What is This Or That?
The This Or That icebreaker activity is a fun and interactive way to get to know your friends, family, or co-workers better. The game is simple and easy to play, making it a great icebreaker activity for any group setting. To play, start by presenting a series of two options (this or that) and ask each person in the group to pick which one they prefer. For example, you could ask: "Do you prefer pizza or pasta?" or "Do you prefer the beach or the mountains?"
The main goal of the This Or That icebreaker activity is to encourage conversation and to help people feel more comfortable with each other. You can use the activity to learn more about your group's preferences, interests, and personalities. It's a great way to break the ice and get people talking, especially if you're in a group with people you don't know very well.
This Or That can be played in a variety of different settings, from birthday parties to team building events. It works well in both small and large groups, and is generally appropriate for people of all ages. However, be mindful of who you're playing with and make sure that the questions are appropriate for the group.
To make the This Or That game more fun, try to come up with interesting and creative questions. You can also encourage people to explain their choices and share stories related to their preferences. Make sure to keep the atmosphere light and relaxed, and remember that the goal is to have fun and get to know each other better.
Materials needed for This Or That
This Or That requires no materials or tools to play. Just bring yourself and a few others and you'll have a great time!
How to play This Or That
- Gather participants: Get a group of people together and let them know that you're going to play the This Or That icebreaker activity.
- Explain the rules: Tell everyone that they will be presented with two options and they have to choose between the two. They can only choose one option, they cannot say 'both' or 'neither'.
- Present the choices: Start presenting pairs of options, one at a time. For example, you could ask 'Coffee or tea?' or 'Pizza or burgers?'. Give participants a few seconds to think and make their choice.
- Have participants choose and explain: After presenting each choice, ask participants to quickly raise their hand or stand up depending on their choice. Then, give a few participants the opportunity to briefly explain their choice.
- Continue with more choices: Keep presenting new choices and repeating steps 3 and 4. Aim for a good mix of fun, light-hearted options, and also some thought-provoking ones to spark interesting conversations.
- Wrap up the activity: When you feel like the icebreaker has served its purpose or the group is ready to move on, thank everyone for participating and wrap up the activity.
Benefits of This Or That
Team building activities are far more than just fun and games. They pack a punch when it comes to the range of benefits they can deliver.
Some of the benefits of This Or That include:
- Breaks the ice: This Or That is a fun icebreaker activity that helps people get comfortable around each other quickly and start interacting in a relaxed way.
- Promotes creativity: This Or That requires participants to come up with creative answers and introduce new perspectives, which helps build problem-solving skills and creativity.
- Encourages teamwork: This Or That is a group activity that encourages participants to work together and collaborate to find common ground and solve problems collectively.
- Makes learning fun: This Or That can be used as an educational tool to help students learn new concepts in an engaging and fun way.
- Boosts communication skills: This Or That requires participants to articulate their thoughts clearly and listen actively to others, which helps build communication skills and public speaking confidence.
- Creates a positive atmosphere: This Or That promotes laughter and fun, which creates a positive and engaging atmosphere that helps people feel happy and relaxed.
Why we like This Or That
We like This Or That because it's a simple and engaging way to learn about each other's preferences and spark interesting conversations. It's also easy to adapt to various group sizes and settings.
Reflection questions for This Or That
Reflection questions are a great way to help your team process their experience after playing This Or That.
- Which choice was the most difficult for you and why? Asking participants to reflect on the most challenging decision they made during the game helps them recognize their preferences and priorities. It can also be an opportunity to acknowledge values or interests that they may not have been aware of before.
- Did any of your choices surprise you? This question encourages participants to examine their own assumptions and biases. They may discover unexpected preferences or realize that some of their choices were influenced by social pressure or external expectations.
- Were there any patterns or themes in your choices? Analyzing their answers as a group can reveal shared interests or values, or even cultural or generational differences. Participants can learn from each other's perspectives and broaden their understanding of different viewpoints.
- If you had to choose one category for all your answers, which one would it be and why? This question asks participants to reflect on the underlying reasons for their choices. They may discover their personality traits or the factors that motivate them in different aspects of their lives.
- How did the game make you feel overall? The emotional response to the activity can provide valuable insights into participants' attitudes and mindset. It can also encourage them to reflect on how different experiences and activities affect their mood and well-being.
Which skills does This Or That build?
- Decision-making - Having good decision-making skills during icebreakers and team building activities helps to foster effective communication and collaboration, resulting in a more cohesive and successful team.
- Communication - Communication skills are essential for icebreakers and team building because they facilitate effective and open dialogue, allowing team members to connect and understand each other better, which leads to improved collaboration and problem-solving.
- Self-expression - Self-expression skills are great for icebreakers and team building because they help individuals feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas, fostering open communication and creativity within the group.
- Opinion sharing - Opinion sharing skills are super useful in icebreakers and team building because they encourage open communication and create a welcoming environment where everyone's ideas are valued.