Elementary and Preteen Peer Pressure Activity: Under Pressure

This object lesson helps kids experience what peer pressure feels like, both as the person being pressured and the person pressuring their peer.

Supplies

You’ll need:

• two inflated balloons for each set of partners.

Peer Pressure Activity: Under Pressure

Have kids hold one balloon between them as they face each other. The assign one child to be the “pressurer” and the other to be the one being pressured. For one minute, have the children communicate back and forth. The pressurer says things such as, “You should dye your hair red” or “Let’s cheat on our test together.

Then have the child being pressured try to talk his or her way out of the pressuring situation. As the pressure builds, have kids press against the balloon until it pops.

Have kids switch roles and give them the second balloon.

Ask these questions:

• How is the balloon like or unlike what happens to us when we give in to pressure to do things we know aren’t right?
  
• How do you think God wants us to respond when our friends pressure us?
  
• What ways can we avoid pressure from our friends?

Jennifer Laprade
East Hampton, Massachusetts

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