# This or That Questions for Teens, Middle Schoolers and College Students Source: https://thisorthatquestion.com/this-or-that-questions-for-teens Updated: 2026-11-11 Quick picks teens answer more readily than "How was your day?", with lists for middle school, high school and college. ## Quick facts - Middle schoolers answer fastest when the pairs are silly or about food; high schoolers open up more with pairs about plans, music and independence. - Teens often follow the crowd in a public vote. A hands-down vote, a phone poll or eyes-closed voting gets more honest answers. - A this or that game for teens with 12 players and 20 questions takes about 15 minutes if each side gives one reason per round. - Skip pairs about bodies, crushes in the room, or family money. They single out teens who do not want to answer. - College students respond best to pairs about dorm life, class schedules and food, because those choices are new and still feel personal. ## This or that for teens: everyday picks Start with these fun this or that questions for teens and this or that teen questions. They fit any group of teenagers from 13 to 19. 1. Group chat or FaceTime? 2. Sneakers or Slides? 3. Playlist or Radio? 4. Bucket hat or Beanie? 5. Night drive or Morning walk? 6. Bubble tea or Iced coffee? 7. Thrift store or Mall? 8. Concert or Music festival? 9. Drive-in movie or Rooftop movie? 10. Hoodie weather or Shorts weather? 11. Sleepover or Day trip? 12. Text back fast or Leave on read? 13. Vinyl or Streaming? 14. Polaroid or Phone camera? 15. Chick-fil-A or Chipotle? 16. Gaming or Scrolling? 17. Roller rink or Trampoline park? 18. Bonfire or Pool party? 19. Mystery novel or Fantasy series? 20. Hoodie up or Hat on? 21. Road trip playlist or Road trip podcast? ## Middle school this or that questions These this or that middle school questions suit ages 11 to 14, so this middle school edition fits grades 6 to 8. They lean silly on purpose, because middle schoolers relax once a few pairs make them laugh. Teachers run the this or that middle school edition in advisory or homeroom as a 5-minute opener. The this or that questions middle school students vote on fastest are the food pairs. 1. Lockers or Backpacks all day? 2. Science fair or Book fair? 3. School dance or Movie night? 4. Talking cat or Flying dog? 5. Slime or Fidget spinner? 6. Minecraft or Roblox? 7. Pizza Friday or Taco Tuesday? 8. Hot Cheetos or Takis? 9. Zombie apocalypse or Alien invasion? 10. Invisible for a day or Fly for a day? 11. Field day or Pajama day? 12. Band or Choir? 13. Smell like pizza forever or Smell like feet forever? 14. Lose your phone or Lose your shoes? 15. Bus seat in back or Bus seat in front? 16. Too hot classroom or Too cold classroom? 17. Tater tots or Curly fries? 18. Dodgeball or Capture the flag? ### This or that questions for 6th graders Sixth graders are new to switching classes and having lockers, so pairs about that change hit home. 1. Elementary recess or Middle school lunch? 2. One teacher or Seven teachers? 3. Locker on top or Locker on bottom? 4. Ride the bus or Get dropped off? 5. Join a club or Join a team? 6. Old school friends or Brand new friends? ## This or that questions for high school students This this or that high school edition covers driving, jobs, classes and plans. Use these this or that high school questions in homeroom. Clubs and youth groups run this or that for high school students too. High schoolers give longer reasons, so ask a follow-up "Why?" on the best splits. 1. Homecoming or Prom? 2. Football game or Theater show? 3. Get your license or Get a job? 4. Senior trip or Senior prank? 5. AP class or Elective? 6. Study hall or Early release? 7. Off-campus lunch or Cafeteria lunch? 8. Part-time job or Summer internship? 9. Pep rally or Spirit week? 10. Yearbook or School newspaper? 11. First period or Last period? 12. Study with friends or Study alone? 13. Flashcards or Practice tests? 14. Gap year or Straight to college? 15. Stay in your hometown or Move far away? 16. Used car now or New car later? 17. Prom with a date or Prom with friends? 18. Summer school or Summer job? ## This or that questions for college students Use this this or that college edition at orientation, a dorm floor meeting or a club's first night. The pairs cover the choices students make in their first year. 1. Dorm or Apartment? 2. 8 a.m. class or Night class? 3. Dining hall or Cook for yourself? 4. Big lecture or Small seminar? 5. Library or Coffee shop? 6. Roommate or Single room? 7. Ramen or Mac and cheese? 8. Study abroad or Summer internship abroad? 9. Pull an all-nighter or Wake up at 5? 10. Campus job or Off-campus job? 11. Greek life or Club sports? 12. Bike across campus or Walk across campus? 13. Laptop notes or Paper notes? 14. Go home for weekends or Stay on campus? 15. Pizza delivery or Late-night diner? 16. Midterms or Finals? ## Funny this or that questions for teens These funny pairs work as a warm-up for a youth group or advisory class. Read them quickly and let the room react. 1. Only whisper or Only yell? 2. Sneeze glitter or Burp bubbles? 3. Fight a goose or Outrun a llama? 4. Know every song lyric or Know every movie line? 5. Autocorrect always wrong or Phone at 1% forever? 6. Live in a treehouse or Live on a houseboat? 7. Have a pet dragon or Have a pet dinosaur? 8. Walk backwards everywhere or Talk in rhymes? 9. Socks on hands or Mittens on feet? 10. Wear a cape daily or Wear a crown daily? 11. Your laugh is a honk or Your sneeze is a scream? 12. Unlimited snacks or Unlimited naps? ## This or that for teen girls Teen girl sleepovers and small groups like pairs about style, routines and hangouts. Every pair below works for any teen, so nobody has to sit out. 1. Lip gloss or Chapstick? 2. Hoop earrings or Stud earrings? 3. Claw clip or Scrunchie? 4. Face mask night or Movie marathon? 5. Journal or Scrapbook? 6. Iced latte or Smoothie bowl? 7. Rom-com or Horror movie? 8. Friendship bracelets or Matching hoodies? 9. Beach day or Shopping day? 10. Bake cookies or Paint nails? 11. Sunset photos or Sunrise photos? ## This or that birthday ideas: teenage parties For a teenage birthday, use these this or that ideas for teens as a party game or to plan the day. Let the birthday teen answer first, then the guests guess before the reveal. 1. Escape room or Laser tag? 2. Cake or Cookie cake? 3. Surprise party or Planned party? 4. Big party or Three best friends? 5. Karaoke or Bowling night? 6. Gift card or Wrapped gift? 7. Party at home or Party out? 8. Late night or All-day plan? ## How to play the this or that game for teens 1. Pick 15 to 20 pairs. Start with two funny ones so the group relaxes. 2. Mark two sides of the room with a chair or a sign. Teens walk to their pick after you read "A or B?". 3. Give the smaller side 20 seconds to convince someone to switch. Anyone who switches walks over. 4. Move on quickly. A pair that drags past a minute kills the energy. 5. For a group that will not move, run the same pairs as a poll in Google Forms, Kahoot or a group chat. ## Tips for running this or that with teens - Let a teen read the pairs. Peers get more buy-in than an adult with a clipboard. - Keep a fast pace. High school this or that rounds can run long, and teens disengage when an adult explains the rules for more than 30 seconds. - Avoid pairs that make someone pick between two friends or two groups in the room. - Answer one pair yourself with a real reason. Teens test whether the adult plays along. - Rotate the list every week if you run a weekly group. Repeat pairs get eye rolls. - Save the closest splits for last. The this or that questions teens argue about longest, such as Gap year or Straight to college, make a strong finish. - Use the picker at /this-or-that-generator to draw random pairs when you run out of prepared ones. ## Frequently asked questions ### What are this or that questions for teens? This or that questions for teens are two-choice prompts about school, food, music, friends and the future, such as "Group chat or FaceTime?" or "Dorm or Apartment?". Teens pick one side and defend it. Youth leaders, advisory teachers and parents use them because teens answer a quick choice more readily than an open question like "How was your day?". ### What are good this or that questions for teenagers? This or that for teenagers works best with pairs about things teens choose for themselves. Good this or that questions for teenagers ask about things teens choose for themselves: Group chat or FaceTime, Thrift store or Mall, Homecoming or Prom, and Dorm or Apartment. Avoid pairs about bodies or crushes. Mix in a few funny pairs so the group laughs early. ### What are fun this or that questions for middle schoolers? Fun this or that for middle schoolers leans silly: Talking cat or Flying dog, Hot Cheetos or Takis, Minecraft or Roblox, and Lose your phone or Lose your shoes. Middle schoolers relax when pairs make them laugh, so open with the silliest ones. ### How are this or that questions high school students answer different from middle school ones? This or that for high schoolers and this or that questions for high schoolers lean toward plans and independence. Pairs like Get your license or Get a job, and Gap year or Straight to college, give older teens room to explain a real opinion. Ask a follow-up why on the closest splits. ### Can teachers use this or that for middle school advisory? Yes. This or that for middle school advisory works as a 5-minute opener. Read 5 pairs, have students stand on one side of the room or the other, and ask one student per side for a reason. Use the same pair for an exit-ticket sentence. ### What are funny this or that questions for teens? Funny this or that questions for teens include Only whisper or Only yell, Fight a goose or Outrun a llama, and Sneeze glitter or Burp bubbles. Teens laugh hardest at pairs where both options are ridiculous, so the debate is about which is less bad. ### What are this or that questions for college students? This or that for college students covers dorm life and schedules: Dorm or Apartment, 8 a.m. class or Night class, Library or Coffee shop, and Dining hall or Cook for yourself. Resident assistants use them at floor meetings to help new students find common ground. ### How do I play this or that teens will not roll their eyes at in a youth group? Use a this or that teen edition that mixes 5 funny pairs, 5 everyday pairs and 5 pairs about the future. Run them as a stand-on-a-side game, and let a teen leader read them. Fifteen pairs fill about 10 minutes. ### Which this or that questions middle schoolers like best? Middle schoolers like pairs with a gross or silly side, such as Smell like pizza forever or Smell like feet forever, and food pairs like Pizza Friday or Taco Tuesday. Open with one of those, then move to school pairs like Lockers or Backpacks all day. ### Where can I find this or that questions for middle school students printed out? Use your browser's Print or Save as PDF option on this page for a clean printed list. This site does not host a downloadable file. For a classroom handout, copy the middle school pairs into Google Docs and add a line for students to circle their pick.