# This or That Questions for Students and Teachers Source: https://thisorthatquestion.com/this-or-that-questions-for-students Updated: 2026-11-11 Read a pair aloud and students move to the side of the room that matches their pick. One round takes 2 to 5 minutes. ## Quick facts - A this or that brain break takes 2 to 3 minutes: read 5 pairs and have students move to one side of the room for each answer. - For attendance questions, the teacher calls each name and the student answers with one side of the pair, such as "Pizza" or "Tacos", instead of "Here". - Twenty-five students can answer one this or that attendance question in about 2 minutes, roughly the time a plain roll call takes. - Movement versions work best with a clear rule: left wall for the first option, right wall for the second, and the middle of the room is not an answer. - This or that for students works better when the teacher answers first, because students copy the length and honesty of your answer. Share your pick and one reason, then ask the class. ## School this or that questions These this or that school edition pairs are about the school day itself. Every student has an opinion, so they work in any grade from 2nd through 12th. 1. Recess or Free choice time? 2. Pencil or Marker? 3. Desk or Beanbag? 4. Line leader or Door holder? 5. Field trip or Assembly? 6. Reading corner or Writing center? 7. Group project or Work alone? 8. Front row or Back row? 9. Bus or Car rider? 10. Hot lunch or Packed lunch? 11. Library time or Computer lab? 12. Gym or Art? 13. Music class or Science lab? 14. Spelling test or Math test? 15. Backpack or Rolling bag? 16. Lined paper or Graph paper? 17. Crayons or Colored pencils? 18. Field day or Spirit day? 19. Class pet lizard or Class pet bunny? 20. Glue stick or Tape? ## Back to school this or that Use this this or that back to school edition in the first week. The pairs are low-risk, so new students can answer without sharing anything personal. 1. New shoes or New backpack? 2. First day nerves or First day excitement? 3. Summer camp or Summer at home? 4. Pool or Beach? 5. Sleep in or Wake up early? 6. Lunch box or Paper bag? 7. Pick your seat or Assigned seat? 8. New friends or Old friends? 9. School supplies shopping or Clothes shopping? 10. Ice pop or Ice cream cone? ## This or that brain break and movement break For a this or that movement break, students stand on this side of the room for the first option and that side for the second. Each pair below also has an action, so this or that brain break for kids gets bodies moving. 1. Hop like a bunny or Waddle like a penguin? 2. Jumping jacks or Arm circles? 3. Tiptoe or Stomp? 4. Swim like a fish or Fly like a bird? 5. Roller coaster or Ferris wheel? 6. Dance party or Freeze dance? 7. Superhero pose or Statue pose? 8. Run in place or March in place? 9. Touch your toes or Reach for the sky? 10. Slither like a snake or Gallop like a horse? ## This or that morning meeting questions In morning meeting, use one pair as the share. Go around the circle and each student says their pick and one reason in a single sentence. 1. Sunny day or Rainy day? 2. Bake sale or Book swap? 3. Mountains or Ocean? 4. Board game or Video game? 5. Dragon or Unicorn? 6. Be a teacher for a day or Be the principal for a day? 7. Magic paintbrush or Magic backpack? 8. Build a fort or Build a sandcastle? 9. Sing or Dance? 10. Comic book or Chapter book? ## This or that attendance questions Write the pair on the board before class. Students answer with one word when you call their name, so roll call doubles as a quick check-in. 1. Pizza or Tacos? 2. Bananas or Pears? 3. Puppies or Kittens? 4. Grapes or Strawberries? 5. Winter or Summer? 6. Bike or Scooter? 7. Pancakes or French toast? 8. Hot cocoa or Lemonade? ## This or that math questions Math pairs let students talk about how they think. Ask "Why?" after each one, and accept any answer with a reason. 1. Addition or Subtraction? 2. Fractions or Decimals? 3. Mental math or Show your work? 4. Odd numbers or Even numbers? 5. Ruler or Protractor? 6. Word problems or Number problems? 7. Multiplication or Division? 8. Circles or Triangles? 9. Calculator or Pencil and paper? 10. Estimate or Count exactly? ## Teacher this or that questions This this or that teacher edition works at a staff meeting or on the first day, when students quiz the teacher. Read the pair, let the class guess your answer, then reveal it. 1. Grading or Lesson planning? 2. Coffee in the lounge or Coffee at your desk? 3. Recess duty or Bus duty? 4. Dry-erase marker or Smartboard pen? 5. Teach kindergarten or Teach high school? 6. Summer break or Winter break? 7. Field trip chaperone or Science fair judge? 8. Rubric or Checklist? ## How to run a this or that classroom game 1. Pick 5 to 10 pairs from one section. Fewer pairs for a brain break, more for an icebreaker. 2. Point to the two sides of the room. Say "Left wall is the first answer, right wall is the second." 3. Read the pair as "A or B?" and count down from 3. Students walk, not run, to their side. 4. Call on one student from each side to give a reason in one sentence. 5. Send everyone back to the middle before the next pair, so the class resets. 6. End with a calm pair, such as "Book or Nap?", and ask students to walk back to their seats. ### This or that whiteboard questions and worksheets For this or that whiteboard questions, write one pair on the board each morning. Students add a tally mark or a sticky note with their name under their pick as they walk in. This site does not offer a downloadable this or that worksheet. To make your own, use the print layout on this page (browser Print, or Save as PDF), or type 10 pairs into Google Docs with a circle-one line under each. A this or that worksheet for kids can add a "Why?" line for a writing warm-up. ## Tips from the classroom - Set the movement rule before the first pair. Students who stand in the middle lose the point of the game. - Watch for friend-following. If a whole table always moves together, switch to a hands-up or eyes-closed vote. - Avoid pairs about family, money or appearance. Some students cannot answer those without feeling singled out. - Use the same pair for attendance and for a writing prompt. Students already know their answer, so they start writing faster. - Keep the random picker at /this-or-that-generator open on the board for days you have no list ready. - Let a student read the pairs on Friday. Kids listen more closely when a classmate runs it. - Add an action to each side. The this or that questions students remember best are the ones they acted out. ## Frequently asked questions ### What are this or that questions for students? This or that questions for students are quick two-choice prompts, such as "Pencil or Marker?" or "Recess or Free choice time?", that a whole class answers at once. Teachers use them as brain breaks, morning meeting greetings, attendance questions and back to school icebreakers. One round takes 2 to 5 minutes and needs no prep beyond a list of pairs. ### What are good this or that questions for students? Good this or that questions for students use two choices every child knows, such as Recess or Free choice time, Pencil or Marker, and Field trip or Assembly. Pick pairs with no wrong answer and no personal details, so every student can answer in front of the class. ### How do I use this or that as a brain break? Read a pair, point to two sides of the room, and have students move to their pick. Five pairs take about 3 minutes. For a stronger brain break this or that version, add an action to each side, such as hopping or tiptoeing, so students move while they choose. ### What are this or that icebreaker questions for students on the first day? Use safe, light pairs such as Summer camp or Summer at home, New shoes or New backpack, and Dragon or Unicorn. They let new students share a preference without sharing anything personal, and they show who has things in common. ### Is there a this or that worksheet I can print? No downloadable worksheet exists on this site, but you can print any page. Use your browser's Print or Save as PDF option for a clean copy. For this or that worksheets with answer lines, paste 10 pairs into Google Docs and add a "Why?" line under each. ### How do I run this or that during morning meeting? Use one pair as the share. Write it on the board, then go around the circle while each student says their pick and one reason. A class of 22 finishes in about 5 minutes. Answer first yourself so students hear an example. ### Do you have this or that questions for teachers to use at a staff meeting? Yes. This or that for teachers uses pairs like Grading or Lesson planning and Recess duty or Bus duty, because every teacher has an opinion. Run 5 pairs at the start of a meeting, and have staff stand or raise a hand for each side. ### What are this or that questions for school that work in any grade? Pairs about the school day work in any grade: Recess or Free choice time, Hot lunch or Packed lunch, Gym or Art, and Field day or Spirit day. Younger students answer quickly, and older students give longer reasons, so the same list covers a whole school. ### How do I keep a this or that classroom game from getting too loud? Set three rules first: walk to your side, no talking until you arrive, and back to the middle between pairs. Use a countdown from 3 before students move. If noise rises, switch to a silent version where students point instead.