas and experiences.
