How was school today?

When I ask my kids "How was school today?" The answer is monosyllable: "good" or "interesting" are usually the words used to keep me happy but this does not tell me a lot.

I want to KNOW!

So here is a list of more engaging questions to ask about school. They aren’t perfect but they allow for conversation openers and some might lead to interesting dialogues OR hilarious answers. I definitely catch a few insights into how my kids think and feel about their time at school.

These questions are designed to give kids a non-threatening way to express their thoughts and open the door for you to have a discussion to ask why, potentially uncovering issues you didn’t know about before. The answers you get can be really surprising.

Sometimes we just need to figure out the right kind of questions to ask our children. Remember, some questions may work better than others for your kids .

1.  What was the best thing that happened at school today?  (What was the worst thing that happened at school today?)

2.  Tell me something that made you laugh today?

3.  If you could choose who would you like to sit by in class?  (Who would you NOT want to sit by in class?  Why?)

4.  Where is the coolest place at the school?

5.  Tell me a weird word that you heard today.  (Or something weird that someone said.)

6.  If I called your teacher tonight what would she tell me about you?

7.  How did you help somebody today?

8.  How did somebody help you today?

9.  Tell me one thing that you learned today.

10.  When were you the happiest today?

11.  When were you bored today?

12.  If an alien spaceship came to your class and beamed up someone who would you want them to take?

13.  Who would you like to play with at recess that you’ve never played with before?

14.  Tell me something good that happened today.

15.  What word did your teacher say most today?

16.  What do you think you should do/learn more of at school?

17.  What do you think you should do/learn less of at school?

18.  Who in your class do you think you could be nicer to?

19.  Where do you play the most at recess?

20.  Who is the funniest person in your class?  Why is he/she so funny?

21.  What was your favorite part of lunch?

22.  If you got to be the teacher tomorrow what would you do?

23.  Is there anyone in your class that needs a time out?

24.  If you could switch seats with anyone in the class who would you trade with?  Why?

25.  Tell me about three different times you used your pencil today at school.