Quick Warm-Ups (5-10 mins)

Need a fast activity to start a debating lesson, club meeting or training session? These warm-ups are designed to develop specific debating skills in just 5–10 minutes with little or no preparation.

Table of Contents



Speaking & Confidence

One-Minute Expert

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Give students a random object (paperclip, pencil, shoe, water bottle, etc.). They must speak for one minute as though they are an expert on that object.

Develops: Confidence, fluency, thinking on your feet.

Continue the Story

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

One student begins a story with a single sentence. Each student then adds one sentence to continue the story.

Develops: Listening, creativity, spontaneous speaking.

No “Um” Challenge

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Students speak for 30–60 seconds on a simple topic without using filler words such as “um”, “uh” or “like”.

Develops: Delivery, pacing, confidence.

Describe Without Naming

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

A student chooses an object and describes it without saying its name. The group tries to guess what it is.

Develops: Explanation skills, vocabulary, clarity.

Argument Building

Three Reasons Why

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Present a simple statement:

Chocolate ice cream is the best flavour.

Students have one minute to think of three reasons supporting the statement.

Develops: Quick argument generation.

Because…

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Provide a claim:

School should start later.

Students must continue adding reasons beginning with the word “because”.

Develops: Reasoning and argument development.

Stronger Argument Wins

Time: 5–10 minutes
Players: Small groups

Present two arguments and ask students which is stronger and why.

Example:

A: Homework is annoying.
B: Homework reduces time available for sleep and family activities.

Develops: Evaluating and comparing arguments.

Fact, Value or Policy?

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Read out a series of statements. Students identify whether each is:

  • A Fact argument
  • A Value argument
  • A Policy argument

Develops: Understanding different types of arguments.

Rebuttal

Instant Rebuttal

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

One student makes a simple claim.

Dogs are better than cats.

The next student must immediately rebut it.

Continue around the room.

Develops: Listening and rebuttal skills.

Four Ways to Rebut

Time: 5–10 minutes
Players: Small groups

Provide an argument and challenge students to rebut it using one of the following techniques:

  • There is no evidence.
  • The evidence is poor.
  • The reasoning is not logical.
  • It’s true, but… .

Develops: Structured rebuttal.

Rebuttal Tennis

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Pairs

Student A makes a claim.

Student B rebuts.

Student A responds.

Student B replies.

Continue for one minute before swapping topics.

Develops: Clash and responsiveness.

Critical Thinking

Spot the Fallacy

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Present a statement containing faulty reasoning.

Example:

Everyone knows school uniforms are good.

Students identify the fallacy.

Develops: Logic and analysis.

Fact or Opinion?

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Read a series of statements. Students decide whether each is:

  • Fact
  • Opinion

Discuss any disagreements.

Develops: Critical thinking and evidence awareness.

What’s Missing?

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Small groups

Present an incomplete argument.

We should ban homework because students don’t like it.

Students identify what evidence, reasoning or explanation is missing.

Develops: Argument analysis.

Teamwork & Brainstorming

60-Second Brainstorm

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Teams

Give a debate topic.

That school holidays should be longer.

Teams have 60 seconds to generate as many arguments as possible.

Develops: Brainstorming and teamwork.

Argument Categories

Time: 5–10 minutes
Players: Teams

Teams brainstorm arguments and sort them into categories such as:

  • Educational
  • Economic
  • Social
  • Environmental

Develops: Organising arguments into themes.

Build a Case

Time: 10 minutes
Players: Teams

Provide a topic.

Teams have five minutes to create:

  • A definition
  • Three arguments
  • A speaker split

Each team then presents its case.

Develops: Debate preparation and teamwork.

Just for Fun

Forced Position

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Students must argue for a position regardless of their personal opinion.

Examples:

  • Cats are better than dogs.
  • Summer is better than winter.
  • Pineapple belongs on pizza.

Develops: Perspective-taking and flexibility.

Devil’s Advocate

Time: 5–10 minutes
Players: Small groups

Students are given a commonly accepted idea and must argue against it.

Develops: Critical thinking and creativity.

The World’s Worst Argument

Time: 5 minutes
Players: Any number

Students intentionally create the weakest argument they can.

Example:

School should be cancelled because my goldfish told me so.

The group then explains why the argument is weak.

Develops: Understanding argument quality through humour.

Looking for More?

Explore our resources on:

  • Argument Construction
  • Rebuttal
  • Fallacies
  • Critical Thinking
  • Debate Preparation
  • Speaking and Presentation Skills

These warm-ups work best when used regularly and linked to a specific debating skill being taught that day.