This or That

Purpose

This or That is a rapid-fire icebreaker that gets people moving and reveals preferences at a glance. By physically choosing a side, participants make visible commitments that spark conversation and laughter. It works brilliantly as a five-minute energiser before diving into content.

At a glance

• Group size: 6–100
• Duration: 5 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilitation style: Facilitator-led, whole group
• Setting: In-person (best) or virtual (with polls/reactions)

How to run

1. Designate two sides of the room (left and right, or two corners).
2. Call out a pair of options: "Coffee or tea?" "Mountains or beach?" "Early bird or night owl?"
3. Participants move to the side that represents their choice.
4. Acknowledge the split, add a quick comment, and move to the next pair.
5. Run 5–8 rounds, increasing the difficulty or relevance to the workshop topic.

Materials needed

• None (optional: signs for each side)

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Options too similar: Make choices genuinely different.
• Too many rounds: Energy peaks around round 5–6 and drops after that.
• No movement space: The room needs to allow people to walk between sides.
• Forcing a binary on sensitive topics: Avoid pairs that feel labelling.

Inclusion & accessibility

• For participants with limited mobility, allow hand-raising or holding up coloured cards instead of moving.
• In virtual settings, use polls or emoji reactions.
• Choose options that are culturally inclusive.
• Avoid food/drink options that may exclude dietary restrictions.

Variations

• Four corners: Offer four options instead of two for richer choices.
• Spectrum line: Participants stand on a spectrum between two extremes.
• Silent This or That: Point instead of moving — lower energy but works in tight spaces.

When NOT to use this

• In very small groups (under 5) — the physical movement feels awkward.
• When the room layout does not allow free movement.
• If the group has mobility constraints and alternative formats are not prepared.

Source & further reading

• A common party and classroom game adapted for facilitation.
• Frequently used in youth work, team building, and conference warm-ups.