Icebreakers · Discussion Prompts

Would You Rather

An evergreen, endlessly flexible warm-up format.

IcebreakerDiscussionLight Debate

2 min read · Delivery: Offline · Virtual

Overview

Purpose. An evergreen, endlessly flexible warm-up format.

When to use. As a flexible warm-up, or to fill a few spare minutes before a session officially starts.

Best for. Any group size, in person or online.

Prepare a list of classic “Would You Rather” questions in advance. See Trainer's Reference below for a starter list.

Room setup. Arrange seating so everyone can see and hear each other clearly.

Virtual setup. Run this over video call, going around the participant list or using “raise hand” order.

Hybrid setup. Alternate between an in-room and a remote participant for each question.

Materials. A prepared question list

Decide whether you'll go around the room one at a time, or open each question up freely.
Ask one “Would You Rather” question, with two clear options (see Trainer's Reference below for a starter list).
Have participants pick a side, out loud or by show of hands, and briefly say why if there's time.
Move to the next question, repeating for as many rounds as time allows.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE GROUP

Expect a little shyness in the first 30 seconds, followed by a quick warm-up once one or two people go first.

Six “Would You Rather” questions to start with:

Would you rather be able to fly, or be invisible?

Would you rather always be 10 minutes late, or 20 minutes early?

Would you rather give up your phone or your car for a month?

Would you rather have unlimited time off, or unlimited money?

Would you rather work from home forever, or the office forever?

Would you rather always know when bad news is coming, or always be surprised by it?

DEBRIEF QUESTIONS

What part of “Would You Rather” felt easy, and what part felt harder than expected?
Was there a question where the group was almost evenly split? What did that reveal?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS