46 Must-Ask ‘Would You Rather Questions’ to Reveal Your Child’s Mindstate

Often, when we imagine the benefits of ‘would you rather’ questions for kids, the first benefit we think about is building critical thinking skills.

And that’s great!

But, did you know a simple “Would You Rather” question can tell you exactly how your child feels (emotionally and mentally)? 

I recently learned that my 6-year-old daughter didn’t think she was smart enough just because she was behind with reading skills. And how did I learn that? I casually asked, “Would you rather have all the books in the world or all the art supplies”? 

Because of that question, I was able to help her draw examples from her own experience that proved that knowledge of a specific language doesn’t define smartness. And the end result was a boost in confidence and self-esteem.

Every family and classroom should incorporate “Would You Rather” questions, that not only build critical thinking skills, but also lead to a deeper understanding of where a child is at emotionally and psychologically. 

These questions serve as a non-invasive, engaging tool to learn the kids’ views on complex topics such as self-perception, empathy, ethics, and personal preferences.

Here’s my gold-star list.

Would You Rather Questions for Emotional Insight

Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?

• Helps assess a child’s desire for freedom versus privacy, indicating deeper emotional needs or concerns.
• Follow up with questions about why they made their choice to encourage deeper reflection and discussion.

Would you rather have a picnic in the forest or a movie night at home?

• Helps understand a child’s comfort with outdoor versus indoor activities, which can indicate preferences for solitude or sociability.
• Ideal for a casual conversation that can lead to planning family activities based on their comfort and interests.

Would you rather never be grounded or never have to do homework?

• Reveals their perceptions of discipline and education, providing insight into their views on authority and learning.

Would you rather be able to change the past or see into the future?

• Prompts reflection on their feelings about past events and aspirations for the future.

Would you rather have a very short, very happy life or a very long, moderately happy life?

• Encourages them to weigh happiness against longevity, providing insights into their emotional priorities.

Would you rather spend the day at an amusement park or a library?

• Assesses preferences for high-energy versus calm environments, offering insights into their comfort zones.
• Ideal for understanding their stress thresholds and leisure preferences, helping in planning family outings.

Would you rather never get angry or never be sad?

• Promotes discussion on handling emotions and which emotions they find more challenging or impactful.
• Use to teach coping strategies for different feelings.

Would You Rather Questions for Social Development

Would you rather be a leader in a small group or a follower in a big one?

• Assesses a child’s social preferences and leadership inclinations, which are crucial for their development in group settings.
• Ideal for discussions after school or during group activities to observe social interactions.
• Observe the child in different social settings to see how their real-life behavior aligns with their answers.

Would you rather host a party or attend one?

• Gauges a child’s social confidence and their preference for being in control or participating.
• Useful in planning social activities and understanding their social comfort levels.

Would you rather make a new friend every day or keep one best friend forever?

• Assesses their understanding of friendship depth versus breadth.
• Use to learn if they have healthy friendships.

Would you rather only be able to whisper or only be able to shout?

• Explores social communication preferences and how they view their interactions with others.
• Useful in discussions about communication skills and their impact on relationships.

Would you rather always play alone or always play in large groups?

• Helps identify their comfort level with solitude versus group dynamics.
• Use in planning leisure activities or social skills workshops to align with their preferences.

Would you rather always say everything on your mind or never speak again?

• Explores their values on honesty versus discretion in social contexts.
• Great for lessons on communication skills and the effects of words in social interactions.

Would you rather be famous for your singing or for your dancing?

• Helps understand their social expression preferences and self-esteem in performance arts.
• Useful in arts education to encourage development in the arts and public presentation skills.

Would You Rather Questions for Ethical Reasoning

Would you rather save one family member or five strangers?

• Helps gauge a child’s understanding of morality and empathy.

Would you rather always know when someone is lying or always get away with lying?

• Challenges them to think about honesty and its importance in relationships.
• Can be a conversation starter about ethics in daily life and the importance of truth.

Would you rather help a friend in need or win a large amount of money?

• Explores values related to altruism versus self-interest.
• Use in discussions about moral dilemmas and priorities.

Would you rather stop a war or end world hunger?

• Engages them in global issues, prompting them to think about large-scale ethical dilemmas.
• Facilitate discussions on global awareness and personal impact to improve understanding of ethics.

Would you rather always lose or never play?

• Challenges concepts of fairness, participation, and competitiveness.
• Great for sportsmanship and team activities discussions to teach values of involvement over winning.

Would you rather have more time or more money?

• Encourages them to consider the value of time versus material wealth, introducing basic concepts of personal priorities.

Would you rather always tell the truth or always lie?

• Challenges them to think about the consequences of honesty and dishonesty.

Would You Rather Questions for Educational Engagement

Would you rather read a book or invent a story?

• Assesses a child’s preference for learning through absorption or creativity.
• Use follow-up activities to develop their choice when you engage in regular activities.

Would you rather explore space or the bottom of the ocean?

• Stimulates interest in science and exploration.

Would you rather write a book or create a movie?

• Encourages thinking about storytelling mediums and creative expression.

Would you rather be a famous inventor or a famous artist?

• Helps explore preferences for scientific versus creative achievements.

Would you rather discover a hidden treasure or uncover a hidden civilization?

• Stimulates curiosity in history or archaeology versus wealth.

Would you rather go on a field trip to a museum or a zoo?

• Aids in understanding their learning preferences—visual and static versus interactive and dynamic.
• Plan outings based on preferences to maximize learning engagement and enjoyment.

Would you rather be good at math or excellent in art?

• Discusses their academic strengths and interests so you can advocate for them at school.

Would You Rather Questions for Problem-Solving

Would you rather solve a difficult puzzle or find a way through an unfamiliar city?

• Helps assess a child’s approach to problem-solving and preference for mental or physical challenges.
• Can be asked during a game night or while planning a family activity that involves navigation or puzzles.
• Link their choices to real-life problem-solving situations to help them apply thinking skills beyond hypotheticals.

Would you rather navigate a maze or solve a complex riddle?

• Helps understand their preference for physical versus mental challenges.
• Can be used in team-building activities or individual challenges to foster problem-solving skills.

Would you rather fix a broken toy using a kit or figure it out on your own?

• Reveals their approach to problem-solving and their inclination towards instruction-based or creative solutions.
• Discuss during playtime or during DIY projects.

Would you rather build a house from scratch or repair a broken car?

• Assesses inclination towards construction or mechanical problem-solving.

Would you rather plan a large event or solve a town’s traffic problem?

• Delves into preferences for organizational versus logistical challenges.

Would you rather create a new toy or fix an old one?

• Assesses innovative versus reparative problem-solving skills.

Funny Would You Rather Questions

Would you rather always talk like a robot or always walk like a penguin?

• Encourages humor and light-hearted thinking about themselves and their actions.
• Use in a playful setting to encourage laughter and reduce stress.

Would you rather have bananas for fingers or corn on the cob for teeth?

• Stimulates imaginative thinking and humor in envisioning unusual scenarios.
• Great as a warm-up exercise or during snack time to make food topics fun.

Would you rather wear clown shoes every day or a clown wig?

• Encourages laughter and helps children think about appearances and comfort in a funny way.
• Perfect for discussions on self-expression and the importance of comfort over style.

Would you rather be able to talk with fruit or talk with vegetables?

• Sparks imagination and humor in choosing between quirky communication options.
• Perfect for nutrition lessons to make learning about healthy eating habits fun and memorable.

Would you rather have a tail that wags when happy or ears that flap when excited?

• Encourages fun and laughter while imagining themselves with animal traits.
• Use in a playful, relaxed setting to encourage creativity and self-expression.

Would You Rather Questions for Kindergarteners

Would you rather be a dog or a cat?

• This question helps kindergarteners explore animal characteristics they admire and express their preferences .
• Use during a pet or animal lesson to integrate learning with fun.
• Encourage kids to act out their choices to combine learning with physical activity.

Would you rather fly with balloons every day or ride a dinosaur to school?

• Engages imagination and preferences in fantastical scenarios.
• Use in imaginative play or while discussing transportation or prehistoric lessons.

Would you rather be the size of an ant or a giant?

• Helps them think about the world from different physical perspectives.
• Incorporate into lessons about nature or storytelling to enhance creativity and perspective-taking.

Would you rather speak all languages or be able to talk to animals?

• Helps assess for altruistic vs personal values.
• Fosters imagination and curiosity about communication with different beings.

Would you rather eat only ice cream for a year or never eat ice cream again?

• Explores decision-making in fun food choices and consequences.

Would you rather swim like a fish or fly like a bird?

• Encourages them to think about different modes of movement and their preferences.

Would you rather be a wizard or a superhero?

• Stimulates imagination about fantasy roles and their powers.
• Use during storytime or creative play sessions to encourage narrative thinking and role-play.

Keep Your Would Your Rather Questions Child-Specific 

The best would-you-rather questions will be spur-of-the-moment questions you create based on your child’s personality and the activity you’re doing.

Here are some tips to help you craft effective questions:

Start with Interests

• Consider what your child is currently interested in, whether it’s animals, space, superheroes, or fairy tales. Use these interests as a foundation for your questions to ensure they are engaging and relevant. For example, if your child loves dinosaurs, you might ask, “Would you rather meet a T-Rex or a Triceratops?”

Keep it Simple

• Especially for younger children, make sure the questions are easy to understand. For example, instead of asking, “Would you rather have the power to reverse global warming or solve world hunger?” which involves complex issues, simplify it to, “Would you rather help clean the park or plant flowers?”

Balance Fun and Depth

• Mix fun questions like, “Would you rather eat pizza or ice cream every day?” with more thought-provoking ones like, “Would you rather have a week without TV or a week without books?”

Use Open-ended Scenarios

• Design questions that encourage children to explain their choices. This not only helps in understanding their reasoning but also in developing their communication skills. For instance, ask “Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? Why?”

Incorporate Lessons

• Use questions to subtly introduce educational content or moral lessons. For example, to introduce a lesson on financial responsibility, you could ask, “Would you rather save your allowance for a big toy or spend it on small treats every week?”

Encourage Creativity

• Let children come up with their own “Would You Rather” questions. This encourages creativity and lets them think about what choices they find interesting or challenging.

Adapt to Their Age

• Tailor the complexity of the questions to the age and understanding of your child. For toddlers and preschoolers: Keep questions straightforward, like “Would you rather be a cat or a dog?” For older children: You can introduce more complexity, such as “Would you rather have the ability to read minds or predict the future?”

Utilize Current Events

• If appropriate, incorporate themes from current events to make the questions timely and relevant. For example, if there’s a popular sports event, ask, “Would you rather meet a famous athlete or a famous musician?” 

Focus on Values

• Craft questions that reflect the values you want to discuss or reinforce at home, such as kindness, honesty, or perseverance. For example, “Would you rather help a friend in need or win a prize?”

Test Their Imagination

• Challenge their creativity by setting questions in fantastical or imaginary scenarios, such as “Would you rather live in space or under the sea?”

Using these examples, you can better tailor your “Would You Rather” questions to be fun, educational, and appropriate for your child’s developmental stage, while also encouraging them to think critically and creatively.

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