Your dinner conversation is an iceberg. The tip of that ice berg is the small events and updates your child gives you from their day—the "How was your day?" "Fine." interaction.
These 50 questions are meant to see and understand the massive, submerged 9/10ths of the iceberg. Your insightful and creative questions can get to their true emotions or the complexity of their social interaction.
Fun & Silly Questions
1. What animal would make the funniest teacher?
2. If you could mix two animals together, what new animal would you make?
3. Which Superhero could make us the best dinner? Why?
4. If you could invite one TV show character over for dinner, who would it be?
5. If you could trade places with your teacher for one day, what rules would you make?
6. Would you rather be able to fly like a bird or swim like a dolphin?
7. If our dinner could talk, what would it say?
8. If you could only eat one color of food tomorrow, what color would you choose?
9. If your favorite toy could have a job, what would it do?
10. If you could ride any magical creature to school, what would you choose
Learning & Curiosity Questions
11. If you could teach me one thing you learned today, what would it be?
12. If you had to write a book about one thing, what topic would you pick, and what's the first sentence?
13. What do you think the most important job in the world is, and why?
14. What's the coolest place on Earth that you've learned about, and why do you want to go there?
15. What's one thing you're really good at that you weren't as good at last year?
16. If we took a trip to the moon, what three things would we need to pack and why?
17. If you could invite one person from history to dinner, who would it be and why?
18. Why do you think leaves change color in the fall?
19. If you were an inventor, what problem would you try to solve?
20. What's one fact you know about an animal or bug that you think I don't know?
Gratitude & Values
21. What’s something you’re thankful for right now?
22. What’s one way we could make someone else’s day better tomorrow?
23. What is the nicest thing someone did for you today, and how did it make you feel?
24. What's one thing in our home you feel lucky to have?
25. If you saw a friend or classmate feeling lonely, what would you do to show you care?
26. Who is someone in our family, neighborhood, or school that you think is a very kind person, and why?
27. Who is a character in a book, movie, or show that you think is very honest, and what did they do?
28. If you could send a thank-you note to anyone in the world right now, who would it be and why?
29. If a friend were sad, how would you cheer them up?
30. What's a small moment from your day that made you smile?
Family Connection
31. What’s your favorite family memory?
32. If you could plan our next family adventure, what would it be?
33. What’s something you think Mom, Dad, or a sibling is really good at?
34. What is one way that our family is different from other families you know?
35. What's something funny Mom, Dad, or a sibling did recently that you still laugh about?
36. What is the nicest compliment a family member has ever given you?
37. What is something you are looking forward to doing with our family soon?
38. If you could choose the perfect family fun night, what three things would we do?
39. What is the best thing about being a part of this family?
40. If we had a family mascot, what would it be?
Feelings & Reflection
41. What was the best part of your day?
42. What was the most frustrating part of your day? What made you feel better?
43. If your feelings from the day could be a weather forecast, what would it look like (sunny, cloudy, stormy, etc.)?
44. What was one moment today when you felt proud of yourself?
45. If you could give yourself one piece of advice before school starts tomorrow, what would it be?
46. If your day were a movie genre, what would it be? (Action, Thriller, Horror, Comedy).
47. Was there a moment you felt like giving up? What kept you going?
48. What's one thing you're most excited about for tomorrow?
49. Did anything surprise you today?
50. What's one thing you did today that you wish you could do over?
Asking these insightful questions during your family dinners helps foster deeper connections and supports your children's emotional, social, and cognitive development. So, ask the questions, form the connection, strengthen your family, and explore that giant submerged part of the iceberg.