121 questions
Food & treats
Pancakes or waffles?
Ages 3+
Tacos or burritos?
Ages 3+
Hot dogs or hamburgers?
Ages 3+
Mac and cheese or spaghetti and meatballs?
Ages 3+
Watermelon or grapes?
Ages 3+
Cupcakes or donuts?
Ages 3+
Hot cocoa or lemonade?
Ages 3+
Sweet snacks or salty snacks?
Ages 3+
Chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies?
Ages 3+
Strawberries or blueberries?
Ages 3+
Pepperoni pizza or plain cheese pizza?
Ages 3+
Ice cream in a cone or ice cream in a cup?
Ages 3+
Peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese?
Ages 3+
Crunchy cereal or soft oatmeal?
Ages 3+
Animals
Dogs or cats?
Ages 3+
Dolphins or sea turtles?
Ages 3+
Lions or tigers?
Ages 3+
Penguins or polar bears?
Ages 3+
Owls or parrots?
Ages 3+
Butterflies or ladybugs?
Ages 3+
Elephants or hippos?
Ages 3+
Hamsters or guinea pigs?
Ages 3+
Frogs or lizards?
Ages 3+
Monkeys or koalas?
Ages 3+
Sharks or whales?
Ages 3+
Wolves or foxes?
Ages 3+
Play & sports
Soccer or basketball?
Ages 5+
Swings or slides?
Ages 5+
Board games or video games?
Ages 5+
Hide-and-seek or tag?
Ages 5+
Bike or scooter?
Ages 5+
Building blocks or play dough?
Ages 5+
Drawing or painting?
Ages 5+
Puzzles or coloring books?
Ages 5+
Jump rope or hula hoop?
Ages 5+
Monkey bars or merry-go-round?
Ages 5+
Kickball or dodgeball?
Ages 5+
Roller skates or skateboard?
Ages 5+
Pretend & magic
Dragons or unicorns?
Ages 3+
Pirates or knights?
Ages 3+
Mermaids or fairies?
Ages 3+
Superheroes or wizards?
Ages 3+
Robots or aliens?
Ages 3+
A castle or a spaceship?
Ages 3+
A magic wand or a flying carpet?
Ages 3+
A treasure map or a secret door?
Ages 3+
Astronaut or deep-sea explorer?
Ages 3+
Talking animals or toys that come alive at night?
Ages 3+
A time machine or a shrinking machine?
Ages 3+
A dinosaur egg or a dragon egg?
Ages 3+
Places & seasons
Beach or mountains?
Ages 5+
Spring or fall?
Ages 5+
Zoo or aquarium?
Ages 5+
Rainy days or snowy days?
Ages 5+
Sunrise or sunset?
Ages 5+
Lake or ocean?
Ages 5+
Amusement park or water park?
Ages 5+
Museum or library?
Ages 5+
Sledding or ice skating?
Ages 5+
Road trip or airplane trip?
Ages 5+
Hotel or cabin?
Ages 5+
Snowball fight or water balloon fight?
Ages 5+
School
Math or reading?
Ages 5+
Science or art?
Ages 5+
Pencils or crayons?
Ages 5+
Lunch from home or school lunch?
Ages 5+
Indoor recess or outdoor recess?
Ages 5+
Show-and-tell or story time?
Ages 5+
Gym class or music class?
Ages 5+
Write a story or draw a comic?
Ages 5+
Field trip to a farm or field trip to a science museum?
Ages 5+
Front row or back row?
Ages 5+
Spelling bee or science fair?
Ages 5+
Party picks
Chocolate cake or vanilla cake?
Ages 3+
Balloon animal or face painting?
Ages 3+
Magic show or puppet show?
Ages 3+
Pony ride or bounce house?
Ages 3+
Petting zoo or bubble machine?
Ages 3+
Party hats or party crowns?
Ages 3+
Musical chairs or freeze dance?
Ages 3+
Piñata or treasure hunt?
Ages 3+
Pool party or pajama party?
Ages 3+
One big cake or a tower of cupcakes?
Ages 3+
Indoor party or outdoor party?
Ages 3+
Party games or a party craft?
Ages 3+
Open presents at the party or after everyone goes home?
Ages 3+
Home & bedtime
Bath or shower?
Ages 3+
Top bunk or bottom bunk?
Ages 3+
Stuffed animal or blanket at bedtime?
Ages 3+
Movie night or game night?
Ages 3+
Cartoons or nature shows?
Ages 3+
Early bird or night owl?
Ages 3+
Socks or bare feet?
Ages 3+
Breakfast in bed or breakfast at the table?
Ages 3+
Bedtime story or bedtime song?
Ages 3+
Help cook dinner or help bake cookies?
Ages 3+
Pillow fort or cardboard box castle?
Ages 3+
Thinking picks for big kids
Picks with a reason behind them. Ask for the why.
Be the leader or be the helper?
Ages 8–12
Plan the trip or be surprised?
Ages 8–12
Write a letter or record a video message?
Ages 8–12
Invent something new or discover something old?
Ages 8–12
Famous singer or famous scientist?
Ages 8–12
Work alone or work on a team?
Ages 8–12
Make people laugh or make people think?
Ages 8–12
Read the book first or watch the movie first?
Ages 8–12
Save your allowance or spend it right away?
Ages 8–12
Learn an instrument or learn a new language?
Ages 8–12
Mystery stories or adventure stories?
Ages 8–12
Always early or always right on time?
Ages 8–12
Quick picks for little kids
Hold up a hand for each choice; kids point to pick.
Hop or skip?
Ages 3–5
Truck or tractor?
Ages 3–5
Moon or stars?
Ages 3–5
Crayons or markers?
Ages 3–5
Duck or cow?
Ages 3–5
Clap or stomp?
Ages 3–5
Rain boots or sneakers?
Ages 3–5
Bubbles or balloons?
Ages 3–5
Hug or high five?
Ages 3–5
Teddy bear or toy car?
Ages 3–5
Yellow or green?
Ages 3–5
Big ball or little ball?
Ages 3–5
Play it at a party
Freeze and Pick
3–8
Ages
5–25
Players
10–15 min
How long
- Play music and let everyone dance.
- Stop the music and read a question out loud.
- Kids freeze in a pose for their pick: arms up high for the first choice, arms out wide for the second.
- Start the music again and read the next question at the next stop. Nobody is ever out.
Borrowed from freeze dance, where the full rules live.
Hot Potato Picks
5–10
Ages
6–15, seated in a circle
Players
10–15 min
How long
- Sit in a circle and pass a soft ball or beanbag while music plays.
- When the music stops, read a question to whoever is holding the ball.
- They answer and give one reason, and anyone who picked the same thing waves.
- Restart the music. Skip anyone who has already had a turn until everyone has answered once.
Borrowed from hot potato, where the full rules live.
Mind Match
8–12
Ages
4–12
Players
10–15 min
How long
- The birthday child sits facing the group with a pencil and paper.
- Read a question. The birthday child writes their pick in secret.
- Everyone else calls out what they think the birthday child chose.
- Reveal the answer. Each guest who guessed right scores a point; play 10 questions.
When to run it
- As guests arrive: it needs no setup and no explaining.
- While you wait for the pizza or the cake.
- As a calm last game before pickup.
More games for the same party: Indoor Party Games for Kids and Party Games for 5-Year-Olds.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between this or that and would you rather?
- This or that is faster: each question is two choices, like pancakes or waffles, with no story to imagine. That makes it easier for younger kids and quicker to play as a warm-up. Would you rather questions add a twist or a trade-off, so they spark longer debates.
- What age can play this or that?
- From about age 3, using the quick picks for little kids, which are two things a child can point to. Kids 5 and up can handle every topic, and the thinking picks work best from about age 8. The age filter shows only the questions for the youngest guest.
- How do you play this or that at a party?
- Read a question and have kids show their pick with a pose, a wave or a move to one side of the room. Nobody is out, so it works for mixed ages and big groups. For a seated version, pass a ball in a circle and ask whoever holds it when the music stops.
- How many this or that questions do I need?
- About 20 for a 10-minute round, because kids answer them in seconds. Pull from two or three topics so the round has variety, and save a few party picks for the birthday child to answer last.
