Free. No sign-up. Nothing you type is stored.
Question cards
What is a song you have had on repeat lately?
Anyone can pass, any time, no reason needed. The adult answers too.
Take turns picking first. Matching picks are fun; different ones are more interesting.
Blocks pulled: 0
How to play
- Take turns pulling one block from anywhere below the top row.
- The block's color picks the topic. Answer the question, or pass.
- A row needs its middle block, or both side blocks. Pull the wrong one and the tower falls.
Block colors
- About me (8)
- Feelings (8)
- Friends and family (8)
- School and stress (8)
- Future and values (8)
- Wild card (5)
To come back to
Save a question for later, or play this or that, and it shows up here. Print it or copy it at the end, if that is useful.
Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere. It is gone when you close the page.
An educational aid to use with a therapist, teacher or parent. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose anything.
Therapy activities for teens
Many teens do not walk into therapy ready to talk. A game gives the session something to do with its hands, so talking can happen on the side. These three activities are built around the same rule: the teen chooses, and the teen can pass.
- Question cards. 75 questions in five topics and three depths. Pick a depth and a topic, or let it mix. Turn on a twist, like "answer in exactly three words," for a lighter session.
- This or that. Thirty quick pairs, from "text or call" to "be understood or be liked," each followed by a short question. A good warm-up, and an easy way to learn what matters to someone.
- Question tower. A tower of 45 colored blocks. Pull one, and its color picks the topic of your question. Pull the wrong one and the tower falls.
Any question can be saved for later, and this-or-that picks are listed as you go. At the end, print or copy the list, or just close the page and it is gone.
Therapy questions for teens
The questions come in three depths, so you can match where the relationship is.
| Depth | What it is for | An example |
|---|---|---|
| Light | First sessions, warm-ups, groups | What is something you are weirdly good at? |
| Medium | Once there is some rapport | What is something people often get wrong about you? |
| Deep | When there is trust, and time to follow up | What pressure do you put on yourself that nobody else does? |
The five topics are about me, feelings, friends and family, school and stress, and the future. Filtering to one topic is useful when you already know what the session is about. Leaving it on Any lets the teen bring up what is on their mind.
Therapy games for teens: how to play the question tower
- Choose how deep the questions go: light only, light and medium, or all depths.
- Take turns pulling one block from anywhere below the top row. Tap it, or use Pull a random block.
- The block's color picks the topic: about me, feelings, friends and family, school and stress, or future and values. Purple is a wild card.
- Answer the question, ask for a different one, or pass.
- A row stands as long as it keeps its middle block, or both of its side blocks. Leave a row with only one side block and the tower falls. Build a new one and keep going.
Picking a block is picking a topic, and that choice is part of the game. A teen who keeps pulling yellow blocks may want to talk about friends. One who never touches the pink feelings blocks is telling you something too.
Playing it with real blocks
The printable has a color key for playing with any set of wooden stacking blocks. Put a colored dot sticker on each block (8 of each topic color and 5 purple wild cards for a 45-block set), then use the question cards from the PDF or this page for the questions.
Using these in a session
- Start light, even with a teen you know well. Let them move to deeper questions when they want to.
- Answer the questions yourself, briefly and honestly. It makes it a conversation, not an interview.
- Do not chase every answer with "and how did that feel?" Sometimes a nod and the next card is the right move.
- Notice what they pass on, without commenting on it in the moment. You can come back to it another day.
- Use Save for later when an answer opens something you do not have time for. It is a promise to return.
- In family sessions, have a parent and teen both answer. Hearing each other's this-or-that picks can be eye-opening.
Using it over telehealth
- Open the page before the session. Share your screen and press Present mode.
- Let the teen tell you which block to pull or which side they pick. Giving them the choice keeps them in it.
- Or send the link so they can play on their own device while you talk.
- At the end, copy the saved questions into your notes if you want them. Nothing is sent to us.
If a question brings up something serious
Deep questions can open hard things, which is part of why they are useful. If a teen says they are thinking about hurting themselves or someone else, follow your safety plan and your practice's protocol. Teens and parents reading this: you can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time of day. In an emergency, call 911.
If you are a parent looking for support for your teen, Crown Counseling offers counseling for teens in Brooklyn and by video. For more teen activities, see our social skills games and the self-esteem worksheets.
Printable therapy question cards (PDF)
The free PDF has four pages: twenty light, twenty medium and twenty deep question cards to cut out, four from each topic, and a page for playing the question tower with real blocks, with the color key, the rules, the wild cards and a list of this-or-that pairs. It is free to print and share.
