Getting to know people can be difficult at first. Having a way to break the ice without having to reveal too much at the beginning is great for building self-confidence, especially in teenagers.
Questions that have a specific answer are good to start with.
They can be made more revealing over time by adding the question “Why?”, but it is better to stick with just generalities if the relationship is a new one or this is a group that is new to each other.
These are also good for getting people used to questions that may eventually lead to self-discovery if they choose to start journaling.
What are This or That Questions for High School Students?
These questions are ones that ask a teenager to make a choice between two things or two situations. The answers can be simple favorites, or they may be revealing about other character traits such as a person willing to take chances or one that plays it safe.
Make asking these questions a game. You can limit it to a certain number and ask each other questions.
If a group is involved, you can pass a container with the questions around and have each person draw one to either answer or ask the group.
101 This or That Questions for High School Students
- Would you prefer visiting a haunted house or navigating a corn maze?
- Do you like going on single dates or as a group?
- Would you rather participate in a science fair or an art contest?
- Would you rather go to band camp or attend soccer camp?
- Which is better, Netflix or YouTube?
- Do you prefer amusement parks or county fairs?
- Do you like card games or video games more?
- Are you more into sports or art?
- Which do you prefer, iOS or Android?
- Would you rather have a hamburger or have a taco?
Would you rather have a hamburger or have a taco?”
- Would you rather see a comedy or an action film?
- Do you prefer the beach or hiking in the woods?
- Do you like e-books or physical books?
- Would you rather e-mail or text?
- Would you like to meet your favorite singer or favorite actor?
- Would you rather be a drummer or a guitarist?
- Do you like Segways or skateboards?
- Would you prefer playing on the field during Superbowl or performing at halftime?
- Would you rather switch clothes with a parent or only wear things your grandmother buys you?
- Would you rather be an only child or part of a large family?
- Would you rather your family own a restaurant or a retail store?
- Would you rather have your mother or your father follow you around all day?
- Would you prefer never wearing deodorant or never washing your hair?
- Do you prefer steak or lobster?
- Would you prefer to eat moldy bread or moly cheese?
- Would you like to experience an escape room or a climbing wall?
- Would you rather be the Prom King/Queen or Valedictorian?
- Would you rather have your school's highest GPA or be its best athlete?
- Attend school for four ten-hour days or five eight-hour days?
- Would you like to learn something new or teach others something you know?
Would you like to learn something new or teach others something you know?”
- Do you prefer walking to school or riding the school bus?
- Would you rather clean the school bathrooms or the cafeteria after lunchtime?
- Would you rather eat alone in the cafeteria or at your desk with the whole class?
- Do you prefer eating spicy wings or eating vanilla ice cream?
- Would you rather be a famous baker or a famous BBQ chef?
- Would you rather all your food was spicy or all of it sweet?
- Do you prefer iced tea or lemonade?
- Would you rather do all the grocery shopping or all the cooking for your family?
- Would you rather be the family dog or a wild wolf?
- Would you prefer living 100 years in the future or 100 years in the past?
- Would you rather have super strength or be able to read minds?
- Would you prefer being an Instagram influencer or a TikTok influencer?
- Would you prefer a pet unicorn or a pet dragon?
- Would you like to listen to every album created or read every book ever written?
- Would you eventually like to have ten kids or no kids?
- Would you rather ride a bike or ride a horse?
- Would you rather be a surgeon or a race car driver?
- Do you prefer rainy days or snowy days?
- Would you rather be a camp counselor or a swimming pool lifeguard?
- Would you rather never lose a game or never lose an argument?
Would you rather never lose a game or never lose an argument?”
- Would you prefer playing every instrument in the school band or playing every position on the school football team?
- Would you rather have a double date with your parents or your date's parents?
- Would you rather date someone funny or someone smart?
- Would you prefer having a pet rat or a pet snake?
- Do you prefer being with quiet people or a loud group of people?
- Would you prefer dating someone two feet taller than you or two feet shorter than you?
- Would you rather get a flat tire or run out of gas on a country road?
- Would you rather be Deadpool or Ironman?
- Would you prefer to go back to being a baby or move ahead to being 100 years old?
- Do you prefer shopping in person or shopping online?
- Would you rather go skydiving or bungee jumping?
- Would you rather lose your phone or lose your car keys?
- Would it be more fun to travel to another dimension or another time period?
- Would you prefer exploring space or diving to the deepest ocean?
- Would you rather stop using paper or stop using plastic?
- Would you rather live on a boat on the sea or on an airplane in flight?
- Do you prefer only taking baths or only taking showers?
- On your phone, would you rather break the screen or break the camera?
- Would you rather swim with sharks or swim with piranhas?
- Would you prefer to never feel a physical sensation or be super sensitive to touch?
Would you prefer to never feel a physical sensation or be super sensitive to touch?”
- Would you rather be a ghost or be a zombie?
- Would you rather be able to hear colors or taste sounds?
- Would you prefer walking barefoot on ice or hot coals?
- Would you rather sound like a chicken or a donkey when you laugh?
- Would you rather text only in emoji or only with misspelled words?
- Would you rather find a fake fingernail or a hair in your food?
- Would you rather eat a spider or eat a bee?
- Would you rather have to spend all day on the toilet or all day in the shower?
- Would you rather accidentally send your grandmother or your teacher an offensive GIF?
- Would you rather have no fingernails or have no eyebrows?
- Would you rather be extra sensitive to touch or to sound?
- Would you rather crawl everywhere or have to run everywhere?
- Would you rather be scared by pillows or be scared by blankets?
- Would you rather stay home from school whenever you want or never have to clean your room again?
- Would you rather watch a movie with no sound or listen to a movie with no picture?
- Would you rather give up pizza forever or give up ice cream forever?
- Would you rather get banned from TikTok or get banned from Instagram?
- Would you rather get caught starting a rumor or have a rumor started about you?
- Would you rather be the teacher's pet or the class clown who is always in trouble?
- Would you rather wake up early each day and have two hours to wait or wake up at the last minute and have to rush?
Would you rather wake up early each day and have two hours to wait or wake up at the last minute and have to rush?”
- Would you rather be grounded at home for a month or not be able to go home for a month?
- Would you prefer taking an extra math class or an extra English class?
- Would you prefer having one great friend or a dozen so-so acquaintances?
- Would you rather join drama club or science club?
- Would you rather work full-time immediately after graduation or attend college first?
- Do you like early classes better or later classes?
- Would you prefer to go on a date to the movie theater or to a concert?
- Would you rather trade places with a family pet or one of your parents?
- Would you rather have a family like the Brady Bunch or one like the Addams Family?
- Would you rather have too many family traditions or no family traditions at all?
- Would you rather be a teenager forever or skip the teenage years completely?
Final Thoughts on This or That Questions for High School Students
Questions that give you two choices are fun for all ages in an ice-breaker situation. Kids love talking about themselves. So if you found these well-received amongst your brood, here are some more questions to ask teenagers and young adults.
And you don’t have to stop there! This or that questions aren't only appropriate for kids. Adults can use them in any number of situations… such as company meetings, parties, or even in a new relationship.
Finally, for that crowd that loves getting into deep discussions, try these existential questions for adults.
And if you want more interesting questions to ask, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 51 Funny Memes About School Life
- 151 Funny This or That Questions to Ask
- 103 This or That Questions to Ask a Girl to Know Her Better
- 63 Fun Ice Breaker Questions & Conversation Starters for Teens
