Pass Around

• This game helps teens realize their ability to control emotions and feelings of anger and negativity. Instruct the students to sit in a circle. Start the exercise by giving a frown and stating why you are angry or upset. Pass the frown around the circle, letting each teen express any negative feelings he is experiencing. Next, reset. Instead of passing a frown, pass a smile around and state why you are feeling positive. End the activity by explaining to the group that each student has the ability to choose a negative or positive attitude.
  
  

Beat the Drum

• This game helps teens realize that expressing negative emotions in a constructive way is useful for managing anger. Designate a corner of the classroom as the expression corner. Place a set of drums, either real or created from empty coffee cans or oatmeal containers, in the corner. Instruct the students to beat the drums when they are feeling angry. After beating the drums, the student should express his feelings in words. Extend the activity by allowing the students to beat the drum for any negative feelings. This activity is useful for preventing emotional outbursts in the classroom.
  
  

Anger Management Techniques

• This game gives teens the opportunity to learn different anger management techniques that are useful for various situations. Create a card with a list of effective anger management techniques; potential techniques include exercising, thinking before you speak, using humor to release tension and practicing relaxation skills. Hold a discussion on anger management with the class before playing the game. To play, call out an anger management technique. Each student that can give an appropriate example of how to use the technique raises his hand. Pick the student and have the student give his example, either from personal experience or his imagination. Discuss the example with the class. Each student that gives an example receives a small prize.
  
  

Reasons and Ideas

• This game teaches teens the advantages of controlling anger and the disadvantages of not controlling anger. Create three columns on the blackboard. Designate a column for reasons. Place helpful ideas in one of the columns and unhelpful ideas in another. Ask the students to brainstorm about common reasons teenagers experience anger; list their answers in the reasons column on the blackboard. Next, ask the students to brainstorm ideas to prevent anger along with positive and negative ways of handling the anger; list the ideas in the correct columns on the blackboard. Discuss all of the ideas, noting the positive and negative outcome from handling anger in various ways.