This or That Questions for Kids: 120 Fun Picks for K-2 and 3-5

By The I Survived Room Parent Team

This or That is the fastest game in the room parent toolbox. You read two choices, kids pick one, and the whole class finds out who else is Team Puppies. There's nothing to set up, nothing to clean up and no way to get it wrong. Below are 120 This or That questions for kids: 50 for kindergarten through 2nd grade, 50 for 3rd through 5th grade and 20 seasonal picks for class parties from Halloween to the last day of school.

The right game needs zero supplies. The wrong game needs a glue gun and an apology to the custodian.

Key Takeaways

• This or That works for every grade. K-2 gets simple, picture-friendly choices. Grades 3-5 get bigger "would you" style picks.

• It needs no supplies. Kids point, stand, hop to a side or hold up fingers.

• Keep every choice kind and open. Nobody should feel left out because of what they have at home.

• Ask "why?" for bonus fun. One quick reason per round turns a vote into a conversation.

• Use the seasonal sets at parties. They make a great 5-minute opener or a wait-in-line game.

• Print the cards. Our free This or That question cards have all 120 questions on cut-apart cards, color-coded by grade and season.

What Are This or That Questions?

This or That questions give kids two choices and ask them to pick one. "Slide or swings?" "Mountains or ocean?" There is no right answer, which is exactly why kids love it. The game is quick, it gets quiet kids involved without making them talk, and it shows a class how much they have in common, or how fiercely divided they are on pancakes.

It's a close cousin of Would You Rather questions for kids, just faster. Would You Rather asks kids to imagine something. This or That just asks them to choose.

How Do You Play This or That in the Classroom?

Pick a Side

Put a strip of painter's tape down the middle of the room. Read a question and point left for the first choice and right for the second. Kids walk to their side. It's loud, it's fast and it burns off a little wiggle energy.

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

Stay seated. Thumbs up for "this," thumbs down for "that." Perfect for a crowded room or the last 3 minutes before lunch.

Stand or Sit

Stand for the first choice, sit for the second. Great for K-2 and for days when the desks can't move.

Partner Picks

Partners read a card to each other, choose, and share one reason. Then they swap cards with another pair.

Write It Down

Older kids number a scrap of paper and write their pick for 10 questions. Then they find a classmate with the most matches.

25 kids, 2 choices, 0 supplies. This is the only math a room parent wants at 2:15 p.m.

This or That Questions for Kids in K-2

Younger kids do best with simple, concrete choices they can picture right away. Read each question out loud and point to a side for each answer.

• Puppies or kittens?

• Slide or swings?

• Crayons or markers?

• Rain boots or sneakers?

• Dinosaurs or dragons?

• Pizza or pancakes?

• Sunny day or snowy day?

• Bubbles or balloons?

• Jump rope or hopscotch?

• Fire truck or school bus?

• Teddy bear or toy robot?

• Beach or playground?

• Stickers or stamps?

• Story time or art time?

• Hop like a bunny or waddle like a penguin?

• Superhero cape or crown?

• Fish tank or bird cage?

• Red or blue?

• Morning or bedtime?

• Paint with brushes or paint with fingers?

• Unicorn or mermaid?

• Tiger or lion?

• Build with blocks or build with sand?

• Sing a song or tell a story?

• Big hat or big sunglasses?

• Apples or bananas?

• Bike or scooter?

• Ladybug or butterfly?

• Hide or seek?

• Clap your hands or stomp your feet?

• Puzzle or coloring page?

• Train or airplane?

• Monkey bars or sandbox?

• Owl or bat?

• Pajama day or crazy hair day?

• Rainbow or stars?

• Go fast or go slow?

• Draw a house or draw a castle?

• Pet a horse or pet a goat?

• Ice cream cone or ice pop?

• Shark or whale?

• Silly face or silly dance?

• Jelly beans or gummy bears?

• Raincoat or umbrella?

• Lunch outside or lunch inside?

• Drum or tambourine?

• Cartoon or picture book?

• Spots or stripes?

• Elephant or giraffe?

• Count to 100 or sing the ABCs?

This or That Questions for Kids in Grades 3-5

Older kids are ready for bigger choices and love explaining their picks. Ask a volunteer from each side to share one reason.

• Be invisible or be able to fly?

• Read the book or watch the movie?

• Math or reading?

• Mountains or ocean?

• Video game or board game?

• Be the team captain or be the star player?

• Live in a treehouse or live on a houseboat?

• Visit the past or visit the future?

• Comic books or chapter books?

• Early bird or night owl?

• Talk to animals or speak every language?

• Indoor recess or outdoor recess?

• Write a story or draw a comic?

• Win a spelling bee or win a science fair?

• Space station or underwater lab?

• Have a robot helper or have a pet dragon?

• Soccer or basketball?

• Field trip to a museum or field trip to a farm?

• Be famous for your art or famous for your inventions?

• Summer camp or a road trip?

• Unlimited art supplies or unlimited books?

• Be really fast or really strong?

• Learn to juggle or learn to skateboard?

• Sit in the front row or the back row?

• Hot cocoa or lemonade?

• Live in the city or the country?

• Solve a mystery or go on a treasure hunt?

• Be a famous chef or a famous musician?

• Have a secret door in your room or a slide in your house?

• Snow day or pool day?

• Design a video game or design a roller coaster?

• Pancakes or waffles?

• Be a bird for a day or a fish for a day?

• Glow-in-the-dark shoes or shoes that bounce?

• Explore a jungle or explore a desert?

• Have super hearing or super sight?

• Watch a sunrise or a sunset?

• Build a fort or build a sandcastle?

• Be the class pet's caretaker or the class line leader?

• Write with a pen or a pencil?

• Fix things or build new things?

• Puzzles or riddles?

• Beach volleyball or ice skating?

• Have a time machine or a teleporter?

• Silent reading or partner reading?

• Be a detective or a scientist?

• Live in a castle or a spaceship?

• Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?

• Have a pet owl or a pet fox?

• Never have homework or never have chores?

Seasonal This or That Questions for Class Parties

These mini-sets are made for class parties. Use them as a 5-minute opener while helpers finish setup, or as a line-up game at the end.

Halloween This or That

• Pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern?

• Friendly ghost or friendly monster?

• Costume party or pumpkin patch?

• Black cat or spooky owl?

Pair these with our Halloween class party printables.

Fall and Thanksgiving This or That

• Jumping in leaves or raking leaves?

• Hayride or corn maze?

• Apple picking or pumpkin picking?

• Cozy sweater or cozy blanket?

Pair these with our Thanksgiving class party printables.

Winter This or That

• Build a snowman or have a snowball fight?

• Mittens or gloves?

• Sledding or ice skating?

• Hot cocoa or warm cider?

Pair these with our winter class party printables.

Valentine's Day This or That

• Make a card or get a card?

• Hearts or stars?

• Pink or red?

• Write a kind note or give a high five?

Pair these with our Valentine's class party printables.

Spring and End of Year This or That

• Flowers or butterflies?

• Puddle jumping or kite flying?

• Last day of school or first day of summer?

• Picnic or field day?

Pair these with our end-of-year class party ideas.

How Can Room Parents Use This or That at a Class Party?

• As an opener: 5 questions while everyone finds a seat and the teacher takes attendance.

• Between stations: a quick round while groups rotate.

• While you wait: for the last helper, the last craft to dry or the bell.

• As a mixer: after each question, kids high-five someone on their side.

It also pairs nicely with active games. Our Minute to Win It classroom party games cover the loud part of the party, and This or That works for the calm part. For a full party plan, check out our class party ideas for a room mom.

Every party needs a backup game. Every room parent needs a backup room parent.

What Makes a Good This or That Question?

• Two real choices. Both should sound fun, or both should sound a little silly.

• No questions about what families own or where they travel. Skip "big house or small house" and "theme park or the beach."

• Nothing that singles out a kid. Avoid choices about bodies, looks or holidays some families don't celebrate.

• Quick to read. If it takes more than 5 seconds to say, save it for Would You Rather.

For more getting-to-know-you questions, our icebreaker questions for kids are split by grade, too.

Where Can You Get the Free This or That Cards?

Our free This or That question cards include all 120 questions from this post on cut-apart cards, with K-2, 3-5 and seasonal sets in different colors. There's also a fillable page for writing your own. Print on cardstock, cut them apart and keep them in a zip bag in your party bin.

FAQ

What is a good This or That question for kids?

A good one is fast, kind and fun to argue about. "Puppies or kittens?" works for almost every age.

How many This or That questions should you ask?

Five to 10 questions is perfect for a party opener. For indoor recess, go until someone yells "one more!" for the fifth time.

Is This or That good for kindergarten?

Yes. Use simple picture-friendly choices and have kids stand, sit or point instead of talking.

What's the difference between This or That and Would You Rather?

This or That is a fast pick between two things. Would You Rather asks kids to imagine a situation and choose between two outcomes.

Can I use this at a class party?

Yes. The seasonal sets are made for Halloween, fall and Thanksgiving, winter, Valentine's Day and end-of-year parties.

More Class Party Games and Questions

• Would You Rather Questions for Kids: 110 Fun Questions by Season

• Icebreaker Questions for Kids: 100 Fun Questions for K-2 and 3-5

• Minute to Win It Classroom Party Games: 28 Easy, Allergy-Friendly Games

• Indoor Recess Games: 28 No-Supply Games for Rainy Days and Parties

• Jokes and Riddles for Kids: 100 Clean Classroom Jokes and Riddles

Questions or ideas? Email us at contactus@isurvivedroomparent.com.