Here is a fun little secret from the team at Who Smarted?: one of the best ways to get a kid talking, laughing, and thinking is to ask them a silly question with two choices and let them pick. That is the whole magic of “Would you rather.” You give a Smarty Pants two options, they choose one, and then the real fun starts when you ask them why.
This game works almost anywhere. Play it in the car on a long drive. Play it at the dinner table when everyone is quiet. Play it in the classroom as a morning warm-up. Play it at a party, at bedtime, or while you wait in a long line. It costs nothing, needs no screens, and it fits in your pocket because all you need is your brain.
Kids love it because the questions are funny and a little wild. Grown-ups love it because it quietly builds big skills. When a child picks an answer and explains it, they are practicing how to make a choice and share their reasons. That back-and-forth talk is one of the best ways to grow a child’s language and thinking, a pattern researchers at the Harvard Center on the Developing Child call “serve and return.” Every silly question you ask is a serve. Every giggly answer is a return.
We wrote every question below to be genuinely clean and kid-safe. No scary stuff, no yucky-in-a-bad-way stuff, nothing mean. Just goofy, curious, brain-tickling fun. We split them into themes so you can grab exactly the kind you want, plus two age groups at the end. Let’s play.
Funny Would You Rather Questions for Kids
Start here when you want giggles. These are the questions that make kids snort-laugh and beg for one more.
1. Would you rather hiccup bubbles or sneeze glitter?
2. Would you rather have a nose that glows when you fib or ears that wiggle when you are happy?
3. Would you rather wear shoes that squeak like rubber ducks or a hat that plays music every time you nod?
4. Would you rather talk like a robot for a day or sing everything you say?
5. Would you rather have spaghetti for hair or fingers made of soft pretzels?
6. Would you rather sneeze confetti or laugh in bird tweets?
7. Would you rather have a pet cloud that follows you or a tiny rainbow you keep in your pocket?
8. Would you rather grow a mustache made of grass or eyebrows made of feathers?
9. Would you rather always have to hop instead of walk or spin around before you sit down?
10. Would you rather have a burp that sounds like a trumpet or a laugh that sounds like a squeaky toy?
11. Would you rather wear a cape everywhere or wear bunny ears everywhere?
12. Would you rather have a tickly feather stuck to your foot or a jingle bell tied to your sleeve?
13. Would you rather speak only in silly made-up words or only in animal sounds?
14. Would you rather have a chair that giggles when you sit or a bed that hums you to sleep?
15. Would you rather wear your clothes backward all day or wear two different shoes all week?
Silly and Gross Would You Rather Questions (Still Totally Clean)
Kids adore the “ew, gross!” ones, so here is a set that is icky in a fun way but still perfectly safe and silly.
16. Would you rather have slug slime on your hands or worm wiggles in your shoes?
17. Would you rather smell like stinky cheese all day or like a wet dog all day?
18. Would you rather eat a bowl of cold mushy peas or a plate of squishy cooked spinach?
19. Would you rather step in a puddle of pudding with bare feet or sit on a squished banana?
20. Would you rather have booger-green hair or purple polka-dot skin for a week?
21. Would you rather sneeze a giant sneeze in front of your whole class or trip over your own feet on stage?
22. Would you rather have a giant slobbery dog lick your whole face or a cat sleep on your head all night?
23. Would you rather bathe in a tub of jelly or a tub of ketchup?
24. Would you rather have super stinky feet or super stinky breath?
25. Would you rather find a rubbery worm in your salad or a squishy bug on your pillow (both fake, of course)?
26. Would you rather brush your teeth with pickle juice or wash your hair with orange soda?
27. Would you rather have burps that smell like broccoli or sneezes that smell like onions?
28. Would you rather squish mud between your toes or gooey slime between your fingers?
29. Would you rather lick a lollipop that fell in the sand or drink milk that is a tiny bit warm?
30. Would you rather have a frog hop on your head or a butterfly land on your nose?
Food Would You Rather Questions
Everyone has strong food feelings, which makes these a fast way to spark a happy debate.
31. Would you rather eat pizza for every meal or ice cream for every meal for one whole week?
32. Would you rather only ever eat sweet foods or only ever eat salty foods?
33. Would you rather have a chocolate fountain in your kitchen or a popcorn machine in your room?
34. Would you rather drink a giant milkshake or eat a giant cookie the size of a plate?
35. Would you rather have pancakes with no syrup or waffles with no butter?
36. Would you rather eat a rainbow-colored sandwich or a glow-in-the-dark noodle bowl?
37. Would you rather have carrots that taste like candy or candy that tastes like carrots?
38. Would you rather bite into a sour lemon or a spicy pepper?
39. Would you rather have spaghetti with no sauce or a burger with no bun?
40. Would you rather eat only foods that are green or only foods that are orange?
41. Would you rather have a birthday cake made of broccoli or a pizza topped with jellybeans?
42. Would you rather drink orange juice with pancakes or milk with tacos?
43. Would you rather have a never-ending bowl of popcorn or a never-ending bag of grapes?
44. Would you rather eat a sandwich as big as your head or a hundred tiny sandwiches?
45. Would you rather have breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast every day?
Why these are fun: food picks feel low-risk, so even shy kids jump in fast, and it warms them up for the trickier questions later.
Animal Would You Rather Questions
Animals are a kid superpower for imagination. These get everyone dreaming.
46. Would you rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon?
47. Would you rather be able to swim like a dolphin or fly like an eagle?
48. Would you rather have a tail like a monkey or wings like a bird?
49. Would you rather talk to dogs or talk to cats?
50. Would you rather be as tall as a giraffe or as tiny as a mouse?
51. Would you rather have a pet elephant that lives in your yard or a pet penguin that lives in your freezer?
52. Would you rather hop like a kangaroo everywhere or slither like a snake everywhere?
53. Would you rather have a lion’s roar or an owl’s giant eyes?
54. Would you rather ride a giant turtle or ride a friendly whale?
55. Would you rather have a hundred pet hamsters or one giant pet bear that loves hugs?
56. Would you rather be able to run as fast as a cheetah or climb as well as a spider?
57. Would you rather have a pet that can fly or a pet that can talk?
58. Would you rather sleep upside down like a bat or stand on one leg like a flamingo?
59. Would you rather have a fluffy sheep’s coat in winter or a duck’s waterproof feathers in the rain?
60. Would you rather live with a pack of playful wolves or a troop of silly monkeys?
Superpower and Magic Would You Rather Questions
Time to dream big. These questions let kids build whole worlds in their heads.
61. Would you rather be able to fly or turn invisible?
62. Would you rather have super speed or super strength?
63. Would you rather read minds or see one day into the future?
64. Would you rather freeze time for everyone but you or teleport anywhere in a blink?
65. Would you rather breathe underwater or walk through walls?
66. Would you rather have a magic backpack that holds anything or magic shoes that take you anywhere?
67. Would you rather make it rain candy or make flowers bloom just by singing?
68. Would you rather have a wand that fixes broken things or a wand that grows any plant instantly?
69. Would you rather talk to animals or talk to trees?
70. Would you rather shrink to the size of an ant or grow as tall as a house whenever you want?
71. Would you rather glow in the dark or change your hair color with your mood?
72. Would you rather have a robot best friend or a magic carpet?
73. Would you rather control the weather or control your dreams?
74. Would you rather have a superpower nobody knows about or be a famous hero everyone cheers for?
75. Would you rather turn anything into gold or turn anything into chocolate?
Would You Rather Questions That Make You Think
These slow the game down in a good way. There are no wrong answers, only interesting ones. They are perfect for the dinner table or a classroom circle because they invite kids to share what they care about. Choosing an answer and explaining it is real practice for the thinking-and-feeling skills that experts at CASEL call social and emotional learning.
76. Would you rather be really good at making friends or really good at making people laugh?
77. Would you rather be the fastest kid in your class or the kindest kid in your class?
78. Would you rather help one person a lot or a hundred people a little?
79. Would you rather always tell the truth or always know when someone is fibbing?
80. Would you rather be a brave leader or a helpful teammate?
81. Would you rather learn something new every single day or teach someone else something new every day?
82. Would you rather be really good at one thing or pretty good at many things?
83. Would you rather have more free time or more money to give away?
84. Would you rather cheer up a friend who is sad or make a whole crowd laugh?
85. Would you rather be famous for being smart or famous for being kind?
86. Would you rather win a game by yourself or lose a game with your best friends?
87. Would you rather try something new and hard or do something easy you already love?
88. Would you rather be able to fix any argument or never have an argument at all?
89. Would you rather remember everything you read or forget only the bad days?
90. Would you rather be a great listener or a great storyteller?
Hard and Almost-Impossible Would You Rather Questions
Warning: these are the tricky ones. Both choices are so good (or so silly) that kids will really have to think. That is exactly the point.
91. Would you rather have summer all year or have your birthday twice a year?
92. Would you rather have every toy in the world for one day or one favorite toy forever?
93. Would you rather never have to sleep or never have to eat (and still feel great)?
94. Would you rather be able to talk to any animal or speak every human language?
95. Would you rather live in a giant treehouse or a cozy underwater house with big windows?
96. Would you rather always know the answer or always ask the best question?
97. Would you rather have a week with no school or a week with no bedtime?
98. Would you rather be able to visit the past or the future, but only once?
99. Would you rather have a pause button for your day or a rewind button for your day?
100. Would you rather be the best at a sport nobody watches or okay at a sport everybody loves?
101. Would you rather have a house made of candy that melts or a house made of clouds that floats?
102. Would you rather never lose a game again or never be bored again?
103. Would you rather be able to fly but only at night or turn invisible but only when nobody is looking?
104. Would you rather have all the books in the world or all the movies in the world?
105. Would you rather live where it is always snowy or always sunny?
Would You Rather Questions for Younger Kids (Ages 4 to 7)
For little Smarty Pants, the best questions use things they already know and love. Keep the choices simple, cheerful, and easy to picture.
106. Would you rather be a puppy or a kitten?
107. Would you rather have a red balloon or a blue balloon?
108. Would you rather eat ice cream or cake?
109. Would you rather jump in a pile of leaves or splash in a puddle?
110. Would you rather give a high five or a big hug?
111. Would you rather blow bubbles or draw with chalk?
112. Would you rather ride a bike or ride a scooter?
113. Would you rather be a firefighter or a farmer?
114. Would you rather play with blocks or play with play dough?
115. Would you rather have a teddy bear or a toy dinosaur?
116. Would you rather wear pajamas all day or wear a costume all day?
117. Would you rather sing a song or dance a dance?
118. Would you rather have apple slices or banana slices?
119. Would you rather pet a bunny or pet a duck?
120. Would you rather build a sandcastle or build a snowman?
Tip for little ones: point to each choice with a different hand so they can “pick a hand.” It makes the game easy and fun to grasp.
Would You Rather Questions for Older Kids (Ages 8 to 11)
Bigger kids can handle trickier trade-offs and love a good debate. These reward creative thinking and clever reasons.
121. Would you rather be the funniest person in your grade or the most helpful?
122. Would you rather invent a cool gadget or write a famous book?
123. Would you rather explore outer space or the deep ocean?
124. Would you rather be able to build anything with your hands or fix anything that is broken?
125. Would you rather have a robot that does your chores or a robot that helps you study?
126. Would you rather be a pro at video games or a pro at a real sport?
127. Would you rather start your own club or join every club at school?
128. Would you rather travel to five countries or read a thousand books?
129. Would you rather be an amazing artist or an amazing scientist?
130. Would you rather have a bedroom with a secret room or a backyard with a zip line?
131. Would you rather solve a big mystery or design a huge video game?
132. Would you rather be the captain of a team or the coach of a team?
133. Would you rather learn to code a computer or learn to play any instrument?
134. Would you rather always have the newest gadget or always have the best book to read?
135. Would you rather give a speech in front of your school or perform a song on a stage?
How to Turn “Would You Rather” Into a Game
The questions are fun on their own, but a few easy rules turn them into a real game the whole family or class can play. Here are our favorite ways.
- The “Why?” round. After anyone answers, always ask “Why?” This is the single best trick. When kids explain a choice, they practice putting their thinking into words, and you often get the funniest answers of all. Simple back-and-forth talk like this is a proven way to grow a young child’s vocabulary and reasoning, which is why groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics cheer on playful conversation.
- Guess the answer. Before someone answers, everyone else guesses what they will pick. Score a point for each correct guess. It helps kids notice what their friends and family love.
- Team debate. Split into two teams. One team argues for the first choice, the other argues for the second. Nobody is really right, so it stays silly and friendly.
- Take turns making them up. Once kids get the hang of it, let them invent their own questions. Kid-made “would you rathers” are often the wackiest and best.
- Classroom morning meeting. Teachers, put one question on the board each morning. Kids vote by raising hands or moving to a side of the room, then a few share why. It is a warm, quick way to start the day.
- Car and road-trip mode. Go around the car so everyone gets a turn. No screens needed, and the miles fly by.
Would You Rather Questions for Kids: FAQ
What are good “would you rather” questions for kids?
Good ones are clean, easy to picture, and give two choices that are both appealing or both funny, so the choice is not obvious. Mix silly questions (“hiccup bubbles or sneeze glitter?”) with think-y ones (“be the fastest kid or the kindest kid?”) to keep it interesting. Every question on this page fits the bill.
What age can kids start playing “would you rather”?
Most kids can play by age four, as long as the choices are simple and about things they know, like puppies, ice cream, or balloons. See our “Ages 4 to 7” set above. Older kids around eight to eleven enjoy trickier trade-offs and debates, which you will find in the “Ages 8 to 11” set.
How do “would you rather” questions help kids?
They build language, decision-making, creativity, and social skills. When a child weighs two options, chooses one, and explains why, they practice reasoning and self-expression in a low-pressure, playful way. It is learning that feels like pure fun.
Where can I use these questions?
Anywhere you have a minute and a curious kid: car rides, dinner tables, classrooms, waiting rooms, bedtimes, sleepovers, and birthday parties. They need no supplies and no screens.
Keep the Questions Coming with Who Smarted?
If your family loves questions that make kids laugh and think at the same time, you will feel right at home with us. Who Smarted? is a kids’ educational podcast made for curious Smarty Pants, packed with fun facts, silly humor, and “wait, is that really true?” moments that spark exactly the kind of dinner-table conversations these questions start.
Turn one episode into a hundred new “would you rather” ideas on your next drive. Listen to the Who Smarted? podcast together, then challenge each other with what you learned. Curiosity is the best game of all, and it is always more fun to play it as a family.