Ask a five-year-old how school was and you get fine. These 150 questions to ask kindergarteners, preschoolers and toddlers ask something smaller: what the kid next to you had for lunch. Pick an age under Age or set; Show follow-up keeps the answer going.
Pick the age, then the level
Toddlers, ages 2 to 3 leaves 36 questions to ask toddlers, nearly all answered with a point, a choice or one word. Preschoolers, ages 3 to 5 holds 54 questions to ask preschoolers, and Kindergarteners, ages 5 to 6 holds 60. Easy (61 cards) takes a point or one word, Medium (67) a few words, Hard (22) a why or a little story.
Read the full guide
Why the questions change with age
The ages follow the CDC's milestone lists: most two-year-olds point to things in a book when asked, most four-year-olds can talk about one thing from their day, and most five-year-olds keep a conversation going for more than three exchanges. So questions to ask 3 year olds stay short. This is for fun, not a development check.
Tips
After school or daycare holds 36 cards. Save one for snack time; at the classroom door a tired child has no answers left.
For questions to ask little kids, sit beside them, not across: in the car or on a walk a question feels less like a test.
Toddler cards such as Where is something red in this room? need nothing but the room you are in.
Questions and answers
What are fun questions for kindergarteners that get more than fine?
Ones about a single small moment. The 17 after-school questions for kindergarteners ask What did you have to sit still for today? and Who in your class tells the best jokes? In the list they sit under Kindergarteners, marked After school or daycare.
Are there Thanksgiving questions for kindergarteners?
Yes. Thanksgiving holds 15: 3 for toddlers, 5 for preschoolers and 7 for kindergarteners, such as How can we say thank you without using words? They are about the food, the table and saying thanks, and none mentions faith.
What are funny questions to ask 3 year olds?
Play and pretend holds them: What does a friendly monster keep under its bed? With Easy it leaves 15 a three-year-old can answer in a word. For questions to ask 4 year olds or questions to ask a 5 year old, Medium leaves 15.
Can I print the questions?
Yes. Print questions gives the cards that match your age or set as slips to cut apart, up to 120 at a time. The full list under the deck is grouped by age. There is no interview sheet with lines for a child's answers.
Are you feeling happy, sad or grumpy right now?Follow-up: What would help? Feelings, point, choose or one word.
Did you play inside or outside today?Follow-up: What did you play with there? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
How do you look when you are sleepy?Follow-up: When do you feel sleepy? Feelings, point, choose or one word.
Is your toy hungry or sleepy?Follow-up: What should we give it? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What animal can you walk like?Follow-up: Can you walk like a different one? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What can you do all by yourself?Follow-up: Can you show me right now? All about me, a few words.
What color is a pumpkin?Follow-up: What else is orange? Thanksgiving, point, choose or one word.
What color is your cup?Follow-up: What do you like to drink from it? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What did you do with your hands today: paint, dig or build?Follow-up: What did you make? After school or daycare, a few words.
What did you eat at snack time?Follow-up: Was it crunchy or soft? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What do you hold when you feel sad?Follow-up: Where is it right now? Feelings, point, choose or one word.
What do you like on your toast?Follow-up: Who makes it for you? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What does a cow say?Follow-up: What does a baby cow say? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What does a fire truck say?Follow-up: Where is it going? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What does a happy face look like?Follow-up: What makes your face do that? Feelings, point, choose or one word.
What is round like a pie?Follow-up: What is long like a spoon? Thanksgiving, point, choose or one word.
What is this I am pointing to?Follow-up: What do we do with it? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What should we pretend to cook?Follow-up: Who gets the first bite? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What song did you hear today?Follow-up: Can you sing a little bit of it? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What sound do you make when you are mad?Follow-up: What sound do you make when you are glad? Feelings, a few words.
What toy did you hold the most today?Follow-up: Where does that toy live? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
Where are your shoes right now?Follow-up: Can you show me how they go on? All about me, point, choose or one word.
Where does the toy car want to drive?Follow-up: Who is riding inside? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
Where is something red in this room?Follow-up: What else is red? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
Where is the light in this room?Follow-up: How does it turn on? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
Which animal do you want to pet?Follow-up: What sound does it make? All about me, point, choose or one word.
Which book do you want tonight?Follow-up: Which page is the best one? All about me, point, choose or one word.
Which do you want for snack, crackers or cheese?Follow-up: How many do you want? All about me, point, choose or one word.
Which do you want on your plate, corn or potatoes?Follow-up: Do you want a big scoop or a little one? Thanksgiving, point, choose or one word.
Which is bigger, an elephant or a mouse?Follow-up: Which one is louder? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
Which is faster, a snail or a bunny?Follow-up: Which one are you today? All about me, point, choose or one word.
Which is more fun, the swing or the sandbox?Follow-up: Can you show me what you do there? All about me, point, choose or one word.
Which is quiet, a mouse or a drum?Follow-up: How quiet can you be? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
Which toy sleeps in your bed?Follow-up: What is its name? All about me, point, choose or one word.
Who did you play with today?Follow-up: What did you two play? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
Who is the silliest person you know?Follow-up: What silly thing do they do? Feelings, point, choose or one word.
Preschoolers, ages 3 to 5 54
If you were a dinosaur, what would you eat for lunch?Follow-up: How loud would you roar? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
If you were a vet, which animal would you fix first?Follow-up: What is wrong with it? Play and pretend, a few words.
If you were as small as an ant, where would you hide?Follow-up: What would look giant to you? Play and pretend, a why or a little story.
If you were the grown-up today, what would we have for dinner?Follow-up: What time would bedtime be? Play and pretend, a few words.
What are you really fast at?Follow-up: What are you slow at? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What are you thankful for that you can hold in your hands?Follow-up: What are you thankful for that you cannot hold? Thanksgiving, a few words.
What are you too big for now?Follow-up: What are you still too little for? All about me, a few words.
What cake do you want on your next birthday?Follow-up: Who should help you blow out the candles? All about me, a few words.
What color are your favorite socks?Follow-up: What is on them? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What color is happy?Follow-up: What color is grumpy? Feelings, point, choose or one word.
What colors did you use at the art table today?Follow-up: What did the picture turn into? After school or daycare, a few words.
What could you help with at Thanksgiving dinner?Follow-up: Who will you help? Thanksgiving, a few words.
What did you have to wait your turn for today?Follow-up: What did you do while you waited? After school or daycare, a few words.
What did you help clean up today?Follow-up: Who cleaned up with you? After school or daycare, a few words.
What did you try today that you had never tried before?Follow-up: Would you try it again, or is once enough? After school or daycare, a few words.
What do you climb first at the park?Follow-up: What do you do when you get to the top? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What do you do when you are very, very excited?Follow-up: Can you show me? Feelings, point, choose or one word.
What do you do when you feel shy?Follow-up: What helps the shy feeling go away? Feelings, a few words.
What do you hope is the same at preschool tomorrow?Follow-up: What do you hope is different? After school or daycare, a few words.
What do you want to be really good at?Follow-up: Who could teach you? All about me, a few words.
What does a friend's face do when they are sad?Follow-up: What could you do for them? Feelings, a few words.
What does a friendly monster keep under its bed?Follow-up: What does it wear to sleep? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What does a pirate say when the treasure turns up?Follow-up: What is in the treasure box? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What game did you play on the playground?Follow-up: Who played it with you? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What goes on the Thanksgiving table?Follow-up: Which one do you want first? Thanksgiving, point, choose or one word.
What helps when you feel a little scared?Follow-up: Who helps the most? Feelings, a few words.
What is a brave thing you did?Follow-up: What did it feel like after? Feelings, a few words.
What is a nice thing someone did for you?Follow-up: How did it feel? Feelings, a few words.
What is good about being little?Follow-up: What is good about being big? All about me, a few words.
What is hard for a baby that is easy for you?Follow-up: How did you learn it? All about me, a why or a little story.
What is on the menu at your restaurant?Follow-up: What do I have to pay? Play and pretend, a few words.
What is the yummiest part of a big holiday dinner?Follow-up: Which part can someone else have? Thanksgiving, point, choose or one word.
What is your favorite thing to wear?Follow-up: What makes it the best one? All about me, a few words.
What job did you have in class today?Follow-up: Which job do you wish you had? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What makes a day a good day?Follow-up: Was today one? Why? Feelings, a why or a little story.
What makes you feel cozy?Follow-up: Where is the coziest spot you know? Feelings, a few words.
What makes you grumpy in the morning?Follow-up: What would fix it? Feelings, a few words.
What name would you give a brand new stuffed animal?Follow-up: What kind of animal is it? Play and pretend, a few words.
What part of your lunch did you eat first?Follow-up: What did you save for last? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What should we have for breakfast on your birthday?Follow-up: Who cooks it? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What silly thing happened at preschool today?Follow-up: Did you laugh out loud or on the inside? After school or daycare, a few words.
What snack would you take on a rocket?Follow-up: Who sits next to you? Play and pretend, point, choose or one word.
What song did you sing at circle time?Follow-up: Will you teach me the first part? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What sound makes you stop and listen?Follow-up: Can you make it? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What would you build out of a great big cardboard box?Follow-up: Who is allowed inside? All about me, a few words.
What would you keep in a treehouse?Follow-up: Who knows the password? Play and pretend, a few words.
What would you sell in your pretend store?Follow-up: How much does it cost? Play and pretend, a few words.
Where did you play today: blocks, art or dress-up?Follow-up: What did you do there? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
Where would you drive a bus full of teddy bears?Follow-up: Who gets off first? Play and pretend, a few words.
Which book should your teacher read to everyone next?Follow-up: Where would everyone sit to listen? Play and pretend, a few words.
Which shape do you like to draw, a circle or a star?Follow-up: Where is one in this room? All about me, point, choose or one word.
Who gets a thank-you hug from you this year?Follow-up: What is the hug for? Thanksgiving, a few words.
Who passed out the snack today?Follow-up: What was the snack? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
Who was in the book your teacher read today?Follow-up: What happened to them at the end? After school or daycare, a few words.
Kindergarteners, ages 5 to 6 60
How can we say thank you without using words?Follow-up: Who could you thank that way today? Thanksgiving, a why or a little story.
How can you tell that someone is sorry?Follow-up: What do you do when they are? Feelings, a why or a little story.
How do you cheer up a friend?Follow-up: Did it work the last time? Feelings, a few words.
How do you know that someone loves you?Follow-up: How do you show someone you love them? Feelings, a few words.
If one of your drawings came to life, which one should it be?Follow-up: What would it do first? Play and pretend, a few words.
If the kids planned Thanksgiving dinner, what would we eat?Follow-up: What would the grown-ups say? Thanksgiving, a few words.
If you opened a store, what would it sell and what is it called?Follow-up: Who would shop there? Play and pretend, a why or a little story.
If you were the line leader, where would you lead everyone?Follow-up: What would you see on the way? Play and pretend, a few words.
What are three things you are thankful for this year?Follow-up: Which one is the biggest? Thanksgiving, a few words.
What are you the expert on?Follow-up: What is one fact I should know? All about me, a few words.
What can a kid do when they feel left out?Follow-up: What could the other kids do? Feelings, a why or a little story.
What did a friend teach you today?Follow-up: What could you teach them back? After school or daycare, a why or a little story.
What did the kid next to you have for lunch?Follow-up: Would you trade lunches with them? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What did you do in the reading corner or the library?Follow-up: Which book did you pick? After school or daycare, a few words.
What did you do this week that you want to show someone?Follow-up: Who do you want to show? Feelings, a few words.
What did you get better at today?Follow-up: How can you tell? After school or daycare, a few words.
What did you have to sit still for today?Follow-up: How long did it feel? After school or daycare, a few words.
What did you not get to finish today?Follow-up: When will you get back to it? After school or daycare, a few words.
What did you play at recess, and who made up the rules?Follow-up: Were the rules fair? After school or daycare, a why or a little story.
What did you write or spell today?Follow-up: Can you write it in the air with your finger? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What did your teacher say today that you remember?Follow-up: Why do you think that one stuck? After school or daycare, a why or a little story.
What do you do to calm down when you are upset?Follow-up: What does not work at all? Feelings, a few words.
What do you do when a friend wants the same toy as you?Follow-up: Does it work? All about me, a why or a little story.
What do you want people to know about you?Follow-up: How could they find out? All about me, a why or a little story.
What do you want to ask your teacher tomorrow?Follow-up: What do you think the answer will be? After school or daycare, a why or a little story.
What do you want to do this year without any help?Follow-up: Who can show you how? All about me, a few words.
What does it feel like when someone shares with you?Follow-up: What did you last share? Feelings, a few words.
What does the word thankful mean?Follow-up: How is it different from happy? Thanksgiving, a why or a little story.
What game are you best at?Follow-up: How did you get good at it? All about me, a few words.
What happened in your special today: gym, music, art or library?Follow-up: Can you show me one thing from it? After school or daycare, a few words.
What happens in a story about a lost mitten?Follow-up: How does the story end? Play and pretend, a why or a little story.
What is the best thing you can draw?Follow-up: Will you draw it for me later? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What is the biggest number you know?Follow-up: What could there be that many of? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What is the difference between mad and sad?Follow-up: When did you feel each one? Feelings, a why or a little story.
What is the first thing you will put on your Thanksgiving plate?Follow-up: What is the last thing? Thanksgiving, point, choose or one word.
What is your favorite book right now?Follow-up: Which part do you want to hear again? All about me, point, choose or one word.
What is your favorite thing about kindergarten?Follow-up: What would you change about it? All about me, a few words.
What job at home are you big enough to do now?Follow-up: Which job are you still too little for? All about me, a few words.
What job do you want when you grow up?Follow-up: What would you do all day at that job? All about me, a few words.
What letter or number did you work on today?Follow-up: What starts with it, or has that many? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
What makes a no-school day feel different?Follow-up: What do you do first on a day like that? All about me, a few words.
What new food would you add to the Thanksgiving table?Follow-up: Who would try it first? Thanksgiving, a few words.
What was the best part of recess?Follow-up: Who was in the game? After school or daycare, a few words.
What was the hardest rule to follow today?Follow-up: Why do you think it is a rule? After school or daycare, a why or a little story.
What were you nervous about that turned out fine?Follow-up: What would you tell a kid who is nervous now? Feelings, a why or a little story.
What would a school for dragons teach?Follow-up: What would happen at recess? Play and pretend, a why or a little story.
What would a squirrel tell you about its day?Follow-up: What would you tell it about yours? Play and pretend, a why or a little story.
What would grow if you planted a button?Follow-up: What would you plant next? Play and pretend, a few words.
What would you do with a tail?Follow-up: What kind of tail is it? Play and pretend, a few words.
What would you feed a pet cloud?Follow-up: Where would it sleep? Play and pretend, a few words.
What would you invent to make mornings easier?Follow-up: How would it work? Play and pretend, a why or a little story.
What would your superhero name be?Follow-up: What is your power? Play and pretend, a few words.
When is it hard to be patient?Follow-up: What helps the time go faster? Feelings, a few words.
Where do you like to go on a day with no school?Follow-up: What do you do there? All about me, a few words.
Which feeling is the hardest one to have?Follow-up: What helps it pass? Feelings, a why or a little story.
Which grown-up at school would you like to thank?Follow-up: What do they do for you? Thanksgiving, a few words.
Which storybook would you climb inside?Follow-up: What would you do in there? Play and pretend, a few words.
Who do you want to play with tomorrow?Follow-up: What will you play? After school or daycare, point, choose or one word.
Who in your class tells the best jokes?Follow-up: Can you tell me one? After school or daycare, a few words.
Who shared something with you today?Follow-up: What could you share back? After school or daycare, a few words.
How this list was compiled
Written for this page by the Game Night Generator editors in September 2026; no question or follow-up is copied from another list. There are 150 questions in three age groups (36 for toddlers aged 2 to 3, 54 for preschoolers aged 3 to 5, 60 for kindergarteners aged 5 to 6) and five sets: after school or daycare (36), all about me (36), feelings (27), play and pretend (36) and Thanksgiving (15). Every line was screened against the site blocklist for children's pages: nothing frightening, nothing about a child's body, money or faith, no question about who is in a child's family, no real people, and nothing a child has to read or type. Age groups and levels are the editors' judgment. They follow the kinds of question named in the CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestone lists, which describe what most children (75 percent or more) can do by an age: point to things in a book when asked 'Where is the bear?' by 2 years; name things when asked 'What is this?' and show they know at least one color by 30 months; talk in conversation with at least two back-and-forth exchanges by 3 years; talk about at least one thing that happened during the day by 4 years; tell a story with at least two events and keep a conversation going for more than three exchanges by 5 years. Read on 2026-09-19 at https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/2-years.html and the pages for 30 months, 3 years, 4 years and 5 years beside it. The deck is conversation for fun and not a development check; the CDC says its lists do not replace a validated screening tool. No reading level is claimed, because an adult reads every card aloud. On 2026-09-20 a script compared every question with every other question deck on this site, including the conversation starters for kids, the morning meeting questions, the attendance questions and the kindergarten trivia, and questions that repeated one elsewhere were rewritten. This site is not connected with the CDC. Licence: own work