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30 questions to ask your child after school

"How was your day?" usually gets a one-word answer. Specific, fun questions get children talking, build their speaking skills and tell you much more about school life. Here are 30 questions in 3 groups and 6 tips to make after-school chats work.

By the Eloqova team · Updated 11 November 2026

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Timing matters: Many children need a snack and some quiet time first. Car rides, walks and bedtime are often the best moments to talk.

10 fun questions

  1. What made you laugh today?
  2. What was the best part of your day?
  3. Who did you sit with at lunch?
  4. What game did you play at break?
  5. If you were the teacher today, what would you change?
  6. What was the funniest thing someone said?
  7. What did you eat first in your tiffin?
  8. Which part of the day would you like to do again?
  9. Did anything surprise you today?
  10. What song or word was stuck in your head?

10 questions about learning

  1. What is one new thing you learnt today?
  2. What was the hardest part of the day?
  3. Which subject felt easiest today?
  4. Did you ask a question in class?
  5. What did your teacher read or show you?
  6. Can you teach me something you learnt today?
  7. Was there anything you didn't understand?
  8. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
  9. What project or test is coming up?
  10. What did you feel proud of today?

10 questions about friends and feelings

  1. Who were you kind to today?
  2. Was anyone kind to you?
  3. Did anything make you feel sad or upset?
  4. Who would you like to play with more?
  5. Did anyone get into trouble? What happened?
  6. Did you help someone today?
  7. Was anyone left out at break?
  8. When did you feel happiest today?
  9. Did you feel nervous at any time today?
  10. Is there anything you want to tell me?

6 tips to get children talking

  1. Ask one or two questions, not ten in a row.
  2. Share something about your own day first.
  3. Listen without correcting or lecturing.
  4. Ask follow-up questions: "What happened next?"
  5. Put your phone away while you talk.
  6. Accept "I don't want to talk now" and try later.

How to practise at home

  1. Pick 2 questions from this list each day.
  2. Make a question jar and let your child pull one out at dinner.
  3. Let your child ask you questions about your day too.
  4. Encourage full-sentence answers by asking "Tell me more".

Questions parents ask

Why does my child say "nothing" when I ask about school?

General questions are hard to answer and children are often tired. Specific, fun questions at a relaxed moment work much better.

What should I ask my child after school?

Ask specific questions like "What made you laugh today?" or "Who did you sit with at lunch?" instead of "How was your day?"

Does talking about the day help my child's speaking skills?

Yes. Describing events in order, explaining feelings and answering follow-up questions are all important speaking skills.

More free guides

Want expert help? See our communication skills classes for kids: live 1:1 online classes for UKG to Grade 8.