Questions for children of every age, toddler to teen

What do you do when a friend says they won't be your friend anymore?

The threat gets used a lot in playgrounds and has often expired by the afternoon, but it stings every time. Ask what happened next before offering advice, and you may find they handled it better than you would have suggested.

From: Questions to Ask 7 Year Olds

What do you call your grandma, and do you know her real name?

Open with this because every child knows the answer. Spell the name the way they say it, Gamma or Nonna or Mimi, and expect the guess at her real name to be "Grandma" again.

From: Questions to Ask Kids About Their Grandparents

What is the best advice anyone has given you, and the worst?

Bad advice is the fun part and usually stars an adult, so be ready to hear your own words quoted back. The advice they kept tells you what kind of help lands with them. It tends to be short, practical and said once.

From: Questions to Ask a Teenager About Life

What's the worst dinner anyone could possibly serve you?

Inventing the worst meal is more fun than naming a real dislike, and six year olds build combinations they find genuinely revolting, which is a category adults have lost access to.

From: Funny Questions to Ask a 6 Year-Old

If you were the teacher for a day, what would you change?

A friendlier route into the same territory as the fairness question, and it gets past loyalty to a teacher they like. Small practical answers, more time outside, less copying from the board, someone moved away from someone else, are often accurate descriptions of what is not working.

From: Questions to Ask Your 8 Year Old

What was the best part of your day?

Better than asking how the day was, because it asks for one thing rather than a summary. Ask about the worst part straight afterwards; children answer that one more readily and in more detail.

From: Questions to Ask 10 Year Olds