What Would You Do?

Your class is playing tag at recess. Everyone agrees on a new rule: the person who's "it" has to hop on one foot. You get tagged — now you're "it." But hopping on one foot is really hard, and everyone keeps running away easily. You can't catch anyone. You're getting frustrated.

Now imagine you're one of the other kids playing tag. The person who's "it" is supposed to hop on one foot — but you see them cheating and using both feet. What do you do?

You're playing a board game with your family. You roll a 4, but when you move your piece, you accidentally count 5 spaces — landing on a really good spot. Nobody noticed. You realize the mistake right after you let go of your piece.

You're playing a pickup basketball game at recess. One kid — let's call him Jaylen — keeps changing the rules whenever his team is losing. First he says "that didn't count," then he changes the score, then he says you stepped out of bounds when you didn't. He does this every time you play.

You're playing kickball in PE. You're running to second base, and the ball clearly misses you. But the kid on the other team yells "I got you! You're out!" — and they didn't. There's no referee. Your team looks at you to see what you'll do.

Your team is destroying the other team in a game at recess. The score is 12 to 2. Some kids on the losing team look upset. One kid says, "This is stupid, I quit." A couple others start to follow. Your teammates want to keep going and celebrate.

You forgot to do your math homework last night. Your best friend finished theirs and says, "Just copy mine real quick before class starts." The teacher is collecting homework in 5 minutes.

You're hanging out at your friend's house and accidentally knock a picture frame off the shelf. The glass cracks. Your friend is in the other room and didn't see it happen. You could put it back and nobody would notice until later.

Your teacher hands back a test. You got a 92%. But looking at it more carefully, you realize she marked one of your wrong answers as correct. Your real score should be 84%. Nobody else knows.

It's bedtime and you're already in bed, nice and cozy. Your grandma calls from the hallway: "Did you brush your teeth?" You didn't. Getting up means getting cold, walking to the bathroom, and losing your warm spot.

You buy a candy bar at the gas station for $1.50. You pay with a $5 bill. The cashier is distracted and gives you back $8.50 instead of $3.50. They gave you $5 too much. You're already walking toward the door when you count it.

Your friend spent all of art class on a drawing. They're really proud of it and show it to you, asking excitedly: "Do you like it?" Honestly... you don't think it's very good. But your friend looks so happy.

During a big test, you glance over and see your best friend looking at answers they wrote on their hand. Nobody else noticed. Your friend has been struggling in this class and is terrified of failing. After the test, they whisper to you: "Please don't say anything."

Your older cousin is picking on a younger kid at the park — pushing them around and taking their ball. The younger kid looks scared. Your cousin sees you watching and says: "Don't be a snitch. We're family."

You're at the store with a friend. While you're looking at snacks, your friend slips a pack of gum into their pocket without paying. They wink at you and say: "It's just gum. Don't worry about it."

A friend tells the teacher they were late because they were helping the custodian. That's a lie — they were actually goofing off in the hallway. Then the teacher looks at you and asks: "Is that true? Were they helping the custodian?"

Someone in your friend group starts a mean rumor about a kid in another class. It's not true. Your friends are all laughing about it and spreading it around. One friend says to you: "Tell everyone in your next class!"

There's a really nice jacket in the school lost and found. It's been there for three weeks and nobody has claimed it. It's your size and you could really use a warm jacket. A friend says: "Nobody wants it — just take it."

A classmate has an awesome gel pen — the kind that changes colors. During class, they go to the bathroom and leave it on their desk. You pick it up to look at it. It's so cool. You could slip it into your bag and they'd probably just think they lost it.

You're at a store and see something you really want — a small toy that costs $3. You have no money. There are no cameras in this aisle and the cashier is busy with a long line. You could easily take it and walk out.

A friend gives you a really nice pair of earbuds as a birthday gift. You're pumped. But a week later, another kid at school says: "Hey, those are mine! They were stolen from my locker!" You look at your friend, and they look away nervously.

A kid nobody really hangs out with is sitting alone at lunch — again. They look at your table where you're sitting with your friends. Your friends haven't noticed. You make eye contact with the kid. They look away quickly.

During recess, a group of kids is picking on a smaller kid — calling them names, pushing their stuff around. The smaller kid looks like they might cry. If you say something, the group might turn on you next.

It's snack time and you have two snacks today — your favorite chips and a granola bar. The kid sitting next to you doesn't have anything. They're pretending not to notice your food, but you can tell they're hungry.

Your friend group is hanging out and someone makes a joke about another kid's shoes being old and dirty. Everyone laughs. You notice the kid heard it and looked down at their shoes. You know that kid probably can't afford new shoes.

A new student joins your class. They seem nervous, don't know anyone, and at recess they stand near the wall by themselves. Some kids in your class are already whispering about them being "weird."

You and your friend were both throwing food in the cafeteria. A teacher walked in and caught only your friend. Your friend got lunch detention. You didn't get in trouble at all. Your friend is looking at you, waiting for you to say something.

You promised your friend you'd help them practice for the basketball tryouts after school. But then another friend invites you to come play video games at their house — the new game you've been dying to play. Basketball tryouts are tomorrow. Your friend is counting on you.

You're in a group project. One group member — let's call her Mia — did almost nothing. The presentation is tomorrow. The rest of you did all the work. Mia says: "Don't tell the teacher. I'll make it up to you guys."

You made a joke in class and everyone laughed. But later you find out that the joke accidentally hurt someone's feelings — they thought you were making fun of them, even though you didn't mean it that way. They haven't said anything to you, but their friend told you they're upset.

You're hanging out after school with a group of older kids from the neighborhood. One of them pulls out a vape and takes a hit. Then they hold it out to you and say: "Try it. It's just flavored air. Everyone does it." The other kids are watching to see what you'll do.

A kid at school comes up to you and says: "Hold this for me — the teacher's coming." They put a vape in your hand before you can respond. You're standing in the hallway holding it. If a teacher sees you with it, YOU get in trouble.

You see a classmate slip extra food from the cafeteria into their backpack. You know this kid's family is going through a really hard time — they might not have much food at home. A teacher is about to walk by.

A friend tells you something scary — someone at their home is hurting them. They show you a bruise. Then they grab your arm and say: "You CANNOT tell anyone. Promise me. They'll take me away from my family."

Someone spread a lie about you — something embarrassing and untrue. People have been giving you weird looks all day. You're hurt and angry. You happen to know something embarrassing but TRUE about the person who lied about you. You could get even.

An adult you trust and respect — maybe a coach, a relative, or a family friend — does something you know isn't right. Maybe they lied about something important. Maybe they treated someone unfairly. They're an adult. You're a kid. What can you even do?