How To Play ‘Would You Rather?’ During a Virtual Lesson

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Would You Rather? is both a classic icebreaker game and a powerful educational activity.  I find that many teachers are aware of Would You Rather?, but have not considered how it can be used academically. 

The rules are simple.  The teacher offers 2 different choices, and each student must indicate their preferred option.  Students may not answer “both” or “neither”; they must fully commit to one of the two choices. 

In a face-to-face classroom setting, students would stand in the middle of the room and listen to the teacher’s question.  They would then move to a corner of the room corresponding to their choice.  Virtual instruction does not allow us to play this way, so we must be creative.

Sure, students could respond on the chat feature or in a poll, but I am proposing an option that is far more engaging.  This game has the potential to actively engage your entire class. Here are 4 simple steps to play in your virtual class.

It is literally that easy to engage your entire class in a fun game of virtual Would You Rather?  A quick Google search will uncover hundreds of great questions to use with your students.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Would You Rather Questions to Ask Your Audience

Silly Questions

Would you rather:

  • share a bed with a skunk or a porcupine?
  • eat every meal with your hands or with chopsticks?
  • listen only to bagpipe music for the rest of your life or eat only fruit for the rest of your life?
  • have purple hair or purple teeth?
  • swim in a pool of orange juice or a pool of milk chocolate?

Getting to Know You Questions

Would you rather:

  • learn a new skill by reading about it or by watching a video about it?
  • take a written test or complete a group project?
  • be the smartest person in school or the most popular person in school?
  • attend school in person or learn virtually?
  • eat school cafeteria food for the rest of your life or work at a school for the rest of your life?

English Questions

Would you rather:

    • read fiction or non-fiction?
    • be a comma or an exclamation mark?
    • write a famous novel or write a popular screenplay?
    • speak only in metaphors or speak only in rhymes?
    • be a character in Harry Potter or a character in Treasure Island?

Math Questions

Would you rather:

    • solve 5 addition problems or 5 subtraction problems?
    • count by 2s or count by 10s?
    • have 100 pennies or 4 quarters?
    • measure with a ruler or a measuring tape?
    • work with shapes or numbers?

Get 150 High-Interest Would You Rather Questions Here!

Final Thought

Whether you teach in a traditional classroom, virtual setting, or hybrid environment, Would You Rather questions are a simple yet powerful way to increase engagement, spark discussion, and build classroom community. These quick activities encourage every learner to participate, think critically, communicate ideas, and have fun while learning. Best of all, they can be adapted for virtually any age group, content area, or instructional format. Sometimes the smallest moments of interaction create the biggest opportunities for connection, participation, and active learning.