This or That Questions for Teens, Middle Schoolers and College Students

Quick picks teens answer more readily than "How was your day?", with lists for middle school, high school and college.

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Group chatorFaceTime
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Jump to a section (10)
  1. This or that for teens: everyday picks
  2. Middle school this or that questions
  3. This or that questions for high school students
  4. This or that questions for college students
  5. Funny this or that questions for teens
  6. This or that for teen girls
  7. This or that birthday ideas: teenage parties
  8. How to play the this or that game for teens
  9. Tips for running this or that with teens
  10. Frequently asked questions

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 chatorFaceTime?
  2. SneakersorSlides?
  3. PlaylistorRadio?
  4. Bucket hatorBeanie?
  5. Night driveorMorning walk?
  6. Bubble teaorIced coffee?
  7. Thrift storeorMall?
  8. ConcertorMusic festival?
  9. Drive-in movieorRooftop movie?
  10. Hoodie weatherorShorts weather?
  11. SleepoverorDay trip?
  12. Text back fastorLeave on read?
  13. VinylorStreaming?
  14. PolaroidorPhone camera?
  15. Chick-fil-AorChipotle?
  16. GamingorScrolling?
  17. Roller rinkorTrampoline park?
  18. BonfireorPool party?
  19. Mystery novelorFantasy series?
  20. Hoodie uporHat on?
  21. Road trip playlistorRoad trip podcast?
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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. LockersorBackpacks all day?
  2. Science fairorBook fair?
  3. School danceorMovie night?
  4. Talking catorFlying dog?
  5. SlimeorFidget spinner?
  6. MinecraftorRoblox?
  7. Pizza FridayorTaco Tuesday?
  8. Hot CheetosorTakis?
  9. Zombie apocalypseorAlien invasion?
  10. Invisible for a dayorFly for a day?
  11. Field dayorPajama day?
  12. BandorChoir?
  13. Smell like pizza foreverorSmell like feet forever?
  14. Lose your phoneorLose your shoes?
  15. Bus seat in backorBus seat in front?
  16. Too hot classroomorToo cold classroom?
  17. Tater totsorCurly fries?
  18. DodgeballorCapture 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 recessorMiddle school lunch?
  2. One teacherorSeven teachers?
  3. Locker on toporLocker on bottom?
  4. Ride the busorGet dropped off?
  5. Join a cluborJoin a team?
  6. Old school friendsorBrand 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. HomecomingorProm?
  2. Football gameorTheater show?
  3. Get your licenseorGet a job?
  4. Senior triporSenior prank?
  5. AP classorElective?
  6. Study hallorEarly release?
  7. Off-campus lunchorCafeteria lunch?
  8. Part-time joborSummer internship?
  9. Pep rallyorSpirit week?
  10. YearbookorSchool newspaper?
  11. First periodorLast period?
  12. Study with friendsorStudy alone?
  13. FlashcardsorPractice tests?
  14. Gap yearorStraight to college?
  15. Stay in your hometownorMove far away?
  16. Used car noworNew car later?
  17. Prom with a dateorProm with friends?
  18. Summer schoolorSummer 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. DormorApartment?
  2. 8 a.m. classorNight class?
  3. Dining hallorCook for yourself?
  4. Big lectureorSmall seminar?
  5. LibraryorCoffee shop?
  6. RoommateorSingle room?
  7. RamenorMac and cheese?
  8. Study abroadorSummer internship abroad?
  9. Pull an all-nighterorWake up at 5?
  10. Campus joborOff-campus job?
  11. Greek lifeorClub sports?
  12. Bike across campusorWalk across campus?
  13. Laptop notesorPaper notes?
  14. Go home for weekendsorStay on campus?
  15. Pizza deliveryorLate-night diner?
  16. MidtermsorFinals?

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 whisperorOnly yell?
  2. Sneeze glitterorBurp bubbles?
  3. Fight a gooseorOutrun a llama?
  4. Know every song lyricorKnow every movie line?
  5. Autocorrect always wrongorPhone at 1% forever?
  6. Live in a treehouseorLive on a houseboat?
  7. Have a pet dragonorHave a pet dinosaur?
  8. Walk backwards everywhereorTalk in rhymes?
  9. Socks on handsorMittens on feet?
  10. Wear a cape dailyorWear a crown daily?
  11. Your laugh is a honkorYour sneeze is a scream?
  12. Unlimited snacksorUnlimited 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 glossorChapstick?
  2. Hoop earringsorStud earrings?
  3. Claw cliporScrunchie?
  4. Face mask nightorMovie marathon?
  5. JournalorScrapbook?
  6. Iced latteorSmoothie bowl?
  7. Rom-comorHorror movie?
  8. Friendship braceletsorMatching hoodies?
  9. Beach dayorShopping day?
  10. Bake cookiesorPaint nails?
  11. Sunset photosorSunrise 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 roomorLaser tag?
  2. CakeorCookie cake?
  3. Surprise partyorPlanned party?
  4. Big partyorThree best friends?
  5. KaraokeorBowling night?
  6. Gift cardorWrapped gift?
  7. Party at homeorParty out?
  8. Late nightorAll-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?".

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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