270+ Unique Question of the Day Ideas for Students

Students get better at answering questions by, well, answering questions. Asking a question of the day, where each student has an opportunity to think about it and respond, builds knowledge and critical thinking skills. It also improves students’ language and communication skills as they create their answers and listen to what others are saying. Questions that are more introspective can also help students understand themselves better as they reflect on their day or experiences.

Below are more than 200 questions of the day for students from kindergarten through high school to get them thinking and talking.

How To Use Questions of the Day

You can use these question of the day ideas anytime, but it can be helpful to set up structures around them. For example, you could incorporate a question of the day during morning meeting. Or you could end the day with a question of the day that students respond to in the time between packing up and going home.

When you assign a question of the day, provide routine around it. Incorporate a question of the day into each morning meeting or daily warm-up. Give students time to think about the question and jot down some notes if they are going to discuss it. And for students who are able to write, give them time to write their response in a journal.

If a question of the day has few answers (e.g., yes or no, would you rather …), encourage students to expand on why they chose their answer. Is there a funny experience that makes them choose one thing over another? Or can they talk about the time they held a lightning bug or jumped off the diving board?

Jump to:

• Question of the Day Ideas for Early Elementary Schoolers
• Question of the Day Ideas for Upper Elementary Schoolers 
• Question of the Day Ideas for Middle Schoolers 
• Question of the Day Ideas for High Schoolers 
• Questions for the End of the Day

Question of the Day Ideas for Young Students

Pre-K and kindergarten students are learning how to answer questions, listen to each other, and respond appropriately in conversation. Use these questions during morning meeting or at the end of the day to get young kids talking. And be sure to ask follow-up questions to keep kids talking.

• Have you ever been to an apple orchard (or a pumpkin patch, tree farm, etc.)?
• Do you like to dip your vegetables (or chicken nuggets or apples) in sauce?
• Would you live in a tree house?
• Do you have your own bedroom or do you share a room?
• What do you like to do on a morning when there is no school?
• Would you like to be a shark?
• Have you ever touched a worm?
• Would you like to live in a burrow like a rabbit?
• Have you ever seen a rainbow?
• If you found a pot of gold, would you share it?
• What do you remember about your last birthday?
• Would you live in a castle (or tent) by yourself?
• Do you go grocery shopping?
• Do you like to use computers?
• How did you get to school today?
• What is the weather outside like today, and what do you like to do in this type of weather?
• Would you sit on a wall like Humpty Dumpty?
• Would you eat a candy house like Hansel and Gretel?
• What are you good at?
• Do you have a wallet or a piggy bank?

Question of the Day Ideas for Early Elementary Schoolers

Kindergartners and first and second graders love to share and are eager to feed off one another’s answers. Use these questions to engage kindergartners through second graders in thinking about topics that might be top of mind or something they’ve never thought about before.

Experience Questions of the Day

• Have you ever been to a farm?
• Have you ever been on a road trip?
• Have you ever been on an airplane?

• Have you ever traveled by boat?
• What is the most interesting vehicle you have ever traveled in?
• Do you like to swim?
• Do you like to dance?
• Would you rather swim in a lake, the ocean, or a pool?
• Have you jumped off a diving board?
• Have you ever climbed a tree?
• What games do you like to play with friends?

• When it rains, do you go inside or play outside?
• Have you ever caught a lightning bug?
• Have you ever held a ladybug?
• Have you ever looked at a bug under a magnifying glass?
• Have you ever been inside a fire truck?
• What type of music would you like to be able to sing?

Imagination Questions of the Day

• Would you live in a tree house?
• If you found a pot of gold, what would you do with it?
• Would you let Goldilocks come to your house?
• Would you let Shrek come to your house?
• Would you help the Big Bad Wolf if you came across him in your neighborhood?
• Would you have a pig for a pet?

• If you could have a wild animal for a pet, which wild animal would you choose?
• What fairy-tale character would you like to meet?

Preference Questions of the Day

• What is your favorite animal to see at the zoo?
• What is your favorite sport to play?
• What is your favorite Olympic sport to watch?
• What’s your favorite flavor of chips?
• What’s your favorite Popsicle flavor?
• What sport would you like to try?
• When it gets dark outside, do you prefer to be outside or inside?
• What do you like to watch on TV?
• What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

• What musical instrument would you like to play?
• What do you put on your ice cream?
• What is your favorite time of day?
• What is your favorite day of the week?
• What is your favorite pizza topping?
• What do you dip your chicken nuggets (or fries) into?
• What country are you most interested in visiting?
• Do you like sunny days or rainy days?
• What is your favorite class?

Reflection Questions of the Day

• What are you very good at?
• What makes your family special?
• What is one rule at home that you would change if you could?
• What makes you laugh?
• What makes you cry?
• What makes you angry?

• What is your best quality?
• What makes you different from your friends?
• What makes you unique in your family?
• How does your family show you that they love you?
• Think about a friend you have. What is special about that friend?
• What makes you a good friend?
• What book character is a good friend?
• What book character would you like to be friends with?
• What book character would you like to invite to your house?

Question of the Day Ideas for Upper Elementary Schoolers

Third, fourth, and fifth graders are eager to share and are ready to really reflect and think through scenarios. For more personal questions, give students the choice of whether or not they want to share.

Imagination Questions of the Day

• If you were a shark, what kind of shark would you be?
• Would you rather be a giraffe or have a giraffe for a pet?
• Do you think you would like to be president of the United States?
• When you are sad or mad, what makes you feel better?
• Which fictional character are you most like?
• If you could have a conversation with your pet, what would you talk about?
• How would life be different if you didn’t need to sleep?
• If you could invent a new food, what would it be?
• If you could travel to another time but could not impact events, what time period would you travel to?

• If you invented a robot, what would it do?
• If a genie granted you three wishes, what would you wish for?
• If you could invent a new video game, what would it be about?
• If you could fly, where would you go?
• If you could paint your own room, what color would you paint it?
• If you were principal for a day, what would you do?
• If unicorns were real, would you want one for a pet?
• If you could travel to any planet, which one would you choose?

• If you could open a store, what would you sell?
• If you could start a club, what club would you start?
• What is a time you felt lucky?
• If you were going to start a band, what genre of music would you play?
• Imagine that you discovered a new color. What would you name it?
• What kind of soup would you eat for dessert?
• What kind of dessert would you eat for breakfast?
• What is something that is usually eaten for breakfast but you think it should be eaten as another meal?
• What is a job you would like to have for one week?

Preference Questions of the Day

• What is your favorite kind of birthday cake?
• What is your favorite school holiday?
• What is a movie that you would recommend to everyone in your grade?
• Would you rather sit in the back of the class or the front?
• What book should everyone read in elementary school?

• What is your favorite holiday?
• Who is your favorite person in the world?
• What is the best gift you have ever received?
• Which do you like better, ice cream or cookies?
• Do you like clowns? Why or why not?
• What is your favorite type of weather?
• Where would you like to go on vacation?
• If you were going to take a long trip, would you rather travel by car or plane?

• What sports do you play or what activities do you do after school?
• If you were going to compete in the Olympics, which sport would you compete in?
• Do you prefer to do sports or athletic activities by yourself (running, yoga) or with a team?
• What is your favorite snack food?
• What sports do you like to watch but not play?
• What sports do you like to play but not watch?

Reflection Questions of the Day

• What word would you use to describe yourself?
• What skills are you particularly good at? What helped make you so good at these skills?
• What chore do you actually enjoy doing?
• What is your least favorite chore to do?
• Which family member do you want to be like when you grow up?

• How do you show your family that you love them?
• What makes you unique in your group of friends?
• What makes your group of friends special?
• What makes the kids in your grade level unique?
• What is the best gift you have ever given someone?
• What do you think your class’s reputation in the school is?
• What might your principal (or teacher) say about you?

Question of the Day Ideas for Middle Schoolers

Middle schoolers are full of opinions. Help them think through their reasoning by modeling how you think through your responses to questions of the day. Consider providing a journal that students can respond in, and let them indicate whether or not they want you to read it.

Preference Questions of the Day

• What is a movie that everyone in middle school should watch?
• What is a book that everyone in middle school should read?
• What is a task or job that should be removed for middle schoolers?
• What is something that middle schoolers should never be asked to do?
• What is your favorite holiday tradition?
• What is your favorite sport?
• Of all the places you’ve visited, which is your favorite?

• What is your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant?
• Would you rather watch a movie at home or in the theater?
• What is your favorite board game or video game to play?

Imagination Questions of the Day

• If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
• If you could add one thing to the lunch menu at school, what would you add?
• If you could learn a new instrument, which would you choose?

• If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
• If you could live on Mars, would you?
• If you were going to open a business, what kind of business would it be?
• If you could eat just one snack for the rest of your life, which snack would you choose?
• If you could give one gift to every child in the world, what would it be?
• If you had a signature sandwich, what would it be made of? What would you name it?
• If you had to throw out everything but one possession, what would you keep?

• If you were president of the United States, what kind of president would you be?
• What mythical creature would you want for a pet?
• What ecosystem would you like to explore?

Reflection Questions of the Day

• What is the hardest thing about being a middle schooler?
• What three words would you use to describe yourself?
• What is a small change you can make today that would have a big impact on your life?
• What is something you have changed your mind about recently?
• What is something that you are looking forward to doing in the next month?
• What is the best advice you have ever received?

• What irritates you the most?
• What makes someone a hero?
• What is the biggest challenge facing humanity today?
• How do you define success?
• What is one thing that adults could learn from kids?
• How does the weather affect your mood?
• On your favorite vacation, where did you go? What did you do?
• What sports do you play now? Do you think you will continue those in high school?
• What do you think makes a good teammate?

• What skill could you teach to others?
• When you’ve had a bad day, how do you help yourself feel better?
• What motivates you most (e.g., rewards, prestige, knowing things, power)?
• When do you think a person becomes an adult?
• What makes your best friend special?
• What family member do you admire tridihe most?
• What chores do you actually like to do?

• What is most important to your family?
• How do you show your family you appreciate them?

Big Picture Questions of the Day

• What would you like to see changed in the world?
• If you could invent a rule that everyone followed, what would the rule be?
• How do you think life will be different when you are an adult?

• What do you think the world will be like in 50 years?
• If you had a time machine, would you travel to the past or the future?
• Do you think students should have to take gym (or play a sport)? Why or why not?

Question of the Day Ideas for High Schoolers

High schoolers are coming into their own. They’re ready to think through questions and discuss and debate them with evidence and support, not just their opinion. Questions of the day in high school are a way to build in more critical thinking and to encourage students to think through their values and beliefs.

Preference Questions of the Day

• What TV show could you binge-watch over and over?
• What is a movie that every high schooler should watch?
• What is a book that every high schooler should read?
• What is one holiday tradition that you plan to keep doing as an adult?

• Where is your favorite place to sit in a class? Do you think this would change if it were a large lecture hall compared to a small discussion class?
• If you got to plan a vacation, where would you go?
• When you plan a vacation, do you prefer to have everything planned out or would you rather play it by ear?

Imagination Questions of the Day

• What would you do with one extra hour each day?
• If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would you eat?
• If you could teach a class, what would you teach?
• If you could change the ending to a book or movie, which ending would you change and why?
• If you could meet someone from the past, who would you like to meet?

• If you could go back in time, what period would you travel to?
• If you were president of the United States, what policies would you focus on?
• If you were stuck on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
• If you could travel back in time to five years ago, what would you tell your younger self?

Reflection Questions of the Day

• What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
• What is the hardest thing about being a high schooler?
• What is the hardest thing about growing up?
• What is the best advice someone has given you?
• What has your most significant accomplishment been so far?

• How would you describe your personality?
• How do you handle it when you are confused or unsure about something?
• What was the most important invention in human history and why?
• In your life, what is one thing you would want to become an expert at and why?
• What is the most valuable thing in your life and why?

• How important is the weather for you when you are planning where to live or where to move for college?
• What sports or extracurriculars have you done in high school?
• What are your favorite memories from sports you played or extracurriculars you participated in?
• What sports or activities do you want to keep doing in college or after high school?
• What skills have you gotten really good at as a child/teen? What could you do with those skills after high school?
• How do you help yourself recover from a setback or bad day?
• What is the most random thing you have gotten upset about?
• What is something childish that you still enjoy?

• What values are most important to you?
• What would you like to be famous for as an adult?
• What does success look like for you?
• What is a moment that you realized you were wrong, and what caused this epiphany?
• What is your personal mantra?
• What is an ideal most worth sacrificing for?
• If you could tell your past self one thing, what would it be?
• What is the biggest risk you have ever taken?
• What is your most treasured memory?
• What brings you the most joy?
• What would your younger self think of you today?
• If you could relive one day of your life, which one would it be?

Big Picture Questions of the Day

• How can you change the world in your lifetime?
• What is the most valuable quality in a leader?
• Should everyone have to get a high school diploma? A college degree?
• What should the United States require of its citizens?

• Would you support every 18-year-old having to complete a year in the army? Why or why not?
• Do you think the voting age should be moved from 18?
• If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
• If you could uninvent one thing, what would it be?

Get morning meeting questions.

Random Questions of the Day

• What song do you want to be played first at graduation?
• What song is the best soundtrack for you?
• What is your most irrational fear?
• If you could get a tattoo today, what tattoo would you get?
• What is your preferred method of communication?
• What is a habit that you picked up from your parents?
• What do you think the meaning of life is?
• If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
• What is your earliest memory?
• What is the best business idea you have ever had?
• What is your favorite word to say or write?
• If you could make up a new holiday, what would it be?
• Which villain do you actually cheer for?
• What baby animals would you surround yourself with?
• What is a story you always want to tell but never get a chance to?
• What is the most outrageous lie you’ve ever believed?
• What is the most fascinating fact you know?
• What is your favorite photograph?
• What is something you have an unreasonably strong opinion on?
• Have you ever cheated on a board game?

Silly Questions of the Day

• What is your go-to song to sing in the shower?
• What would you do if your pet suddenly started talking?
• What is the least amount of money you would accept for eating a dead worm?
• What would be the most awkward moment to cackle like a hyena?
• If you had to pull off a museum heist, which museum would you rob and how?
• How do we know you are not a robot?
• If you had to smell one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
• You are a conman and can infiltrate any job. What job do you do?
• If you suddenly became a giant, what would be the greatest inconvenience?

Questions To End the Day

Sometimes you need a question to wrap up the day. Since every day is different, set a schedule for how to end each day with a question of the day.

• What made you smile today?
• Who was kind to you today? Who were you kind to?
• What made you happy (or excited or proud) today?
• What made you laugh today?
• What are you thankful for today?
• What was the best part of your day?
• How did you challenge yourself today?
• Are you ending the day more stressed or more relaxed than you started?

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