16 Group Therapy Activities for Kids & Teens

Group therapy is highly significant for those children or teens who are struggling with any common mental illnesses. With the help of some highly effective group therapy activities, children and adolescents can gain multiple benefits such as increased confidence and self-esteem, improved social and communication skills, and emotional regulation. 

If you want to know more about ‘’ Top Group therapy activities for kids and teens’’ then read this comprehensive article. 

Fun & Effective Group Therapy Activities For kids and Teens 

The following are the main therapeutic games that help kids and teens learn multiple coping skills.

1. Mindfulness and Relaxation Activities 

Mindfulness and relaxation activities are also one of the most useful group therapy activities for kids and teens, as they help them in altering their negative thoughts while staying in the present moment. Some major and useful mindfulness and relaxation techniques include deep breathing and guided meditation, etc.

2. Deep Breathing Exercises 

Deep breathing exercises help children and teens relax their nerves. In a group therapy setting, experts guide them to start inhaling and exhaling slowly and progressively. They ask them to feel like they are removing their stress by exhaling. If they regularly do this, then they can get rid of their anxiety and enjoy every single moment of their life. Some common examples of deep breathing exercises are as follows:

• Belly breathing 
• Diaphragmatic breathing 
• Box breathing 
• Mindful breathing 

Experts first determine which type of breathing exercise works best for the children and adolescents. 

3.Meditation

Meditation activity in group therapy is useful for improving the mood of children. They not only overcome their anxiety but also improve their focus and concentration. 

The following types of meditation exercises are used in group therapy activities for kids and teens:

• Guided imagery 
• Yoga
• Body scan meditation
• Mantra meditation
• Box breathing
• 4-7-8 breathing 

4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Physical relaxation is also linked with mental relaxation. This technique involves first tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups with the main goal of complete body and mind relaxation. 

Benefits

• Stress reduction
• Diminished anxiety 
• Enhanced focus or concentration
• Improved mood

5. Role Playing

Role-playing is a group therapy activity in which children get the chance to come out of their shells in a secure space and play the role of others in varied situations or scenarios. By playing the role of others, children and teens get an insight into their reactions and those of others. 

Benefits

• Improved social skills
• Better emotional regulation
• Increased sense of self-awareness

6.Truths and lies

Truth and lie is a renowned group therapy activity for children and teenagers. In group therapy sessions, experts ask the participants to share any three statements in which two are based on fact, while one is a lie. The game starts with one participant, and then the other members have to guess which is true and which is a lie on their turn. 

Benefits

• Improved communication skills 
• Enhanced creative skills
• Improved listening skills 
• Improved mood
• Improved social skills
• Rise in confidence & self-esteem. 

7. Scribble Drawings 

In this group therapy activity, children and teens make scribble drawings on a blank paper and then find or identify different images, shapes, or animals within their Scribble drawings.

How it Works

• Experts give children some markers, crayons, or colored pencils and then instruct them to fill up the paper with loose or intersecting lines.
• On each turn, each child is asked to share the drawing paper with other group participants. 
• Then each child or teen who is a member of group therapy analyzes the drawing from each angle and identifies the recognizable shapes, images, or objects. 
• Then they are asked to highlight them by using colored pencils, markers, or crayons. If they want then they can also modify them or add some more details.

Benefits

• Improvement in creative skills
• Development of social skills
• Development of motor skills 
• Diminished stress and anxiety 
• Better self-expression
• Emotional regulation

8. Human Bingo 

Human bingo is a group therapy activity for children and teens that includes bingo cards on which different topics or names are mentioned.  Then, each group participant is asked to share some interesting facts related to the mentioned name or topic on bingo. 

9. Mandala-Making

In ancient times, mandalas were used as a symbol of unity. Nowadays, it is also a renowned group therapy activity that helps the children in better emotional and self-expression and, acquiring mindfulness. 

How it Works 

Experts provide some templates to children or teenagers whose shape is circular. They also give them colored pencils and instruct them to make a mandala that acts as a reflection of their thoughts, emotions, and opinions. 

Once each group participant has completed the process of mandala formation, they are asked to share it with others and share all things related to their mandala.

Benefits 

• Lower stress and anxiety 
• Enhanced focus and concentration
• Better self-awareness
• Self-discovery

10. Safari

Safari is not just a group therapy activity; it’s a way to explore new things while enjoying the present moment. This activity also helps them relieve their stress and anxiety. 

How it works 

Tell your kids or teens that we are going out for an adventure. You can arrange a trip for a short visit to any nearby park. Then give them a task that they have to focus on everything present around them. They have to take a closer look at nature by using all five senses. Their main goal is to collect a few things, such as some stones, shells, etc. 

Benefits 

• Mindfulness
• Reduction in stress
• Self-discovery 
• Improved social skills
• Feeling games

As the name indicates, feeling games in group therapy activities for kids and teens are focused on their feelings and emotions. There are several feeling games, but among them, the most common and renowned ones include:

11. Feelings Jenga

In this game, each participant is asked to draw a Jenga block on which an emotion is written. On their turn, they are instructed to share any personal experience that relates to that feeling. 

The Candy Game

This game includes different colored candies, and group participants link their feelings or emotions with them. This helps them to better identify, understand, and associate colors with their feelings. 

Feelings Charades

This is a guess game in which all the group members act out different emotions and then each participant guesses them. This group therapy activity is ideal for effective emotional understanding and emotional expression. 

12. Collaborative Drawing 

This group therapy activity for kids and teens is useful as it helps them to improve their communication and creative skills.

How it works

• All the group participants work together and make a single piece of art.
• First, a single member starts drawing and then shares this in a circle.
• When each group participant gets that drawing, they make certain additions to the drawing.

Benefits 

• Enhanced communication skills
• Improved social skills
• Better emotional expression

13. Exploding Ballons

Exploding balloons are one of the best games that help children and teens relieve their stress when they explode balloons.

How it works

• Each group participant gets the balloon and markers.
• On each balloon, they write their specific emotion or insert a paper in the balloon with the name of the emotion written on it. 

Then experts ask them to think about any situation that triggers their stress or anger and then explode the balloon.

Benefits 

• Stress reduction
• Increased engagement in activities
• Rise in confidence and self-esteem.
• Learning practical strategies 

14.Gratitude Mapping

This activity teaches children and teens that they should be thankful for the things that they are blessed with. 

How it works

• Group participants are asked to take a paper and write all their blessings to show their gratitude or thankfulness. 
• They are also instructed to collect whiteboards, colored pencils or crayons, and other related things to show their gratitude that people are usually grateful for, such as family, friends, and hobbies, etc.

15. Human knot 

This group therapy activity teaches the significance of teamwork to kids and teens.

How it works 

• All the group members stand in a circle. 
• Each participant holds the hand of another person who is not sitting next to them. All members use their right hand to hold the hands of others in a crisis-cross fashion and create a human knot. 

Benefits 

• Developing a sense of trust
• Developing strong communication skills
• Development of social and problem-solving skills

16.Positive Affirmations 

Experts should train the children and teens to repeat some positive phrases in their minds daily. Instead of saying anything negative about themselves, they should focus on positive affirmations.

Benefits

• Increased motivation
• An increase in self-confidence
• Positive mindset 

What are the Major Types of Group Therapy Activities for kids and Teens?

The following are the main types of group therapy activities that are useful for both children and adolescents:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which experts directly interact with children and teens in a group therapy setting. The main role of cognitive behavioral therapy experts is to guide the kids and teens that what are the best ways that are used for transform negative thoughts into positive ones. Moreover, they also teach them different coping skills. 

2. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Dialectical behavioral therapy combines the elements of both psychotherapy and social skills training with the ultimate goal to improve the mood of children and teens. 

3. Social Skills Group 

Social skills groups are ideal for children and adults as they help them in learning and practising social skills with other participants in group therapy. 

4. Process Groups 

Process groups help those children who have experienced any traumatic life situation or any psychosocial stressors. Experts offer a secure therapeutic space in each processing group so that each member shares their mental health concerns and gets the desired support and guidance. 

What Should Experts Consider For Organizing Group Therapy Activities For kids and Teens?

• Experts should develop a secure, friendly, and non-judgemental environment so each child or teen feels secure, listened and heard. 
• And the information shared within the group should be confidential and protected, and should never be shared with anyone. 
• Each group should have 5 to 10 kids or teens in each group who are encountering the same mental issues. So they not only share their mental health issues but also share their previous life experience and learn from each other. 

Prioritize Your child’s Mental Health & Seek Professional Help. 

Children’s Psych is an ideal, transparent platform that offers highly comprehensive psychiatric solutions for children and adolescents. We have trained and certified child psychiatric nurse practitioners who have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating the common mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, and bipolar disorder, etc. 

If you want to help your child overcome the existing mental illness and experience lasting recovery and mental wellness, then our experts are here to help you.