Weebou Editorial Team
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A little preparation
Pick one set of questions rather than reading all of them at once; five or six questions is usually enough to hold attention through a meal or a car journey. Start with a silly one to lower the stakes, then move to a set that asks about helping or inventing. Read each question twice, slowly, and give everyone time to think before anyone answers.
There is nothing to prepare beyond a comfortable place to sit, and no score to keep. Let a child change their answer halfway through, or offer a third option that was not on the list — both show they are thinking, not losing. Families celebrate in different ways, so swap any question about turkey, pie or a big gathering for one about your own meal or your own quiet day, and skip anything that would put a guest on the spot. For ideas that pair well with the questions, try these family activities at home.
Questions to explore together
Silly questions about the Thanksgiving table
This set works best first, because a silly choice is easy to answer and hard to get wrong. Laughing at a giant spoon also lowers the pressure before questions about helping or feelings arrive. Read one question at a time and let everyone picture the scene before they answer; the fun is in the imagining, not the speed.
How to do it
- Would you rather eat your dinner with a giant spoon or a tiny teaspoon?
- Would you rather sit next to a turkey that talks or a pumpkin that giggles?
- Would you rather have mountains of mashed potato or a river of gravy on your plate?
- Would you rather wear a paper hat shaped like a leaf or a crown made of cranberries?
- Would you rather drink from a cup shaped like a boot or a teacup the size of a bucket?
- Would you rather eat a hundred tiny bites or one enormous bite?
Make it your own: For a two-year-old, act the choice out with two spoons and let them point. Older children can add a third option of their own or invent a question to ask the adults at the table.
Would you rather help or host?
These questions turn a busy day into a set of real, small jobs a child can picture themselves doing. Choosing between two useful tasks gives a young child a sense of being part of the gathering rather than kept out of it. There are no wrong answers, and an adult can follow up by asking what the job would actually look like.
How to do it
- Would you rather set the table or welcome everyone at the door?
- Would you rather carry the bread basket or pour water from a small jug?
- Would you rather make place cards for every guest or draw one big welcome picture?
- Would you rather clear three plates or fold four napkins?
- Would you rather teach a guest a game or show them where to hang their coat?
- Would you rather say thank you at the table or write it on a card afterwards?
Make it your own: Younger children can simply point to the job they would choose. Older ones can sort the jobs into before the meal and after the meal, or pick the one that helps a specific guest.
Imaginary guests who come to dinner
Pretend guests let children practise the manners and kindness of hosting without any risk of getting it wrong. A dragon or a talking tree never minds being told where to sit. The questions also open the door to talking about what a guest might need: a chair, a plate, a place to put their coat.
How to do it
- Would you rather invite a very polite dragon or a talking tree?
- Would you rather find a seat for a cloud or a place mat for a giant?
- Would you rather give directions to a lost pumpkin or help a snail find the salad?
- Would you rather share your dinner with a friendly bear or a family of mice?
- Would you rather teach your guest to pass the bread or to say thank you?
- Would you rather have a guest who tells long stories or one who sings every sentence?
Make it your own: Three-year-olds can point at a picture of a dragon or a tree instead of choosing in words. Older children can describe their guest in more detail: what it eats, where it sits and how it says thank you.
Invent a brand-new family tradition
Family traditions feel fixed to adults, but children love the idea that a tradition can be invented. These questions ask them to choose between two possible new customs for your household, and many families keep one afterwards. Older children can explain why their choice would suit your family, which turns the game into a real conversation.
How to do it
- Would you rather invent a thank-you song or a thank-you dance?
- Would you rather draw the day or write one line about it in a book?
- Would you rather collect family recipes or collect the stories that go with them?
- Would you rather take a walk before dinner or play a game after it?
- Would you rather name a dish after your family or name a chair at the table?
- Would you rather make a paper chain of thanks or a jar of notes to open next year?
Make it your own: If a child finds inventing hard, offer two ready-made options and let them pick one. Older children can plan when the new tradition would happen and who else would need to agree to it.
Quiet questions for after the meal
After a large meal, most children need something calm. These questions suit a sofa, a car journey home or the last ten minutes before bed. They also give a child a way to talk about the day without being asked how it was — a question that often produces only one word.
How to do it
- Would you rather build a pretend restaurant or play a slow card game?
- Would you rather tell one story together or listen to a story read aloud?
- Would you rather take a slow noticing walk or sort the photos on the shelf?
- Would you rather draw a picture of the day or arrange a small gallery of everyone's drawings?
- Would you rather stack the cups quietly or match the lids to the boxes?
- Would you rather whisper three things you noticed or write them on a sticky note?
Make it your own: For a tired child, reduce the round to two questions and let them choose which. Older children can write their answers in a small notebook and compare them the following year.
Make it work for your family
If a child answers both or neither, that is a complete answer — ask them to say why and move on. Children who freeze often need a smaller choice: offer one question with two options, then let them pass. If two children start arguing about whose choice is better, thank them both for explaining and remind everyone that this game has no winner. Writing answers on a scrap of paper can help a child who thinks slowly but does not want to be rushed; a shy player might prefer to choose the next question instead of answering it.
Keep each round short; ten minutes at the table or in the car is plenty, and you can always return to it later. Older children often enjoy inventing their own would-you-rather questions for the adults, and that reversal keeps the game going. For a table that likes facts, Thanksgiving trivia questions work in the same slot, and Thanksgiving jokes for kids suit a sillier mood.
Parents also ask
What age are would you rather questions suitable for?
The silliest sets work from about three years old, when a child can choose between two clear options. Children of five and up usually enjoy explaining their reasons and inventing their own questions. For toddlers, simplify to two objects or two pictures and let them point at the answer.
How do you play would you rather with a group?
Read one question at a time and let each person answer in turn, or invite everyone to hold up one or two fingers at the same moment. Keep it to five or six questions per round and let anyone pass. There is no score, so the conversation matters more than finishing the list.
What if a child refuses to answer?
Let them choose the next question, or answer it yourself first so they hear the shape of it. Some children prefer to whisper their answer to you or draw it instead. Refusing is often about feeling watched rather than having no opinion, so a smaller audience usually helps.
Sources & further reading
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