20 Questions to Ask your Kids Instead of: “What did you do today?”

Written by: Jennifer Fantich, M.A., CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist


As parents, we all want make connections with our kids and show interest in their days. It can be so challenging to find out how their days were by asking broad questions that were all so guilty of.

Starting the conversation can often times be the most difficult, but once kids get going, we know they are not likely to stop! Not all questions have to be about ‘learning’ by conventional standards. Sometimes we just want to know how our kids are learning and growing and interacting with their peers and classmates.

Instead of asking your child(ren) ‘what did you do today?‘, here are 20 other ways to find out more about your child’s day at school.

  1. What made you smile today?
  2. Did anyone do anything silly to make you laugh?
  3. What was the most popular game at recess?
  4. Did you help anyone today?
  5. What did you do that was creative?
  6. Did anyone cry?
  7. Was there an example of kindness or unkindness that you saw today? How did you respond?
  8. Did you say, ‘thank you’ to anyone?
  9. Who did you sit with at lunch?
  10. Was anyone absent today?
  11. Did you hear anything that surprised you today?
  12. Did anyone get in trouble?
  13. How were you brave today?
  14. What was the hardest rule to follow today?
  15. If you could change one thing about your day today what would it be?
  16. What made you feel proud today?
  17. If you could switch seats with anyone in class who would it be? why?
  18. Did you learn any new words today?
  19. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
  20. What did you learn today that you didn’t know yesterday?