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Have you ever wanted to try something different to encourage kids to be smarter? Debating can be highly beneficial in aiding young people to develop healthy personalities. Besides this, it can be an exciting learning experience that gives children the chance to think deeply or just enjoy talking about silly topics.
Today, we’re going to go over some fun and interesting debate topics for school-aged children from elementary to high school. But before we dive in, we'll take a look at what a debate is.
What is a Debate?
A debate is an argument or discussion of a topic put forward by opposing viewpoints. Debates can benefit children, especially in a classroom setting, by improving listening skills and boosting self-confidence. There are many other benefits of fun debate topics for kids including:
Further, knowing your audience is extremely important. This makes it easier to choose or create debate topics that are appropriate to a child's age, gender, and personality. For instance, elementary school children aren't as informed about the world as teens in high school. They also typically have much less exposure to social media and YouTube. Therefore, choosing the right topics can help youngsters grasp ideas better.
Fun Debate Topics for Kids
These particular topics are meant to be fun. This means children can joke, laugh, and be silly while debating. I've broken these topics down into school-age specific categories to make the list easier to browse through.
Topics for Elementary Students
1. Should kids be allowed to watch cartoons during class?
2. Should teachers stop giving out homework completely?
3. Should ice cream become the new reward for good behavior?
4. Is it better to spend your whole allowance now or save it for later?
5. Should teachers allow children to bring toys to class?
6. Should kids be allowed to go on more field trips?
7. Is there any good reason for kids to learn handwriting in school?
8. Should kids be given the chance to wear creative costumes to school daily?
9. Should children be allowed to choose field trip destinations?
10. Should it be okay for kids to color the classroom walls with crayons or markers?
11. Should kids stay indoors or go outside for recess?
12. Should schools let children eat during class?
13. Should getting up late for school be a new rule?
14. Should teachers start teaching classes that relate to animals at zoos?
15. Should kids be required to tell jokes in class every day?
16. In what ways can eating in class be better than waiting for lunch?
17. Should each piece of art schoolchildren create be placed in famous museums?
18. Should kids get paid to go to school?
19. Should children be allowed to bring pets to school?
20. Should fashion design be taught in kindergarten?
21. Should riding stylish bikes to school be made into a rule?
Topics for Middle School Students
22. Which pizza topping tastes the best?
23. Should all homes have robots?
24. Should every family have a pet?
25. If teachers gave out candy as rewards, would kids learn more?
26. Would kids rather be invisible or fly?
27. Does fruit count as a dessert?
28. Should kids be given every birthday off from school?
29. Is The Lord of the Rings better than Harry Potter?
30. Are clowns funny or just plain scary?
31. Should Santa Claus pay the elves minimum wage?
32. How can Santa's reindeer benefit from better names?
33. Which one wins: Nutella or peanut butter?
34. Are chocolate milkshakes tastier than hot chocolate?
35. Do you learn more from creating art or doing math?
36. Would vampires or werewolves win against each other in a battle?
37. Is Playstation better than Xbox?
38. Should everyone in school be forced to play a musical instrument?
39. What original names can you come up with for Santa's reindeer?
40. How does Santa really finish delivering toys so quickly?
41. What if the chicken came before the egg?
42. Which is more engaging to read: fiction or nonfiction?
Topics for High School Students
43. Is it ever acceptable to cheat on a test?
44. Should young girls see Barbie dolls as role models?
45. Do movies idealize high school too much?
46. Should high school students be able to create original designs for school uniforms?
47. How important is having a prom date?
48. How could teachers benefit from wearing a school uniform?
49. Is in-person learning better than online classes?
50. Is it right for teens to get tattoos?
51. Should students start giving teachers grades?
52. Is peer pressure a positive or negative thing?
53. Can holding school beauty pageants be a positive activity?
54. Does picking a career path put unnecessary pressure on students?
55. Is wearing a pricey prom outfit important?
56. Should using smartphones in class be banned?
57. Did the pandemic ruin in-person learning forever?
58. Would students rather have serious or funny yearbook quotes?
59. Should fast food be banned in schools?
60. Should teachers be paid as much as doctors?
61. Would students rather enroll in boarding or home school?
62. Is homework necessary for learning?
63. In the future, will computers steal teachers' jobs?
64. Is school teaching equal to home teaching?
65. Should we change the school grading system?
Interesting Debate Topics for Kids
These topics are mostly meant to provoke deeper discussions, but encouraging kids to have fun when appropriate can be a nice way to inspire positivity. While this list shouldn't always be taken too seriously, youngsters may gain a sense of meaning and purpose from these topics. Similar to the above, I've separated this section into school-age specific categories.
Topics for Elementary Students
66. Are dogs better than cats?
67. How much money should kids receive in an allowance?
68. Should kids be allowed to drink soda?
69. Should children be encouraged by parents or anyone else to participate in beauty pageants?
70. Do young people do too much work at school?
71. Do aliens exist?
72. How do celebrity role models improve childrens' lives?
73. How might computers eventually replace teachers?
74. Can kids live without recess?
75. Is dance a sport?
76. Should parents be punished for childrens' mistakes?
77. Are animals actually happy in zoos?
78. Why is saving pocket money helpful?
79. Should we change school hours?
80. Why can privacy matter in kids' lives?
81. Should elementary students have the right to vote?
82. Is gym class necessary?
83. Why do we have space exploration?
84. How do the Olympics benefit us?
85. Should animal testing be banned?
86. In what ways can reading be exciting?
87. Should dieticians plan school lunches?
Topics for Middle School Students
88. Do you learn more from creating art or doing math?
89. Is it better to excel at sports or academics?
90. Should middle school students be required to learn a foreign language?
91. What would children rather have: street smarts or book smarts? Why?
92. Should students be punished for using curse words?
93. Is reality television an accurate depiction of real life?
94. What are the benefits of reading books over watching TV?
95. Should every student who fails a test be able to retake it?
96. Is social media more harmful than anything?
97. Should we abolish the letter grade system?
98. What are the pros and cons of e-books vs. paper books?
99. In what ways can giving be better than receiving?
100. Can people be more violent in real life by playing violent video games?
101. Should TV be forbidden on school nights?
102. What are the biggest differences between board games and video games?
103. Do boys or girls experience more peer pressure?
104. Should all zoos and museums be free for everyone to visit?
105. Should school be in session year-round?
106. What are the pros and cons of single-gender schools?
107. How could making volunteering a requirement for all students benefit students and communities?
108. Considering all school subjects, which one is the best?
Topics for High School Students
109. Is animal cloning ethical?
110. Should religion be a school subject?
111. Are humans the main cause of global warming?
112. Is history a worthwhile subject?
113. What are the benefits of outdoor learning in comparison to indoor learning?
114. Should life skills such as sewing, financial planning, and cooking be required for all students?
115. How does social media impact the quality of teenagers' lives?
116. What are the effects of global warming on humanity?
117. Why is it morally wrong for humans to eat animals?
118. How does solar energy compare to other energy forms?
119. Why should animals not be kept in zoos?
120. Why or why not should marijuana be legalized in every state?
121. In what ways can we help high schoolers stay engaged in the classroom?
122. What are the advantages of technology in education?
123. How can banning plastic bottles be good for the environment?
124. What are some advantages and disadvantages of spending money on space exploration?
125. Would abolishing the death penalty make humans more ethical?
126. How do fossil fuels harm the environment? Should we ban fossil fuels?
127. Is it possible for us to achieve world peace?
128. Should we redirect police force funding to social services?
129. Are the movies or the books these movies are based on more captivating?
130. What are some ways video games might make humans smarter?
131. Do people rely on technology too much?
Final Thoughts on Fun Debate Topics for Kids
Having read through this list, I’m certain you’ve drawn some inspiration from these fun and interesting debate topics for kids. Remember, the point is to take a child's learning experience to a higher level! With the right tools and teachers, education can provide youth with hours of entertainment that benefits their knowledge and mindset. We need to never stop teaching the younger generation the best ways to learn and grow. To continue to foster this desire for self-improvement and growth, check out this article on vision board ideas for kids.
