Last Updated on January 29, 2026
Looking for the right questions to ask your kids that go beyond “How was your day?” These conversation starters are perfect for building connection, encouraging honesty, and keep your connection strong as your kids grow.
This year, we’re celebrating both of our kids officially being in elementary school! The stress and exhaustion of those early baby and toddlers days that felt they might never end are in the rearview mirror.
But now with school age kids, we’ve been thrown into the mix of social dynamics, best friend breakups, parenting differences, and all the other bits of drama that go down in 3rd grade and kindergarten!
When talking with moms of teenagers and moms in the empty nest stage, one piece of advice that I’ve consistently received is this: Keep your kids talking.
Keep the lines of communication open. Always have a listening ear. Approach your child with love instead of judgement and welcome God daily into your conversations as you move through the stages of parenting.
Some days I can get our kids to blurt out everything that happened. Other days they seem to be moody, closed books.
That’s why I love having some questions to come back to again and again, questions to ask your kids that grow and mature as they do.
If you want to spend more intentional time talking with your kids, check out our list of these kids conversation starters!
Want more conversation starters for your marriage, friends and entire family? Be sure to grab our conversation starters freebie today right here!
Questions to Ask Your Kids for Children
These work great for preschool–early elementary and kids who warm up better with concrete, fun questions:
- What was the best part of your day?
- What’s something new you learned recently?
- Who was kind to you today?
- If you could plan a family day, what would we do?
- What’s your favorite thing to do at school right now? What about home?
- If you could invent something, what would it be?
- What’s one thing you’re thankful for today?
- What’s something you’re excited about?
- What’s your favorite thing we do together as a family?
- What’s something you want to pray about tonight?
- What makes you feel the most happy?
- What’s something you’re really good at?
- What does it mean to you to be brave?
- What’s something that helps you calm down when you feel upset?
- If you could have any superpower, what would it be? What would you use it for?
- If you could do anything for your next birthday, what would you want to do?
- What’s something you’re really good at?
- What is one of your favorite family memories?
- You get to eat a meal of all your favorite foods! What would you eat?
- If you could meet anyone from the Bible who would you want to meet and why?
Read this next: Listen to Your Kids So They Will Talk to You
Conversation Starters for Teens and Older Kids
These are great for upper elementary, tweens, and teens—more reflective without feeling like an interrogation 😉
- What was the hardest part of your day?
- What’s something you’re proud of yourself for recently?
- What’s something that felt unfair lately?
- If you could change one thing about your day, what would it be?
- What’s a rule you think is important, and why?
- Who is someone you look up to, and why?
- What’s something you wish adults understood better about kids?
- What’s something you’re worried about right now?
- When do you feel the most calm or at peace?
- What does being a good friend mean to you?
- What’s a choice you made recently that you felt good about?
- If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
- If you could learn to do anything new, what would you want to learn?
- What does a perfect day look like to you?
- What’s your favorite family tradition we have, and why?
- If you could travel anywhere, where would you want to go?
- If you could ask God any question, what would it be?
- What’s something you hope never changes in our family?
- What careers are you most interested in right now?
- What’s your favorite thing about yourself?