Open Ended Questions to Ask Preschoolers

Questions to ask a child of 2 to 6 while they build, paint, listen and tidy up.

Open Ended Questions to Ask Preschoolers

What can you hear if we stand very still?

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How it works

These 103 open ended questions to ask preschoolers are sorted by where the child is: the block corner, the art table, story time, outside, snack and tidy-up. A last set is for after something went wrong.

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Ask about what is in their hands

Each set fits one part of the day, so pick the one for where you are. At the blocks: How did you make it stand up? At the art table: What can you tell me about your picture? The follow-up asks for one more step: Which block is doing the hard work? Easy cards ask about what a child can see or touch.

After something went wrong

These 17 cards ask what happened and what comes next, and none asks why did you: What did you want to happen? What could we do to fix it? They suit a spill, a fallen tower or two children and one truck.

Questions and answers

What are some open-ended questions to ask preschoolers?

Questions about the thing in front of them: What will go on top? Where do you think that ant is going? What happened when the two colors touched? Each begins with what, how, where, who or which, so yes or no does not fit.

What is an open-ended question?

A question that cannot be answered with yes or no. Is that a house? is closed. Who lives in there? is open, and it leaves the child to decide what the answer is about.

What open ended questions can I ask kids at story time?

Before the page turns: What do you think will happen when we turn the page? During: What can you find in this picture that the words did not say? After: What would you put on one more page at the end? Any book works.

Can I use these open ended questions with children in a classroom?

Yes. The sets match the corners of a preschool room, and At snack and tidy-up covers the time in between: How could we share this so everyone gets some? The page is conversation, not a curriculum or an assessment.

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All 103 questions

At the block and building corner 17

  • How are these two towers different? Follow-up: Which tower was harder to build?
  • How could the cars get across to the other side? Follow-up: What could we use for a bridge?
  • How could we build it again tomorrow so it looks the same? Follow-up: What should we remember about it?
  • How could we make it taller without it falling? Follow-up: What should go at the very bottom?
  • How did you and your friend decide what to build? Follow-up: Who had which job?
  • How did you make it stand up? Follow-up: Which block is doing the hard work?
  • What are you building? Follow-up: Who is going to use it?
  • What do you think will happen if we take this one out? Follow-up: What could we put in its place?
  • What does your building still need? Follow-up: Where could that part go?
  • What happened just before it fell down? Follow-up: What will you try this time?
  • What is this part for? Follow-up: How does somebody get inside?
  • What should we call this place you made? Follow-up: What goes on inside it?
  • What will go on top? Follow-up: How will you get it to stay up there?
  • Where does your road go? Follow-up: Who is driving along it?
  • Which blocks do you need next? Follow-up: How many more do you think it will take?
  • Which shape did you use the most? Follow-up: Where else in the room can you see that shape?
  • Who lives in there? Follow-up: Where do they go to sleep?

At the art table 17

  • How did you make that color? Follow-up: What would a bit more of the other one do?
  • How does the paint feel when it goes on? Follow-up: How is that different from the crayon?
  • How is your picture different from the one you made before? Follow-up: What did you try that was new?
  • What can you tell me about your picture? Follow-up: Which part did you make first?
  • What could we use to stick these together? Follow-up: What makes you think that will hold?
  • What did you do to make this line so wobbly, thick or thin? Follow-up: What else could that brush do?
  • What does the clay want to turn into? Follow-up: How will you make that part of it?
  • What happened when the two colors touched? Follow-up: What do you think they will do next time?
  • What is happening in this part of your picture? Follow-up: What happens next in the picture?
  • What is your favorite thing about what you made? Follow-up: What do you like about that part?
  • What name would you give your picture? Follow-up: What made you pick that name?
  • What sound would your picture make? Follow-up: Who or what in the picture is making it?
  • What was the tricky part of making it? Follow-up: How did you get past the tricky part?
  • What will you add next? Follow-up: Where on the paper will it go?
  • What would you make if the paper were as big as the wall? Follow-up: What would go right in the middle of it?
  • Where should we put it when it is dry? Follow-up: Who do you want to show it to?
  • Which colors did you choose, and what are they for? Follow-up: Which color is still waiting its turn?

At story time, about any book 17

  • How could they get out of this muddle? Follow-up: What would you try first if it were you?
  • How did things change from the start of the story to the end? Follow-up: What made them change?
  • What can you find in this picture that the words did not say? Follow-up: What else is hiding on the page?
  • What do you see on the cover? Follow-up: What do you think this book is going to be about?
  • What do you think this one is feeling on this page? Follow-up: What on the page tells you that?
  • What do you think will happen when we turn the page? Follow-up: What did you see that tells you so?
  • What does this page remind you of? Follow-up: When did something like that happen to you?
  • What is the same about this book and the one we read before? Follow-up: Which of the two would you read to a friend?
  • What sound would that make? Follow-up: How loud should we make it together?
  • What would you do if that happened to you? Follow-up: Who would you ask to help you?
  • What would you put on one more page at the end? Follow-up: Who would be on that extra page?
  • What would you say to the one who is in trouble in the story? Follow-up: What might they answer?
  • Where do you think they are going? Follow-up: What will they need to take along?
  • Where does this story happen? Follow-up: How is that place different from where we live?
  • Which page should we look at again? Follow-up: What do you want to see on it?
  • Which page was the funniest? Follow-up: What was so funny about that page?
  • Who in the story do you want to hear more about? Follow-up: What would you like them to do next?

Outside and on a walk 18

  • How are these two rocks different? Follow-up: Which rock would you keep, and where?
  • How could we find out how deep the puddle is? Follow-up: What could we use to measure it?
  • How could we get the water from here to there? Follow-up: What could we carry the water in?
  • How does the wind feel on your face? Follow-up: What can you see the wind moving?
  • What can you hear if we stand very still? Follow-up: Where is that sound coming from?
  • What could we do with all these leaves? Follow-up: Which leaf is your favorite, and what is special about it?
  • What do you notice today that was not here yesterday? Follow-up: What do you think brought it here?
  • What do you think lives under this log or stone? Follow-up: How should we put it back for them?
  • What do you think made this hole, track or mark? Follow-up: What do you think it was looking for?
  • What do you think this place looks like at night? Follow-up: Who do you think is awake here then?
  • What does the ground feel like here? Follow-up: How does it feel different over there?
  • What does the sky look like right now? Follow-up: What do you think the sky will do later?
  • What game could we play in this space? Follow-up: What are the rules of your game?
  • What is your shadow doing? Follow-up: How can you make your shadow bigger?
  • What would you like to collect today? Follow-up: What will you do with it afterwards?
  • Where do you think that ant is going? Follow-up: What is the ant carrying?
  • Where do you think the puddle went? Follow-up: How could we check tomorrow?
  • Which way should we go, and what might we find? Follow-up: How will we find our way back?

At snack and tidy-up 17

  • How are these two foods alike, and how are they different? Follow-up: Which one would you pick for tomorrow?
  • How could we carry all of these in one trip? Follow-up: What could we use to help us carry them?
  • How could we share this so everyone gets some? Follow-up: How will we know it is fair?
  • How many cups do we need for this table? Follow-up: How did you count them?
  • How will we know when the room is ready? Follow-up: What does a ready room look like?
  • What did you play with the most today? Follow-up: What will you do with it next time?
  • What do you notice about your snack today? Follow-up: How does it sound when you bite it?
  • What does your snack taste like? Follow-up: Which other food is it a bit like?
  • What is a quick way to sort these? Follow-up: Which pile is the biggest?
  • What should we do first to get ready for snack? Follow-up: What comes after that?
  • What should we do with the crumbs and the spills? Follow-up: What will you use to clean them up?
  • What would make tidying up faster tomorrow? Follow-up: What would we have to set out before we start?
  • Where do you think this food was before it came to the kitchen? Follow-up: How do you think it grew or got made?
  • Where does this toy live? Follow-up: How do you know it goes there?
  • Which bite was the best one? Follow-up: What would you add to snack if you were the cook?
  • Which job would you like at tidy-up time? Follow-up: What do you need to do that job?
  • Who could you help right now? Follow-up: How could you help them?

After something went wrong 17

  • How are you feeling right now? Follow-up: What would help that feeling get smaller?
  • How can we make the tower, the picture or the game again? Follow-up: What would you change about it this time?
  • How do you think your friend is feeling? Follow-up: What did you see on their face?
  • What could we do to fix it? Follow-up: What should we do first to fix it?
  • What could you say to your friend now? Follow-up: How do you think your friend will answer?
  • What did you do next, after it went wrong? Follow-up: What did the others do then?
  • What did you hear your friend say? Follow-up: What did you want your friend to hear from you?
  • What did you want to happen? Follow-up: And what happened then?
  • What do we need to clean this up? Follow-up: Where do we keep the things for cleaning?
  • What do you need right now? Follow-up: Who could help you get it?
  • What happened here? Follow-up: What was going on just before?
  • What is your idea for sharing it so nobody is left out? Follow-up: How will we know whose turn it is?
  • What is your plan for the next time this happens? Follow-up: Who will you tell if it happens again?
  • What were you trying to do when it broke, spilled or fell? Follow-up: How could we do that another way?
  • What would make this better for both of you? Follow-up: How could you both have a turn?
  • What would you like me to do while you are this upset? Follow-up: Where should I wait for you?
  • Who can help you when this happens? Follow-up: What could you say to ask for their help?