140 This or That Questions for Any Group or Classroom

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Girl smiling while playing a this or that game

This or that is the fastest icebreaker there is, because nobody has to think of an answer, they just have to pick a side. That matters with a quiet group. Ask someone to describe themselves and they freeze. Ask them pizza or tacos and they answer before they have decided to.

The difference between this and would you rather is speed. Would you rather is built to cause an argument that lasts ten minutes. This or that is built to move, one every few seconds, until the room warms up. Use them fast and do not let anyone explain themselves until the round is over.

The sections separate questions for kids, teens, work, food, holidays and slower discussion. Start with ten easy choices, move to a section that fits the group, then return to the answers people wanted to explain. That keeps the opener quick without cutting off the conversation.

What you will find here

Easy this or that questions for kids

Fast, concrete and safe. These work from about age five.

  1. Pizza or pasta?
  2. Cats or dogs?
  3. Summer or winter?
  4. Chocolate or vanilla?
  5. Beach or mountains?
  6. Swimming or biking?
  7. Cake or ice cream?
  8. Morning or night?
  9. Books or films?
  10. Drawing or building?
  11. Apples or bananas?
  12. Slide or swing?
  13. Rain or snow?
  14. Soup or sandwich?
  15. Cars or trains?
  16. Football or basketball?
  17. Milk or juice?
  18. Camping or hotel?
  19. Dinosaurs or dragons?
  20. Red or blue?
  21. Pancakes or waffles?
  22. Zoo or aquarium?
  23. Running or jumping?
  24. Popcorn or crisps?
  25. Puppy or kitten?

Pancakes or waffles is the most reliable opener I have ever used with children. It has never once produced silence.

Funny this or that questions

Slightly absurd. Use these once the easy round has warmed people up.

  1. Fight a horse sized duck or a hundred duck sized horses?
  2. Always be itchy or always be sticky?
  3. Sneeze glitter or cry chocolate?
  4. Talk like a pirate or sing every sentence?
  5. Have hands for feet or feet for hands?
  6. Always be ten minutes early or twenty minutes late?
  7. Smell like a wet dog or hear a distant kazoo forever?
  8. Wear wet socks all day or a shirt one size too small all week?
  9. Have a laugh track follow you or dramatic music follow you?
  10. Only whisper or only shout?
  11. Be covered in fur or covered in scales?
  12. Have spaghetti hair or maple syrup sweat?
  13. Live without music or live without dessert?
  14. Be famous for something embarrassing or unknown for something great?
  15. Have every photo be a blink or every video be in slow motion?
  16. Sleep standing up or eat lying down?
  17. Have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon?
  18. Never use a fork again or never use a chair again?

This or that for teens

Enough edge to be interesting, nothing that gets anyone in trouble.

  1. Text or call?
  2. Group chat or one on one?
  3. Netflix or YouTube?
  4. Early bird or night owl?
  5. Sneakers or boots?
  6. Playlist or shuffle?
  7. Concert or festival?
  8. Coffee or energy drink?
  9. Photos or videos?
  10. City or small town?
  11. Road trip or flight?
  12. Instagram or TikTok?
  13. Study alone or in a group?
  14. Cook or order in?
  15. Gym or outdoors?
  16. Horror or comedy?
  17. Console or PC?
  18. Thrift or new?
  19. Loud party or small hangout?
  20. Save money or spend it now?
  21. Be the funniest or the smartest in the room?
  22. Know the future or change the past?

This or that for work and meetings

Safe for a company channel. These tell you something real about a colleague without asking anything personal.

  1. Email or call?
  2. Remote or office?
  3. Morning meetings or afternoon?
  4. Slack or in person?
  5. Deadline pressure or a slow burn?
  6. Big picture or fine detail?
  7. Plan everything or improvise?
  8. Open plan or private office?
  9. Coffee or tea?
  10. Work alone or on a team?
  11. Present or take notes?
  12. Inbox zero or inbox chaos?
  13. Standing desk or sitting?
  14. Feedback in writing or in conversation?
  15. Start early or finish late?
  16. Whiteboard or spreadsheet?
  17. Video on or video off?
  18. One long break or several short ones?
  19. Learn by doing or by reading first?
  20. Lead the project or support it?

Inbox zero or inbox chaos is the single most divisive question I have ever put into a work channel. People have opinions about this that border on moral.

Food this or that questions

  1. Sweet or savoury?
  2. Pizza crust or pizza toppings?
  3. Ketchup or mayo?
  4. Burger or hot dog?
  5. Coffee or tea?
  6. Cereal or toast?
  7. Fries or onion rings?
  8. Tacos or burritos?
  9. Cheese or chocolate?
  10. Sparkling or still?
  11. Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?
  12. Spicy or mild?
  13. Cook at home or eat out?
  14. Sushi or steak?
  15. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
  16. Pie or cake?
  17. Soup or salad?
  18. Ice cream cone or bowl?
  19. Pancakes or crepes?
  20. Garlic bread or breadsticks?
  21. Fruit or vegetables?
  22. Milkshake or smoothie?

Hard this or that questions

These break the rule about speed. People will want to explain themselves.

  1. Truth or kindness?
  2. Freedom or security?
  3. Talent or hard work?
  4. Love or money?
  5. Be respected or be liked?
  6. Adventure or comfort?
  7. Forgive or forget?
  8. Lead or follow?
  9. Fame or privacy?
  10. Change the world or change yourself?
  11. More time or more money?
  12. Know everything or feel everything?
  13. Be right or keep the peace?
  14. Start over or carry on?
  15. Certainty or possibility?
  16. Be feared or be underestimated?
  17. Regret doing it or regret not doing it?
  18. A short great life or a long ordinary one?

Regret doing it or regret not doing it is the one that ends the round. Ask it last, because nothing follows it well.

Seasonal and holiday this or that

  1. Halloween or Christmas?
  2. Trick or treat?
  3. Snow day or beach day?
  4. Real tree or fake tree?
  5. Costume or face paint?
  6. Fireworks or bonfire?
  7. Spring or autumn?
  8. Turkey or ham?
  9. Give gifts or get gifts?
  10. Decorate early or decorate late?
  11. Pumpkin pie or apple pie?
  12. Sledding or ice skating?
  13. Beach holiday or city break?
  14. Summer camp or summer at home?
  15. New year party or early night?

More jokes to try next

Before you go

One rule makes this game work and it is easy to forget. No explaining until the round is done. The moment somebody starts justifying why they picked winter, the pace dies and it turns into a discussion. Keep it fast, then let the arguments happen at the end.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between this or that and would you rather?

Speed. Would you rather is built to start a ten minute argument. This or that is built to move fast, one every few seconds, until a quiet group loosens up.

How do you play this or that?

Read a pair, everyone answers immediately without explaining. Run twenty in a row, then go back and let people defend the strange answers.

What age are these suitable for?

The first section works from about five. The teen and work sections need older players, and the hard section is for adults or a class old enough to argue properly.

Are these good icebreakers for work?

The work section is written for that. It reveals how somebody prefers to operate without asking anything about their personal life, which is the line you want to stay on.

How many questions do you need?

Twenty to thirty for a warm up, and more if the group is enjoying it. The whole point is that they run quickly, so you get through more than you expect.


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