The best family would you rather questions are silly and easy to answer in one breath. A six-year-old can pick a side, and a grandparent can say why. Start with a superpower, a talent or a food, and save the heavier ones for later in the evening.

Here are three to try right now:

Read one out, assign each answer to the left or right, count to three, and have everybody point at their answer at the same time. That’s one round.

Every question here comes from Lolo Cards - 5,200+ conversation cards for iPhone.

Why this game works when ages are mixed

At a big family table, somebody may not be able to read the cards yet, somebody may struggle with the small print, and somebody may know the game so well they win every time.

You can play would you rather without keeping score. Read each question aloud so nobody has to read the cards. A child’s answer counts as much as an adult’s, and the fun is in hearing why.

Lisa Kervin, Director of Early Start Research at the University of Wollongong, says intergenerational play offers “many benefits to young and old” and that play helps maintain memory and problem solving in older adults. This is her summary of the research, not a promise about what a game night will do.

In a piece on family game nights from the University of Calgary, education researcher Hetty Roessingh writes, “What matters is taking turns in conversation.” Give everybody a turn and room to answer.

Start with the silly ones

Open with silly questions and let the youngest player answer first:

If a small child says “invisible, so I can eat all the cookies,” ask what the first cookie would be. A follow-up gives them room to say more.

If you want more of these, the full would you rather hub has funny, crazy, food and hard questions in separate lists.

Illustration: a penguin and a small penguin chick on a sofa pointing at different answers on a question card, a grandparent penguin laughing beside them
Everybody points at once

Four ways to turn questions into rounds

Try one of these formats:

  1. Point on three. Read the question, assign each answer to the left or right, count to three, and everyone points at the same time.
  2. Guess the answer. One player chooses an answer without saying it, and the others guess what they picked. Then the player reveals their answer.
  3. Make the opposite case. Ask somebody to defend the option they didn’t pick, for ten seconds.
  4. Let the youngest invent one. Give a kid a turn to make up a question for the grown-ups. Take it seriously.

Questions for the grown-ups and grandparents

Once the little ones are warmed up, try questions that give the grown-ups and grandparents more to explain. Invite teens to answer too.

The last one is worth slowing down for. Let a grandparent answer first, and then ask when they last needed to know what to do. Leave room for a story if they want to tell one.

For a quieter evening with more time for the “why,” the questions to ask your grandparents hub has questions about their life. You can also borrow ideas from our family dinner conversation starters.

Illustration: a penguin family around a round table with a lamp and a bowl of popcorn, passing a question card to a grandparent penguin
Let the oldest player answer first

Keep it light, and keep it short

A few habits to try:

If you’re curious about someone’s choice, ask why and give them room to answer or pass.

Pick one, and ask it tonight

Pick the funniest question from the list above and read it out at dinner or on the sofa. Start with one round, then ask whether everyone wants another.

Sources