That for kids

225 Fun This or That Questions for Kids [New for 2022]

There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

“Grape or Fruit punch? Chocolate or vanilla? Pizza or McDonalds?” These were some of my favorite “this or that” questions to answer as a kid. And I still love any question about food!

Today, if someone asked me “Star Trek or Star Wars”…  it would be a tough answer, but I usually have to pick Star Wars. At some point, we all have to choose between two things and questions like these can help kids learn more about themselves and their friends.

When I taught ESL, this was one of my favorite activities I would use to wrap up a lesson. I never had a problem getting kids to answer them and even allowed them to make up ones to ask me.

What You Will Learn

• What are This and That Questions?
• 225 Fun This or That Questions for Kids
• Final Thoughts on This or That Questions for Kids

What are This and That Questions?

This and that questions are different from open-ended questions, since they specifically ask about two different things. They can be used to break the ice or to get kids (or adults) engaged in conversation. Because they are specific, kids will have an easier time answering them than they would with open-ended questions.

This and that questions are also a great way to learn more about someone. When you ask someone this or that questions, you can learn about their hobbies, their favorite things, and more. The better you know someone, the more productive and engaging your conversations with them will be.

Pro tip: When presenting these questions to a younger child, you can use images in place of words on a chart for little ones still building vocabulary (i. e., This “Picture of beach” or That “Picture of pool”?).

225 Fun This or That Questions for Kids

Now that we’ve covered our bases, here are 225 fun this or that questions for kids!

1. Do you like animals or insects?

2. Would you rather swim at beach or the pool?

3. Do you like the morning or nighttime more?

4. Would you rather read or watch TV?

5. Do you prefer sweet or spicy food?

6. Do you like to be indoors or outdoors?

7. Do you like to move around or stay in one place?

8. Do you like to be alone or with others?

9. Do you prefer strawberries or oranges?

10. Do you prefer hot chocolate or ice tea?

11. Do you like comics or cartoons?

12. Do you like movies or TV shows?

13. Do you like to play video games or sports?

14. Do you like to listen to music or read?

15. Do you like salty or sweet snacks?

16. Do you like running or jumping?

17. Do you like dancing or singing?

18. Would you rather to eat all day or sleep all day?

19. Do you like small parties or big parties?

20. Do you like the city or the park?

21. Do you prefer June or December?

22. Do you like fall or spring?

23. Do you like cloudy days or sunny days?

24. Do you like reading books or listening to audiobooks?

25. Do you like riding a bike or rollerblading?

26. Would you rather go roller skating or ice skating?

27. Do you like trying new things or doing the same thing over and over?

28. Do you like going to your grandparents' house or prefer when grandparents visit you?

29. Do you like dogs or cats?

30. Do you like to eat breakfast or dinner?

31. Do you like to drink milk or juice?

32. What insects are better – grasshoppers or lady bugs?

33. What is cooler – the caterpillar or the butterfly?

34. Do you like chicken or steak?

35. Do you like pizza or tacos?

36. Do you like to take a shower or a bath?

37. Do you like to go to the movies or stay at home and watch a movie?

38. What's better – ice cream or cake?

39. What's better – cake or frosting?

40. Do you like strawberries or blueberries?

41. Do you like buying new clothes or wearing the same clothes?

42. Do you prefer one color or rainbow colors?

43. Would you rather spend more time with family or friends?

44. Do you like funny movies or scary movies?

45. Do you like to be in a group or by yourself?

46. Do you like music or quiet?

47. Do you like talking or listening?

48. Do you like the sun or the moon?

49. Do you like being cold or hot?

50. Do you like rain or snow?

51. Would rather travel on a family trip by plane or car?

52. Do you like to go on walks or play outside?

53. Do you like to play with dolls or action figures?

54. Do you like dinosaurs or unicorns?

55. Do you prefer robots or aliens?

56. Do you think boys or girls are icky?

57. Do you like to play tag or hopscotch?

58. Do you like peanut butter or jelly?

59. Do you like Oreos or Chips Ahoy?

60. Would you rather eat milk chocolate or dark chocolate?

61. Do you like M&Ms or Skittles?

62. Do you like cake or cookies?

63. Do you like to play soccer or basketball?

64. Do you like to listen to rap or rock?

65. Do you like Justin Bieber or One Direction?

66. Do you usually eat your breakfast at home or on the go?

67. Would you rather eat breakfast for dinner or dinner food for breakfast?

68. Do you like milkshakes or soda?

69. Do you like going to the playground or the library?

70. Do you like drinking from a straw or a cup?

71. Do you like using chopsticks or a fork?

72. Do you prefer a car or a bike?

73. Do you like to watch a show or play a game?

74. Do you like to draw or paint?

75. Do you like to wear a costume or have a pillow fight?

76. Do you like to build a sandcastle or go crabbing?

77. Do you like playing in the sprinkler or going to the waterpark?

78. Do you like to have a picnic or go camping?

79. Do you like to read a book or listen to a story?

80. Do you like to play tag or hide-and-seek?

81. Do you like Dodgeball or Simon Says?

82. Do you like playing with cars or dolls?

83. Do you have a brother or sister?

84. Do you like to play in the snow or at the beach?

85. Do you like to play games on a console or online?

86. Do you like fruity snacks or chocolate snacks?

87. Do you like Pandas or Lions?

88. Do you like to eat ice cream or popsicles?

89. Do you like the color pink or the color purple?

90. Do you recess or gym class?

91. Do you like to play dress up or play with make-up?

92. Do you usually have a lot of homework or not very much?

93. Do you prefer to study or do chores in the house?

94. Do you like pancakes or waffles?

95. Do you like to go on field trips or stay in school?

96. Do you think school is easy or hard?

97. Do you like day parties or night parties?

98. Do you prefer to bed late or get up late?

99. Do you think people who stay up late are lazy or fun?

100 .Do you like to go on walks or play outside?

101. Do you like to watch funny movies or musicals?

102. Do you like to have a lot of friends over or just a few close friends?

103. What do you think it better, Star Wars or Star Trek?

104. Do you prefer going to the dentist or the doctor?

105. Do you prefer eating lots of vegetables or taking medicine?

106. Do you like walking or riding a bike?

107. Do you like to write or draw?

108. Do you prefer Friday or Saturday ?

109. What is better, a hotdog or a hamburger?

110. Who is stronger, the Hulk or Superman?

111. Do you prefer playing video games or board games?

112. Is it better to have lots of money or lots of friends?

113. Do you think people should be famous or not famous?

114. What is better a movie or a book?

115. Do you like a chair or a couch?

116. Do you think animals should be in cages or free?

117. Do you like the zoo or the aquarium?

118. Do you believe in ghosts or not believe in ghosts?

119. What are cuter, puppies or kittens?

120. Do you think people are good or bad?

121. Is it better to have a lot of school or no school?

122. Do you like Christmas or Halloween?

123. What is better, to be able to fly or to be invisible?

124. Which do you think is better, to be able to read people's minds or to have a magic wand?

125. Do you think it is better to have a superpower or to be very smart?

126. What is better, being able to turn into any animal or being able to speak any language?

127. Do you think it would be fun having a genie for a friend or a dragon for a pet?

128. Do you think it would be better to have wings or a tail?

129. What are more fun, swimming in the pool or swimming in the ocean?

130. Is it better to have a lot of free time or do a lot of activities?

131. Do you like school or would you rather be home with your family?

132. Do you think it is better to have a lot of energy or to be very calm?

133. What is more important, being able to run fast or being able to jump high?

134. What do you think is better, being able to play any sport or being able to sing very well?

135. Do you think it would be better to have a superpower or the ability to be really lucky?

136. Do you like going on adventures or staying at home?

137. What is more important, intelligence or creativity?

138. Is it better to be able to see far away or to be able to see in the dark?

139. Do you think it would be better to have a time machine or a teleportation device?

140. Is it better to know a lot about one thing or a little bit about many things?

141. If you had to pick one, would you become a firefighter or a pilot?

142. Would you rather eat all day or watch cartoons all day?

143. Would you rather play with your friends or with siblings/cousins?

144. Do you like short books or long books?

145. Do you like fruity desserts or chocolate desserts?

146. Would you rather go back in time or into the future?

147. Is it better to be able to run fast or to be able to climb trees?

148. Do you think it is important for everyone to have a job?

149. Is it better to have a lot of money or a lot of friends?

150. Do you like solo singers or groups?

151. Do you like to play or watch sports?

152. Do you like to watch sports on TV or at a live game?

153. Do you like popcorn or chips?

154. Do you prefer popcorn or candy at the movie theater?

155. Would you rather have juice or soda?

156. Do you think it is better to have a lot of cheap clothes or a few expensive clothes?

157. Do you like bright colors or dark colors?

158. What are better, pencils or pens?

159. Do you prefer to write or type?

160. Is it better to have a big house or a small apartment?

161. Do you like to live in the city or in the country?

162. Do you think it is better to have a cat or a dog?

163. Do you think it is better to have a lot of toys or a few really good ones?

164. Do you like Legos or card games?

165. Which animal is more fun – monkeys or dogs?

166. What animal is scarier – tigers or wolves?

167. Do you think it is better to have a sister or a brother?

168. Do you like having lots of good friends or one absolute best friend?

169. Do you think it is better to stay up late or go to bed early?

170. Do you like Disney animation or live action movies?

171. Is a vacation more fun if you go to a new place or if you stay home?

172. Do you like going on road trips or taking flights?

173. Is it more fun to visit amusement parks or go camping?

174. Do you like math or reading?

175. Do you like history or science?

176. What is more fun – recess or lunch?

177. Is it better to have gym class or art class?

178. Would you prefer to sing or play an instrument?

179. Do you like making things or doing things?

180. Would you prefer to explore the deep sea or go into space?

181. Is it better to have a really fast car or a really big house?

182. Would you rather save lots of money or spend lots of money?

183. Is it better to give gifts or receive gifts?

184. Do you think it is better to be really popular or to be really smart?

185. Do you prefer to read or write?

186. Do you like McDonalds or Burger King?

187. Do you like the sun or the moon?

188. Is it better to have a pool or a trampoline?

189. Do you prefer a laptop or iPad?

190. Who is a better villain- the Joker or Lex Luther?

191. Do you prefer a weekend on an island or in the mountains?

192. Do you think it is better to be able to speak Spanish or Chinese?

193. Would you rather have endless toys or endless candy?

194. Would you rather ride a horse or a camel?

195. Is it better to live in a tree or in the sea?

196. Do you think it is better to have superhuman strength or superintelligence?

197. Do you prefer a pond or the ocean?

198. Who is better – Superman or Batman?

199. Do you think it is better to have X-ray vision or the ability to read people's thoughts?

201. What is more fun – sledding or skiing?

200. Do you prefer a vacation in Hawaii or Alaska?

202. Do you think it is better to have a really good sense of direction or a photographic memory?

203. What is more important – world peace or the end of hunger?

204. Do you think it is better to be able to fly or to be invisible?

205. If you had a superpower choice, would you rather control water or fire?

206. Is it better to have a superpower or to be rich?

207. Would you rather go to the moon or another planet?

208. Do you think it is better to have a time machine or a teleportation device?

209. Would you rather meet Mickey Mouse or Daffy Duck?

210. Do you think it is better to know the future or be able to change the past?

211. What's a better cookie – Oreos or Chocolate chip cookies?

212. Do you think it is better to be able to swim really fast or to be able to breathe under water?

213. Would you prefer a pet turtle or pet snake?

214. Do you think it is better to have gills like a fish or webbed feet like a duck?

215. Do you think it is better to have fur or scales?

216. If you could choose, would you rather have a pet owl or a flying horse?

217. Do you think it is better to be able to breathe fire or shoot lightning from your hands?

218. What character would you rather be – Harry Potter or Ron Weasley?

219. Do you think it is better to be able to transform into any animal or into another human?

220. Who is better – Elsa from ” Frozen” or Hermione Granger?

222. Should a main book or movie character be really smart or really brave?

223. What is more fun – going to the circus or going to the zoo?

224. Would you rather read every book in the world or watch every movie ever made?

225. Would you rather explore all of planet Earth or visit every plant in the solar system?

Final Thoughts on This or That Questions for Kids

So there you have it. If you ever have to babysit, or need an icebreaker for a teaching lesson, you now have plenty of questions to choose from.

These are just a few examples, so feel free to get creative and come up with your own. You can even share them in the comments section here! The important thing to remember is to have fun with this to get the kids engaged in conversation.  

If you are looking for more ways to connect with a child, check out the Happier Human article, 9 Printable Feelings Chart Examples for Kids.

Finally, if you want to level up your parenting skills, then check out this resource that will show you how to get your kids to listen WITHOUT yelling, nagging, or losing control.

Eat This, Not That for Kids

Written by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Eat This, Not That for Kids: What It Is

Eat This, Not That for Kids is not a diet book, but a wake-up call to parents to start feeding their kids healthier foods. After the wildly popular Eat This, Not That book, aimed at helping adults make smarter food choices, authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding followed with this sequel.

One of the book's most shocking revelations is just how much fat, calories, sodium, and sugar are lurking in many favorite kids' dishes. Did you know, for example, that the average kid's meal at Outback Steakhouse has 93 grams of fat, or that the healthy-sounding turkey minis and fries kids' meal at Ruby Tuesday’s has 893 calories and 47 grams of fat?

The basic idea behind Eat This, Not That for Kids is that by making simple substitutions for their children's favorite foods, parents can improve their kids' diets. For example:

• Instead of a Cosi’s Kids pepperoni pizza (911 calories and 43 grams of fat), choose two slices of Papa John’s pepperoni pizza (440 calories) or a grilled cheese sandwich (357 calories).
• Instead of McDonald's Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips (400 calories, 23 grams fat), order their 8-piece Chicken McNuggets with Apple Dippers and caramel dip (355 calories, 15.5 g fat).
• Instead of Krispy Kreme's Powdered Cake Donut (290 calories, 14 g fat), opt for four Original Glazed donut holes (200 calories, 11 g fat).
• Instead of 16 Wheat Thins (140 calories, 6 g fat), give your kids 6 Triscuits (120 calories, 4.5 g. fat).

Eat This, Not That for Kids: How It Works

The heart of Eat This, Not That for Kids is the comparisons for foods commonly found in restaurants, at the grocery store, vending machine, and school cafeteria. Foods on the left side of the page (the "Eat This" side) are recommended over similar foods on the right side (the "Not That" side).

But don’t be misled into thinking that all foods labeled "Not That" should be avoided, or that all the foods on the "Eat This" side are the best choices. The recommendations are often based on what might be called the lesser of two evils. At first glance, this can be confusing -- especially when you see healthy foods like Horizon organic fat-free vanilla yogurt on the "Not That" side of the page.

"We tried to compare apples to apples, so not everything on the 'Eat This' side is meant to beat out everything on the 'Not That' side. So, for example, in the yogurt section, our comparisons are for like yogurts, so we chose the best and worst example of strawberry yogurts," explains co-author Goulding, a former chef and a Men’s Health health and nutrition editor.

In the section on sauces, for example, Classico roasted red pepper Alfredo sauce (120 calories and 10 g fat per 1/2 cup portion) is among the choices on the "Eat This" side; Ragu Light Parmesan Alfredo (280 calories, 20 g fat) is among those on the "Not That" side. Although one sauce is better than the other, neither of these two would likely be recommended by most nutrition professionals.

And it appears some foods were recommended over others simply because the portion size was smaller. For example, a 1-ounce bag of potato chips scores better than a 1.5 ounce bag.

These are some of the reasons why it's important not only to look at the comparisons but to read the text in each chapter.

Each chapter starts with strategies to help parents take charge of their children’s diets. For example, in the supermarket section, parents are encouraged to stick to the perimeter of the store, where less processed foods can be found. And there's a primer to help parents understand label lingo so they can select foods with more whole grains and less sugar.

Other features in this very visual book include an Eat This, Not That food guide pyramid, menu "decoders" to help you understand what's in your child's favorite dishes, and "report cards" for restaurants ranging from Applebee's to Wendy's.

There's also a list of the authors' picks for the 20 worst kid's foods, including:

• Cosi's 911-calorie kids' pepperoni pizza
• Baskin-Robbins' 990-calorie Heath shake
• Denny's Big Dipper Frenchy Funstix, with 770 calories
• Cap'n Crunch cereal, at 146 calories per cup
• Oscar Meyer's Maxed Out Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Combo Lunchables, with 680 calories

A menu detailing a week’s worth of kid-friendly weeknight meals will enlighten parents about which weeknight standbys should stay and which should go. For example, the book recommends a meal of meatloaf, roasted asparagus, baked sweet potato and Jell-O over one consisting of chicken casserole, baked potato, roasted asparagus and Italian ice. Also included are 10 kid-friendly recipes made healthier, including macaroni and cheese, pepperoni pizza, nachos, fettuccine Alfredo, and chicken strips with honey mustard.

The book also contains reference charts that detail which nutrients kids need each day, divided by age group and including calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, carbs, fiber, and protein.

Eat This, Not That for Kids: What You Can Eat

Eat This, Not That for Kids includes these eight simple rules for healthy eating:

1. Never skip breakfast.
2. Snack mindfully on healthy snacks.
3. Watch your portion sizes.
4. Drink water and milk, and fewer sweetened beverages.
5. Eat more whole, less-processed foods.
6. Eat meals together as a family.
7. Kick the sugar habit.
8. Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.

The "Eat This, Not That" food pyramid excludes tortillas, pasta, pancakes, anything with partially hydrogenated oil, and heavily sweetened cereals. Yet the rest of the book includes foods with these ingredients, which is confusing. (It's also probably not realistic to exclude so many kid favorites.) For example, Campbell’s Spaghetti-Os, a pasta dish, is on the cover as the preferred choice over Kraft macaroni and cheese.

The book alerts parents about nutrients often missing in kids' diets, such as calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin E, and fiber, and gives tips on how to fill these nutritional gaps with foods and beverages kids enjoy.

In their "report cards" on 43 restaurant chains, the authors generally gave points for healthy meals that had less than 500 calories, less than 20 grams of fat, and 500-800 milligrams of sodium. They deducted points when the choices were limited and unhealthy.

Only 11 chains scored a 'B' or higher, and 6 flunked for their kids' offerings. But even for the restaurants rated "F," the authors offer survival strategies that sometimes include foods from the adult menu.

Chick-fil-A earned the award for America’s healthiest chain restaurant for kids; Subway and Wendy's also got A's. Other winners included:

• Arby's
• Boston Market
• Denny's
• Jamba Juice
• Panera Bread
• McDonald's
• KFC
• Fazoli's

Chains that flunked include:

• Applebee’s
• IHOP
• Outback Steakhouse
• Olive Garden
• Red Lobster
• TGI Friday’s

Eat This, Not That for Kids: What the Experts Say

Elizabeth Ward, RD, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler, applauds Eat This, Not That for Kids for providing solid nutrition information, including the shocking nutritional statistics for some kids' foods.

"I wish we didn’t need a book like this," she says, noting that if you need to carry around a book to figure out which meals to choose, chances are you're eating too many fast food meals.

"It’s a snapshot of what most kids are eating, and while not exhaustive, parents can use the nutrition facts to learn more about the nutritional goodness of eating whole foods over processed and fast foods," Ward says.

Ward said she had a few concerns about the "Eat This, Not That" recommendations. For example, the book lists Yobaby peach yogurt as having 13 grams of sugar per 4-ounce portion, but this number includes 6 grams of naturally occurring lactose (milk sugar). Instead, she says, the listing should specify that there are 7 grams of added sugar.

“Lumping lactose with added sugar makes foods like Yobaby peach yogurt look like it is high in sugar, which is confusing to parents and technically incorrect," she says.

Ward also says it's inconsistent for the authors to leave so many common processed foods out of the food pyramid, "and then promote the consumption of processed foods as the lesser of two evils throughout the book. "

Ward's own advice to parents looking to feed their kids a healthier diet: Prepare more meals at home, where you control the ingredients.

"It is easy to whip up healthy meals in minutes at home, which can be much more nutritious and less expensive than many fast foods," she says.

Eat This, Not That for Kids: Food for Thought

Eat This Not That for Kids contains a wealth of solid nutrition information -- as long as you read the fine print and don’t just rely on the pictures. The small book is easy to tote around for quick reference at restaurants, vending machines, and the supermarket.

But remember, a better choice does not necessary equal a healthy choice. The only way to get the whole picture is to carefully check the fat, calories, sodium, and sugar numbers for the foods you feed your kids.

5 reasons, what does it mean and how to treat it?

Any disease brings the human body into a stressful situation. Some functions start to work harder, while others vice versa.

One of the most obvious changes in the human body during illness is a change in the number of lymphocytes in the blood. It can change both upwards and downwards. It happens very clearly in children. After all, the body has not yet fully formed, the defense systems have not begun to work in full force.

Why the number of lymphocytes in children can increase and what these changes can lead to, we will analyze in this article.

Viktoria Samoylenko

Maria Popova clinic physician

What is lymphocytosis?

Which values ​​are considered elevated in children?

Causes of lymphocytosis

Symptoms and signs of lymphocytosis

How to diagnose lymphocytosis in children?

Interpretation of results

The threat and consequences of lymphocytosis

How to normalize the level of lymphocytes

Prevention

Lymphocytes is a type of white blood cell. They circulate in the blood and are the main cells of the immune system. Different types of lymphocytes are able to produce antibodies, destroy foreign agents (primarily viruses, as well as bacteria, fungi and protozoa) and affected cells of their own body, and cause the development of allergic reactions. In childhood, the distribution and learning in the organs of the immune system of initially undifferentiated lymphocytes occurs, this is the basis for the formation of immunity .

The basic laboratory method for determining the number of lymphocytes in the blood is the clinical (general) blood test . This is the only way to detect changes in the number of lymphocytes. Most often in children during illness, one can observe lymphocytosis - an increased number of lymphocytes in the blood. If the doctor has established this fact, then it can be confidently assumed that there are either infections, or bacteria, or viruses in the child's body. In a word, an alien body. And lymphocytes try to destroy it, which means that the bone marrow begins to produce white blood cells in an enhanced mode and there are more of them.

The normal number of lymphocytes in peripheral blood in children depends on age and averages: gradually decreasing by the age of 5 years to 40% . And accordingly, any deviation from these norms in the direction of increasing the number of white cells is lymphocytosis.