This or That Icebreaker Questions to Get to Know Someone

Get to know you this or that questions

These get to know you this or that questions cover daily habits. They tell you how someone spends a normal day.

1. Alarm on the first ringorSnooze three times?
2. Make the bedorLeave it messy?
3. Cook at homeorTry a new restaurant?
4. PlantsorPets?
5. Shopping listorWander the aisles?
6. Sunday resetorSunday on the couch?
7. Big breakfastorCoffee only?
8. Headphones inorChat with strangers?
9. One big vacationorSeveral weekend trips?
10. Rewatch a favorite showorStart a new one?
11. Write it downorRemember it?
12. WalkorDrive?

This or that questions to get to know someone new

Use these this or that questions to get to know someone one on one: a new friend, a roommate or a first date. Each pair hints at a bigger story.

13. Grew up in a small townorGrew up in a city?
14. Oldest sibling energyorYoungest sibling energy?
15. Hometown favoriteorNew place you discovered?
16. Call your family weeklyorText your family daily?
17. Dinner with five peopleorDinner with fifty?
18. Keep souvenirsorKeep only photos?
19. Learn from a videoorLearn from a class?
20. Give adviceorGet advice?
21. Remember birthdaysorRemember faces?
22. Pack lightorPack for every possibility?
23. Same haircut for yearsorNew look every season?
24. Talk on a walkorTalk over coffee?

Icebreaker this or that questions for work meetings

These ice breaker this or that questions fit a team meeting, a new-hire lunch or a virtual call. They stay away from personal life and salary.

25. Early meetingsorLate meetings?
26. Inbox zeroor10,000 unread?
27. Standing deskorComfy chair?
28. Video onorVideo off?
29. CallorEmail?
30. Detailed agendaorOpen conversation?
31. Morning focus timeorAfternoon focus time?
32. Present to the grouporWrite the report?
33. Team lunchorLunch at your desk?
34. Sticky notesorTo-do app?
35. Big launchorSteady improvements?
36. Shared calendarorAsk before booking?

This or that ice breaker questions for students

Teachers use these on the first day of school or after a break. Students answer by moving to one side of the room.

37. Sit in the frontorSit by the window?
38. Homework right after schoolorHomework after dinner?
39. Spelling beeorScience fair?
40. Library dayorGym day?
41. Draw itorWrite it?
42. Chapter booksorGraphic novels?
43. Bus rideorCar ride?
44. Class pet turtleorClass pet bunny?
45. Indoor recessorOutdoor recess?
46. Lunch from homeorSchool lunch?
47. Math puzzleorWord puzzle?
48. Team captainorTeam cheerleader?

This or that conversation starters with follow-ups

These this or that conversation starters lead into a story. After the answer, ask the follow-up in the tips below.

49. Best trip so farorDream trip not taken?
50. First concertorMost recent concert?
51. Childhood hobbyorHobby you picked up as an adult?
52. Best meal you cookedorBest meal you ordered?
53. Hidden talentorTalent you wish you had?
54. Favorite book from schoolorBook you read last month?
55. Old friend you still seeorNew friend from this year?
56. Skill from a parentorSkill you taught yourself?

• Ask "Tell me about it" after a trip or concert answer.
• Ask "How did you get into it?" after a hobby or skill answer.
• Ask "Would you do it again?" after any first-time story.
• Share your own answer too. People open up faster when you go first.

Quick-fire ice breaker this or that pairs

Read these fast, one every five seconds, to wake up a room after lunch or a long talk.

57. BrunchorMidnight snack?
58. Hiking trailorBike path?
59. Farmers marketorFlea market?
60. Hot sauce collectororMild salsa fan?
61. Windows downorAC on?
62. Early to the airportorJust in time?
63. Paper plannerorPhone calendar?
64. Sunrise walkorLate-night drive?
65. Photo dumporOne perfect photo?
66. Hot chocolateorChai?
67. Camping triporSpa day?
68. Karaoke nightorGame night?
69. Flower shoporBookshop?
70. Street foodorSit-down dinner?
71. Bake from scratchorBox mix?
72. Jigsaw puzzleorCard game?

How to run a this or that icebreaker game

Pick one of these five formats for this or that ice breakers. Each one fits a different group size and room.

1. Two sides of the room: name a wall for each option. People walk to their pick and talk to one person on their side. Works for 10 to 60 people.
2. Hands up: say the pair, then ask for hands for the first option and the second option. Works in a lecture hall or a seated meeting.
3. Video call: share the pair on screen. People type 1 or 2 in the chat at the same time.
4. Partner swap: pairs of people answer five questions together, then switch partners. Works for networking and the first day of class.
5. Find your match: everyone answers 10 pairs on paper, then finds the person with the most matching answers.

Tips for this or that icebreakers

• Start with food and weekend pairs. Nobody feels exposed answering "Alarm on the first ring or Snooze three times?"
• Keep this or that questions icebreaker rounds under 10 minutes. Icebreakers that run long eat into the meeting.
• Skip questions about money, religion, family plans and health with people you just met.
• Let anyone answer "pass" once per round. Quiet people join in more when they know they can.
• Use the random picker at /this-or-that-generator if you need pairs on the spot.
• Note who matched whom. In a new team, "You both snooze three times" gives people a reason to talk later.