You probably already have students who love a good debate. Channel that energy and build critical thinking, communication, and argument skills with low-stakes, humorous prompts. Silly controversial topics make it easier for kids of any age to connect, engage, and learn with a new style of communication. We’ve rounded up the best funny debate topics for elementary school, middle school, and high school. Plus, we’ve got tips for using these fun debate ideas in your classroom.
Jump to:
- Funny Debate Topics About Food
- Silly Debates About Pop Culture
- Funny Debate Topics About School
- Funny Debates About Animals
- Silly Debate Topics About Sports and Games
- More Funny Debate Topics
- How To Teach Using Funny Debate Topics
Funny Debate Prompts About Food
- Is a hot dog a sandwich?
- What is the best pizza topping?
- Which is better, ice cream or cake?
- What’s the better ice cream flavor, chocolate or vanilla?
- Does ketchup belong on a hot dog?
- Which is better, peanut butter or Nutella?
- Should you eat macaroni and cheese with a spoon or a fork?
- Is a corner brownie better than a middle brownie?
- Agree or disagree: Chocolate chip cookies are the best cookie.
- Which is better, hot chocolate or a chocolate milkshake?
- Which is better in hot chocolate, marshmallows or whipped cream?
- Discuss: Chicken wings are better than chicken drumsticks.
- Is a taco a sandwich?
- Agree or disagree: There’s no point in eating french fries without ketchup.
- What’s the best fast-food restaurant?
- Does pineapple belong on a pizza?
- Which goes into the bowl first, the cereal or the milk?
- Do sandwiches taste better with the crusts cut off?
- Is it better to eat leftover pizza cold or to reheat it first?
- Does fruit count as dessert?
- Which is better, Coca-Cola or Pepsi?
- Yes or no: Round pizzas are better than rectangular pizzas.
- Is it better to eat an Oreo whole or twist it apart and eat the cream first?
- Should you always taste food first before adding salt or pepper?
- In a cheeseburger, should the cheese go on top of the patty or underneath?
- Agree or disagree: Cereal is a soup.
Silly Debates About Pop Culture
Funny Debate Topics About School
- Which is better, summer or winter?
- The school year should start in January instead of August.
- Should teachers give candy as rewards in the classroom?
- Should people have to work/go to school on their birthdays?
- Monday is the worst day of the week.
- Homework should be required.
- Would you rather have four eight-hour school days or five six-hour school days in a week?
Funny Debates About Animals
- Which is the better pet, dogs or cats?
- Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?
- Who would be better at running the world, cats or dogs?
- Agree or disagree: All families should have a pet.
- If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
- Debate: Fish are not real pets.
- Should zoos and marine parks exist?
- Should we allow people to own exotic animals?
- Which would be better drivers, dogs or cats?
- Debate: Penguins are the fanciest animals.
- Which animal would make the best (or worst) roommate?
Silly Debate Topics About Sports and Games
- Which is better, football or soccer?
- The World Cup should be played in the same place each time.
- The Olympics should be played in the same place each time.
- Average people should be able to compete in the Olympics.
- Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.
- Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Youth sports should not rank students under age 10.
- Youth athletes should be required to maintain a certain GPA to play sports.
- Chess is a real sport.
- Bowling is a real sport.
- The day after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday.
More Funny Debate Topics
- Is it better to be too hot or too cold?
- Should everyone make their bed every day?
- If you had a time machine, would you travel forward in time or backward?
- Should we let people go barefoot anywhere they want?
- Would you rather be able to fly or turn invisible?
- Should you wear socks with sandals?
- Is the number 13 really unlucky?
- Should toilet paper hang with the loose end over or under?
- If you had to choose one, would you rather live under the sea or in space?
- Clowns: Scary or funny?
- Is water wet?
- Agree or disagree: Humans should eat to live, not live to eat.
- Is there intelligent life on other planets?
- Should Santa Claus’ elves be paid minimum wage?
- Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
- Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
- Is it better to be a morning person or a night person?
- Would the world be better if women were always in charge?
- Is it better to be TikTok famous or Instagram famous?
- Do aliens live among us here on Earth?
- Is bottled water better than tap water?
- Agree or disagree: All’s fair in love and war.
- Is using curse words really a big deal?
- Are skirts more comfortable than pants?
- Should GIF be pronounced with a hard G or a soft G?
- Do the morals of classic fairy tales still apply in the modern world?
- Which is more fun, going out or staying home?
- Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?
- Should a person sitting in the middle row of an airplane automatically get both armrests?
- Would you want to be famous?
- Would you rather be rich with no friends or poor with many friends?
How To Teach Using Funny Debate Topics
Funny debates are a lighthearted way to teach meaningful argument and communication skills. No matter what grade level you teach, use these tips to make the most of fun and funny debate topics and questions with your students.
1. Choose the “right” kind of funny for your students
Funny debate topics work best when they’re relatable and relevant. If your students don’t get the joke, they won’t be as engaged in the activity. Plus, not all silly debate topics work with every age or group of students.
- Elementary students: Stick with silly but concrete topics that are easy for kids to visualize and argue, like “Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet dinosaur.” Age-appropriate pop culture questions can be fun too.
- Middle school: Pop culture questions will be a hit with this age group. Tailor them to whatever’s currently popular at your school.
- High school: Older students are ready for funny debate topics to go a bit deeper. A question like “Is Darth Vader the worst father of all time?” can prompt discussions about ethics and psychology. Or you can choose seemingly silly debate questions that really make them think, such as “Is water wet?”
2. Give students lots of practice
Debates don’t have to be a formal lesson. You can build debates across your day so students get experience with lots of questions.
- Elementary school: Use debate questions in morning meeting as brain breaks.
- Middle school: Have students think through a debate topic as a writing warm-up or to build speaking and listening skills.
- High school: Students can deepen communication skills by researching and engaging in in-depth debates, or host a short-form debate in advisory to help students get to know each other.
3. Start with simple arguments, then add more structure as kids gain experience
Argument skills are something that students can build on throughout their education. If you’re introducing the skill in elementary school, focus on giving kids foundational skills, while in middle and high school, students can do more research and follow formal debate structures.
- Elementary school: Keep discussions light and informal, giving everyone a chance to share their point of view clearly. Support students with sentence starters like “While I see your point, I disagree because …” and “That is an interesting viewpoint, but I disagree …”
- Middle school: Build a little more structure into debates, with opening and closing statements and rebuttals.
- High school: Teach students to use rhetorical language and evidence to defend their side. Encourage them to create various types of arguments.
4. Teach age-appropriate debate rules and etiquette
One of the most important lessons students learn while debating is how to listen calmly to other points of view and disagree with respect. Emphasize these ideas at every age:
- Elementary school: Teach respectful phrases like “I hear what you’re saying, but I think …” or “I understand your point, but what if you think about it this way?” Ensure students don’t interrupt others when they’re sharing their opinions. Use a talking stick or stuffed animal to focus students on whoever is talking.
- Middle school: Help students understand that they’re debating ideas, not people. Folks can strongly disagree about a topic but still be friendly and respectful as they discuss it.
- High school: Apply debate rules like time limits, and remind students that even funny topics can help them learn to argue effectively and respectfully.
5. Take time to reflect after a debate
In formal debates, one side is usually declared “the winner.” In the classroom, it’s more useful to focus on the most effective arguments made by both sides and how they helped sway the opinions of listeners.
- Elementary school: Keep a list of strong arguments on the whiteboard as kids “debate.” At the end, take a class vote to see which side they choose, and ask kids if the discussion changed their personal opinion.
- Middle school: Have students write down their own opinion before a debate. During the debate, encourage them to make notes about the arguments. Then, finish up with a reflection paragraph stating their opinion after the debate—if it changed, what argument swayed them?
- High school: Assign some students to be “judges,” keeping track of the various arguments and rebuttals and deciding who was most convincing in the end.
Don’t forget to snag your free Debate Graphic Organizers for all grade levels!
Even silly debates need rules and planning! Our free graphic organizers make it easy to help students prep their arguments, state their opinions clearly, and disagree with respect. Just follow the link below to grab yours today!
