Do you want your kid to develop their thoughts, learn from others, gain more knowledge and become more confident?
One way to do that is to make them take part in school debates.
Debates allow your kid to have a formal discussion with others. They can share their opinion on a specified topic when it is their turn. And when others share their views, your kid will get to hear about their ideas, philosophies, and thoughts and expand their knowledge.
Did I tell you that many schools arrange debate competitions? So, if your kid’s opinion about the given topic impresses the judges, they can bring a prize home. Isn’t that awesome?
When I was in school, I took part in debate competitions several times, but I managed to win only once! One reason is that I never practiced at home.
So, if you want your kid to be great at debates, you can make them practice at home. This will make them more confident when competing against someone in school.
This leads us to the question, what topics should you choose to make your kid practice debate at home with you or other family members?
Well, here I have mentioned some interesting debate topics for kids – from easy to challenging – perfect for kids of all ages!
Read on.
Compelling Debate Topics For Kids
Are you ready to make your kid debate-ready? Give them the following topics!
Debate Topics for Kids Aged 10 and Less
Does your kid fall under the age of 10?
Well, this is the time when your kids are young. I assume you have just started introducing them to debate, right?
So, you should choose easy, relevant topics and pique their interests. So, here are some great debate topics for your little ones!
- Should all receive free food at lunch in school?
- Should the school allow students to bring their pets to school?
- Which is better – mountains, beaches or forests?
- Who is better, Superman or Batman?
- Which movies are better – Marvel or DC?
- Who is the best female superhero?
- How much money should parents give kids as a monthly allowance?
- How many days should you get a break from school during Christmas?
- How many days should you get a break from school during Halloween?
- Should kids be allowed to eat what they want?
- Should parents let kids eat what and when they want?
- Which is better – butter or peanut butter?
- Should parents let kids eat Nutella every day?
- Should parents let their kids go wherever they want?
- Should parents let kids wear whatever they want?
- Should parents always give their kids whatever they want?
- Should parents let the kids stay up late at night – as long as they want?
- Should kids be allowed to eat ice-creams whenever they want?
- Should kids be allowed to eat candies and choclates whenever they want?
- What are better – dogs or cats?
- Should every student take part in school sports?
- Should the schools make it mandatory for all students to participate in sports?
- Should schools allow shooting games on the premises?
- Should there be rules about the time you can play in a day?
- How long should the kids be able to play with electronics in a day?
- Should there be any specific time for watching television?
- Should there be rules about how much time kids can play mobile or computer games?
- Should the kids play in the playground in the afternoon, or should they play on their PC?
- What should be the opening time of schools?
- How long should the school remain open each day?
- Can the students take leave as often as they want in a month?
- Should there be more frequent parent-teacher meetings?
- Should the students be divided according to their merits?
- Should there be strict rules about attendance in schools?
- What to do with students if they take frequent leaves?
- How many days of leave should there be for Thanksgiving?
- Does keeping pets have any side effects?
- Should all students go to school wearing a specific uniform?
- Should all students go to school doing the same hairdo?
- Should there be any rules for tiffin breaks?
- Should the school decide what tiffin a student can bring to school?
- Which one is better for students – the internet or teachers?
- What is the perfect time for schools to open, according to you?
- Should school ban fast food and junk food on school premises?
- Should there be strict punishment for students who don’t follow the rules of the schools?
- Should there be any limit to playtime in school? What should be the time limit?
- Should the students be stopped from watching television altogether?
- Should there be any specific age above which students can play video games?
- Should there be any specific age above which students can watch television?
- Should it be mandatory for all students to have good handwriting?
Debate Topics for Kids Aged 10 to 12
You kids have grown up a bit but are still young. This is when they get more interested in technology than in studies!
Following are some little more difficult debate topics to make your kids excited!
- Should there be any punishment for students with bad handwriting?
- What is better – watching cartoons on TV or reading story books?
- Should there be any rules that all the parents must read story books to their kids at bedtime?
- Should it be mandatory for all kids to spend specific time with their parents?
- Should all kids make their bed in the morning after they wake up?
- Should all kids wake up early?
- Should all kids go to sleep early?
- Which Disney Princess is the best and why?
- Which Disney Prince is the best and why?
- What is the lesson you learned from your favorite Disney princess?
- Should strict punishment be for students who do not do their homework?
- Should it be mandatory for all kids to do their homework and then come to school? And should they not go to school if they fail to do their homework?
- Should parents do their kids’ homework?
- Do all kids must have some specific good habits?
- Do kids with good habits shine wherever they go?
- Should the kids with higher IQ be given more attention in school?
- Should the teacher have a favorite student, or should they treat all students the same?
- Can the students use skateboards when they are inside the school?
- Should the children get a longer recess?
- All girls should be given Barbie dolls to play with.
- All boys should be given cars to play with.
- Santa Claus loves kids with good manners and only brings gifts for them.
- All parents should give stuffed toys to their kids
- All kids must have cars or dolls that they can play with.
- Are stuffed toys only for the little ones?
- Should it be mandatory for all kids to bring only healthy food to school?
- Should the kids only eat something healthy – no matter how bad it tastes?
- Should all bring gifts on birthdays?
- Should a birthday gift be thoughtful, and is it okay if it is not expensive?
- Is it okay not to be a vegetarian?
- Should there be any rules about kids not eating non-veg food?
- Should there be rules about all kids bathing and brushing daily?
- Can students use smartphones in school?
- Playing video games is a bad habit
- Playing video games affects your studies
- If you play too many video games, you will learn violence
- All should be given a smartphone
- Smoking should be prohibited
- Students can use smartphones in the classroom
- Every kid should eat dinner together with their family
- Everyone in the house should eat at least one meal together
- Kids are behaving like adults
- The pace of growing up is fast
- Kids are learning bad habits from their parents
- Kids are burdened with too many studies
- Kids are not getting enough time to play
- Children are overscheduled
- Each kid should help their parents in cooking
- Each kid should clean their room once a week
- Each kid should make dinner for the family once a week
Bonus Read: 107 Hilarious Kids Joke That Will Make Your Little One Laugh
Debate Topics For Kids Aged 13 to 14
Your kids have become teenagers now. And they are super excited to explore everything around them.
Following are some exciting debate topics for your kiddos!
- Each kid should help their parents with household work
- Kids should be obedient to their parents
- Kids should not lie, especially to their parents
- Each kid should take classes on self-defense
- The time for staying in school should be shorter
- The time for staying in school should be longer
- School teachers should not give tuition
- There should be strict punishment for kids who fight with their siblings
- There should be a loving relationship between siblings
- Rather than playing on the computers or mobile phones, kids should play on the playground
- There should be a specific time for playing
- Kids should not watch whatever they want on TV
- Kids should not browse whatever they want on a PC
- There should be a rule that kids can’t access certain websites
- Kids should not be able to listen to whatever they want
- Kids should not be on social media
- Parents should not look at their children’s phones
- Kids should not be given phones below a certain age
- Phones are affecting studies
- Students should never cheat in exams
- There should be no bullying in schools
- Strict punishment should be given to students who bully
- Should the kids be allowed to watch YouTube?
- Should there be punishment for students who do not listen to their teachers?
- Should kids be spanked?
- Should you tell your teachers if you get bullied in school or come home getting bullied?
- Is a zoo a good place for kids to go?
- How should you reach out if you get bullied in school?
- How often should you visit the zoo?
- Do zoos torture animals?
- Are the animals’ health properly maintained in zoos?
- Should there be zoos, or should the animals be open in the forests?
- Olympics are important
- Only cricketers get the most importance
- Only the game of cricket gets the most fame
- All games should be given equal importance
- Kids should be encouraged to play sports
- Kids should learn at least one sports
- All kids should do at least one extra-curricular activity
- All kids should learn to play at least one sport
- If you disagree with someone, how should you tell them that?
- Kids should not be able to buy junk food from the cafeteria
- Kids should save at least some amount of their monthly allowance
- Does having a social media account makes you bad?
- There should be a time restriction as to what amount of time you can be on social media
- Having a social media account makes you addicted to it
- There should be no free gaming apps for children
- Kids should not be able to play video games whenever they want
- There should be a pet in every household
- Pet helps you keep grounded
Debate Topics for Kids Aged 15 and 16
Your kids are now in middle school. They have come a long way. This is the time to introduce them to the next debate topics.
- Dogs are the best kind of pets
- Every kid should follow an exercise routine every day
- All kids should do at least some kind of activity every day
- There should be a strict law against sleepovers
- The hen came first
- Kids can’t party till late at night
- Kids should be with their parents when they attend a party
- Kids should rely on teachers, notebooks, and papers and not on digital devices
- Plastic is ruining the planet
- There should be no homework given to children
- Bottled water or tap water – which is better?
- All kids should learn table manners from a very early age
- All kids should learn how to behave appropriately in public
- There should be no exams
- Parents should allow their kids to go to a sleepover party – as many days as they want
- Parents should not question their kids if they want to go out of their house
- Kids should have all the freedom to play whenever they want
- Parents should let their kids go alone to shopping malls
- Should kids take part in a beauty pageant?
- Should kids act on shows and movies?
- What should be more important for kids – earning money or studying?
- Should kids use headphones?
- Should kids use iPads?
- Should kids have their mobile phones?
- Should it be mandatory for all kids to take part in quiz competitions?
- Should parent check their kids’ personal diaries?
- Should parents interfere in kids’ life?
- Are pop icons good role models?
- Should parents punish kids?
- There should be no entrance fee at museums
- If you are getting very low marks, you should go to Saturday school
- You should work to create awareness of global warming
- Government should work for people’s good
- There should be no politics regarding education
- Schools should be open during the summer
- All kids should have to do at least some amount of chores
- There should be jobs for every kid
- If kids want, they can go on vacations without their parents supervising them
- All kids should get adequate pocket money
- All kids should be able to order whatever food they want from the restaurants
- Kids can have a drink or two
- There should be no minimum age for drinking
- The rich people should help the poor
- There should be no rules for children
- Movie stars are great as idols
- Movie stars are heroes in real life too
- No one should eat non-veg food
- There should be no play termed as professional sports
- Aliens are real
- Students who are still in school should not dye their hair
Bonus Read: Top 91 Best Riddler Riddles with Answers
Debate Topics for Kids Aged 17
Your kids are now on the verge of going for higher studies. This time is crucial for them. Following are some debate topics perfect for their age.
- School students should not go for tattoos
- Students should not use pen and paper. Instead, they should use digital products
- The grades that you get in middle school matter in the following stages of your life
- There should be no criteria about who can run for president
- No one should use plastic
- There should be at least one instrument that students should learn
- In the United States, it should be mandatory for all to speak English
- There should be punishment for students who are caught smoking
- War is not good
- The minimum age limit for driving should be reconsidered
- The pubs should not ask for ID proof while entering
- Swimming lessons should be compulsory for everyone
- The government should take measures to prevent global warming
- Rich countries should help the emerging countries
- Schools should never remain close
- Kids should be encouraged to take part in household chores
- No product should be tested on animals
- Animals should be treated with love and care
- All students should respect their teachers
- Students should use the internet only when their teachers or parents are around
- Parents should go to a parenting school before planning a baby
- Parents should be like friends to their kids
- There should be a good relationship between kids and parents
- Parents cannot scold their children even if they score poorly in exams
- Home-schooling is a better option
- Peer pressure is not always healthy
- Internet stars are not a good influence
- Kids should be allowed to attend school wearing fashionable clothing
- Kids should be allowed to study only when they want
- Parents should not force their kids to do something
- Kids should choose the path that they want and not what their parents want
- Kids should not be given any allowance
- School kids should not keep fake nails
- PCs or laptops – which one is better?
- All kids should be able to receive an education, no matter what their financial condition is.
- Studying in college should be free
- All should be paid equally
- There should not be any law regarding abortion
- Everyone should be made aware of accidental pregnancy
- Kids should be able to party all night
- Students should be allowed to wear revealing dresses in schools
- Students should not make fun of each other
- There should be no bullying in school
- Strict punishment should be there for students who bully others
- Friends can do assignments together
- Friends can take help from each other
- Parents should not be allowed to enter their high school kids’ rooms
- Children should not argue with their parents
- High-schoolers should not be provided with unlimited data
Bonus Read: 213 Funny Pirate Sayings (Talk Like A Pirate Quotes)
Debate Topics for Kids Aged 18
Your kids are grown-ups now. They now have their voices and don’t hesitate to express them.
Make your grown-ups think with these advanced debate topics!
- Certain websites should be blocked on students’ computer
- Tik Tok should not be legal
- Playing games all night should not be tolerated by parents
- Fake accounts on social media should be blocked
- All schools should teach online
- ACT and SATs should not have any value
- The admission fees of all colleges should be the same
- Sports should be compulsory in high schools
- If a student gets bad grades, they should be punished
- Weak students should take extra classes
- Animals should never be used for medical testing
- Parents should buy their kids whatever they ask for
- Parents should gift their kids cars once they are in high-schools
- There should be no death penalty
- Sex offenders should stay in prison for life
- Girls and boys should not be on different teams
- There should be no gender-specific sports
- If a kid is more than 15 years, they should be able to get a tattoo
- People should be aware of their rights
- Women’s rights should be paid more attention to
- There should be no manual jobs
- All should get a job once they complete their education
- Sex education in schools should be mandatory
- All should get married by the age of 30
- There should be gender-specific schools
- If a kid uses drugs, they should be sent to prison
- Home skill courses should be mandatory for all students
- Should there be democracy or monarchy in countries?
- Which is better – android or iOS?
- Younger children should be able to vote too
- In order to have a successful career, one should have a college degree
Is it Important to Teach Your Kids How to Debate?
Yes, Debates are not just about helping your kids constructively pass their time. It has many benefits.
So, why is it important to teach your kids the art of debating?
Read on.
It Enhances Your Kids’ Critical Thinking Abilities
When your Kids participate in a debate, it assists them in developing essential thinking
skills. They get better at reasoning and thinking through arguments.
Your kids learn to question the evidence or a fact that is behind a specific stance.
They understand that they must also develop evidence to prove their argument. And so, they learn to place their thoughts and words properly, structured way.
When your kids practice the art of debating. They get better at remembering things and
grasp knowledge quicker.
Isn’t that awesome?
It Makes Your Kids Confident While Speaking
Do you want your kids to excel at challenging and confident speaking?
Teach them how to debate!
Debating enhances your kids’ communication and interpersonal skills in a public setting.
When your kids start growing up, participate in social things and start having views on things. This is when they want to let people know their thoughts on certain things.
Now, you teach your kids how to debate, and they can stand up in public and talk about their opinions confidently. They will no longer have a fear of speaking in public that many people have.
When your kids learn to debate, let them participate in interactive discussions. This will
make them a pro in debate.
And did I tell you debate helps your kids learn reasoning and voice modulation too?
It Makes Your Kids Better at Expressing Themselves
When you teach your kids how to debate, they get to learn how to be better at research, formulate arguments, and present their thoughts persuasively and firmly.
Your kids can express their opinions clearly and confidently in public. As a result, they become more opinionated and more courageous.
Debating gives your kids complete freedom of thought. And they feel proud and confident while sharing their views.
Your Kids’ Presentation Skills Get Better
You know, a good presentation is critical when you want people to see and listen to what you are saying. And also when you want them to appreciate it.
For example, suppose you went to a restaurant and ordered something to eat. Now, when the food comes with beautiful plating – something picture-worthy – you automatically like it without tasting it.
Of course, when you taste the food, you develop a different liking.
The same happens when your kids present their ideas and thoughts in a well-structured way. This makes them earn instant respect from people.
Isn’t that something you want?
That is exactly what debate enhances in your kids. It makes them good at presenting their views and opinions. They develop excellent speech delivery skills.
It Lets Your Kids Gain Knowledge in a Variety of Topics
Do you think that debating is about having views on some academic topics? Well, then, you are wrong!
There is so much more to debate. Your kids will not only develop their personal views on
social and political topics, but they will also acquire knowledge from various sources.
If you encourage your kids to take part in debates, and they will get to know about so
many things – beyond their academic subjects.
And do you know what the best thing about a debate is?
Your kids will get the opportunity to study many different topics from across the
world. They will be aware of other countries political and social scenarios and try to understand them from different perspectives.
Your children will no longer hold their thoughts on a certain topic. Instead, they will express them freely, as they have studied them deeply.
How cool is that?
How Can You Make Your Kids Ready for Debates?
Now that you know the benefits of a debate, you want to prepare your kids for it, right?
So, from where do you need to start?
Well, that is what I will discuss in this section!
Start Preparing Your Kids When They are Still Young
Let me make this clear first. By preparing your kids from a young age, I’m not suggesting enrolling them in debate classes when they have just started their schooling.
Don’t be too harsh to your kids. And don’t push them.
By starting early, I meant you could ask them for their opinions on specific topics. It can be anything. Remember, the intention here is to encourage your kids to speak their hearts out without hesitation or fear.
Are there any TV series or shows that your kids like to watch? Has anything happened in
the society that your kids got to know from social media and are concerned about it?
Then start from there. Ask them about their opinions on those things. This will make them better at communication. They will be more confident when presenting their views in public.
Give Them Complete Freedom to Express What They Think
You want your kids to be good at debates, right?
Then you have to let them express their thoughts about specific issues or topics. Don’t
shut them up in the middle just because you have a different opinion.
Your kids should have all the freedom in the world while expressing their views.
This will help them develop cognitive skills and aid in mental processes. Also, you will get an idea about your kids’ thought processes.
Give Them a Topic That They are Interested in
As you start at a young age, you need to give your kids topics they are interested in,
right?
Kids lose their interest very soon. So, if you want to make them present their views, you
have to give them topics that can glue them to it.
Do your kids like trees? Do they like chocolates?
Then choose topics such as advantages and disadvantages of eating chocolates,
benefits and drawbacks of cutting down trees, and so on.
This will entice your kids to share their points of view. And they will remain engaged
throughout.
Also, this will give them an idea of a healthy argument.
Educate Them About Proper Posture
Do you want your kids to stand out in a debate?
Then apart from presenting their views, you must teach them how to maintain the
correct posture. This is no less important than the argument itself.
Tell your kids that they should remain attentive to what other teams are saying and stand
tall, use their hands correctly and maintain eye contact when someone from other teams are speaking.
They should have a positive attitude with formal dressing, combed hair, clean shoes,
and so on.
This will leave a long-lasting and pleasant impression on the audience and other
participants in the debate.
Conclusion
Improve your kid’s analytical and critical thinking with these debate topics for kids!
And how did your kid perform?
Don’t forget to let me know!
Hi, I am Claudia, I run TheQueenMomma’s content creation team, personally focusing on topics which add joy to people’s life. You would usually see me writing on topics like Jokes, Riddles, Truth & Dare as well as Baby Names etc.
In my professional career, I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s in sociology and specialize in media and crime. Once I finished my education, I began my career working as a journalist, reporting on various topics like crime, justice and family law. Even though I valued journalism, I came to the realization that I wanted to have a more immediate impact in people’s lives as well as bring joy to them.