100 Conversation Starter Questions for Your Kids

After a long day at school or camp, kids are tired. So when you ask how their day was on the ride home or at dinner, you might get moody one word responses. It can be hard for children (and teens) to recollect or condense an entire day’s activities and learning into an easy answer.

Asking more specific and detailed questions can often give you the chance to find out more about their day. Establish trust early on by reassuring children that they can always confide in you, and you will keep their confidences. Having a relationship with honest and judgement-free communication will help them feel more comfortable opening up to you about the small things and the bigger issues too. 

These 100 conversation starter questions can help you dig a little deeper into your child’s day and better understand what they’re learning and experiencing.  Get talking! 

Preschool

1. What did you play on the playground?
2. Did you make anything at school?
3. Did you learn something new about a friend?
4. Did your teacher read to you?
5. What made you happy?
6. Did anything make you sad?
7. Who was kind to you?
8. Did you help anyone?
9. What was the funniest thing that happened?
10. Did you do anything that made you feel proud?
11. How did you use your imagination?
12. What do you love about your friends?
13. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet to write?
14. What is your favorite thing to eat at lunch?
15. What do you want to do when you grow up?
16. If you could be any animal, what would it be?
17. Who is your favorite person to dress up as?
18. If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
19. If you could get your face painted, what would you want on it?

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Elementary School 

20. What was your favorite thing you did today? 
21. Who did you play with at recess? 
22. What recess equipment is most popular?
23. Is there something on the playground you want to master that you haven't yet?
24. What did you read about today? 
25. Do you feel safe at school? Why or why not?
26. What is your teacher's most important rule?
27. Which rule was the hardest to follow today?
28. What did you learn that was new today?
29. Who is your closest friend at school?
30. Who did you sit next to at lunch?
31. Who does X (lonely kid, shy kid, etc.) sit next to at lunch?
32. What made your teacher laugh/smile today?
33. Is there anything you were worried about today?
34. If you could make up a holiday, what would it be?

35. If you could invent a subject in school, what would it be?
36. If you could make your own zoo, what animals would you have there?
37. What is your favorite game to play?
38. If you could change one thing about your room, what would you do?
39. What is the best thing to do on a snow day?
40. If you could plan the family vacation, where would we go and what would we do?
41. Have you heard any funny jokes lately?
42. What is your favorite after school snack?
43. What is your favorite field trip you've gone on?
44. If you could plan a field trip anywhere, where would it be?
45. What is your favorite historical event you've learned about?
46. If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why?
47. If you could have a class pet, what would it be?
48. If you could pack anything in your lunch, what would you pack?

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Middle School

49. What new fact did you learn today?
50. What challenged you today?
51. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your day? Why?
52. Who would you like to befriend and why?
53. If you could be the teacher tomorrow, which class would you teach, and what would you do?
54. Did anyone frustrate you today?
55. What would you change about today?
56. Did you learn anything about another country?
57. If you could add anything as an elective class, what would you pick?
58. What is your favorite game or exercise to do in PE?
59. Are there any new kids at school? Have you spoken to them?
60. What advice would you give elementary school students about to move to middle school?
61. Who do you think needs a friend at school?
62. What is your favorite and least favorite class?
63. What emoji describes your day?
64. What do people do between classes?
65. Who has the best locker decorations?
66. What's on your mind right now?
67. How do you deal with drama at school?
68. If someone gave you $20, what would you do with it?
69. If someone hurts your feelings at school, how do you deal with it?
70. If you could swap places with one of your parents for a day, what would you do for the day?
71. Do you prefer to take pictures or be in the picture?
72. If you could pick your own team for X sport or club, who would be on it?
73. What do you love about your teachers?
74. Who could you be nicer to?
75. Is there a teacher that needs a note of encouragement?
76. What is something you wish adults understood about middle school kids?

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High School

77. What was the high point and low point of your day?
78. If you could be any of your teachers, who would you be and why?
79. If one of your classmates could be the principal for the day who would you want it to be and why?
80. What do you hope to learn or accomplish before the end of the school year?
81. What area of school do you feel like you're doing the best in?
82. If you could start a new club at school, what would it be?
83. Is there anyone you think you would be friends with if you knew a little bit more about them?
84. What current event did you learn about today?
85. What funny videos have you seen on social media lately?
86. If you became Instagram famous, what would be your persona (fitness guru, funny memes, makeup tutorials, inspirational calligraphy quotes, etc.)?
87. What app would you create to make high schoolers' lives easier?
88. What country do you want to visit?
89. If you could make a movie about your school, who would be the star(s) and what would be the title?
90. What subject do you feel like you're growing in?
91. If you could redo the day, what would you do differently?
92. What music is popular right now?
93. Who is the best musician at school?
94. What world (or U.S.) problem would you like to help solve?
95. If you could go serve somewhere this summer, where would you go?
96. What colleges would you like to visit?
97. What do you think you want to study in college?
98. For a class project, what group of people would you include?
99. If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be?
100. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

Sometimes it is just as hard for parents to think of original questions as it is for kids to answer with a word other than "fine." These conversation starters can give you and your children some fun new topics to discuss. 

Andrea Johnson is a native Texan now living in Charlotte, N.C., with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys running, photography and good chocolate.

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