What’s On Your Mind? Mediation Activity
(FREE)
Activities are essential in youth mediation and restorative justice practices because they help build trust, develop emotional awareness, and create a safe space for open dialogue. Through interactive and reflective exercises, young people learn how to express themselves, listen to others, and practice empathy—skills that are critical for resolving conflict and repairing harm. Activities also make abstract concepts like fairness, accountability, and community more accessible and meaningful, especially for younger participants. By engaging youth through hands-on learning, we foster deeper understanding and long-lasting behavior change.
What's on Your Mind?"
Objective: To help students reflect on their feelings and concerns so they can express them clearly during mediation.
Materials Needed:
Printed worksheets or blank index cards
Markers, pens, or pencils
Whiteboard or chart paper (optional)
Instructions:
Introduce the Activity
Say: “Before we start talking, let’s take a moment to figure out what’s really on our minds. Sometimes, when we’re upset or in a conflict, it can be hard to explain what we’re feeling. This activity will help you organize your thoughts so you can share them clearly.”
Pass Out the Worksheets or Index Cards
If using worksheets, have four sections labeled:
What happened?
How did it make me feel?
What do I need to feel better?
What can we do to fix this?
Give Students Time to Reflect and Write
Encourage students to think about the situation and fill in their responses.
If a student prefers, they can draw their feelings instead of writing.
Drawing what happened, or creating a comic, can help make the activity more accessible to young students and students with disabilities.
Share and Discuss (Optional)
Ask each student to share one thing from their worksheet or card.
This helps them practice expressing their concerns in a structured way.
Use Their Responses in Mediation
Their notes will guide them when they share their side of the story.
The mediator can refer back to their responses to help find solutions.
