A question of the day is a time-honored way to start morning meeting or kick off a lesson. Thinking about a new question each day builds speaking and listening skills, encourages students to collaborate, and strengthens classroom community. Questions that are more introspective can also help students understand themselves better as they build reflection skills. The challenge is getting a new question for each day of the school year. Well, we’ve got more than 270 questions of the day, one for every day of the school year and a few extra just in case!
Below are more than 200 questions of the day for students from kindergarten through high school to get them thinking and talking.
Ready to get started? Jump to:
- Getting to Know You Questions
- Food Favorites
- Would you Rather Questions
- Have you Ever Questions
- What if Questions
- Imaginative Questions
- Preference Questions
- School Questions
- Questions about Family
- Questions about Friends
- Big Picture Questions
- Silly Questions
- Questions to Wrap Up the Day
How To Use Questions of the Day
Questions of the day can be used throughout your day, here are our favorite ways to use them:
- Morning meeting or bell ringers: Start the day with a question to get students thinking. When the question of the day is posted, students can jot their answer in their notebook or on a piece of paper so they’re ready to share. You can change how they share their answer each day. Some days it’s a turn-and-talk and others its a whole group share out, depending on the question.
- Attendance routines: Have students answer on sticky notes and post their answer on the board. Then, as you’re reviewing the answers capture attendance as well.
- Writing warm up: Writing can be a tough time of day. Start students’ writing with a low-stakes question of the day. They’ll get the first sentences out of the way and warm up their hands and brains for harder assignments.
- SEL activities: Many of the questions of the day relate to social emotional learning, like what makes you cry? Use these questions to help students learn more about themselves, and see commonalities between themselves and their classmates.
- Partner activities: When students are learning how to share with a partner, or sharing with a new person for the first time, use a question of the day to get the conversation flowing and help students learn a little about each other before they start working for real.
- Brain breaks: Have students stand up and get back-to-back with a partner or in a group of three or four. Then, give them a question to talk about. The combination of movement and sharing will help reset your class.
Tips for Using Questions of the Day
Use these tips to make questions of the day even more meaningful:
- Build routines around how you use questions of the day. Use a think-pair-share routine or write-respond process to encourage students to think before they share.
- Encourage longer answers. 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?
- Give sentence starters. For students who don’t know how to start their responses, including multilingual learners, provide an optional sentence starter for each question. For example, if they are answering the question: Would you like to live in a tree house? The sentence starter could be: I would/not like to live in a tree house because…
Question of the Day Ideas
Getting to Know You Questions
These questions help students get to know each other and are particularly useful for beginning of the year, after breaks, or when you need a low-stakes question to get kids talking.
- What is one word you’d use to describe you?
- What is the most interesting vehicle you have ever traveled in?
- Do you like to swim?
- Do you like to dance?
- What games do you like to play with friends?
- When it rains, do you go inside or play outside?
- What animals do you pet first at a petting zoo?
- Have you ever caught a fish?
- What type of music would you like to be able to sing?
- Have you ever been to an apple orchard (or a pumpkin patch, tree farm, etc.)?
- 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 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?
- 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?
- What are you known for?
- Would you like to live in a tower like Rapunzel?
- Do you have a wallet or a piggy bank?
- What makes your best friend special?
- What family member do you admire the 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?
Food Favorites
Talking about food is always fun! Incorporate these food questions into morning meeting or warm ups.
- What do you put on your ice cream?
- What is your favorite dipping sauce?
- Do you like to dip your vegetables (or chicken nuggets or apples) in sauce?
- Do you put dressing on your salad?
- What’s your favorite flavor of chips?
- What’s your favorite Popsicle flavor?
- What kind of soup would you eat for dessert?
- What kind of dessert would you eat for breakfast?
- What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
- What is your favorite pizza topping?
- What is your favorite kind of birthday cake?
- What is your favorite snack food?
- Which do you like better, ice cream or cookies?
- What is your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant?
- If you could make any meal, what would you make?
- What is a meal or food you still think about?
Would you Rather Questions
Would you rather questions are a fun way to get kids thinking about something they may never have thought about before. They’re also great to get kids up and moving if you have students move to the side of the room that represents their choice before they chat.
- Would you rather swim in a lake, the ocean, or a pool?
- Would you rather live in a houseboat or a tree house?
- Would you rather let Goldilocks or Red Riding Hood into your house?
- Would you rather run into the big bad wolf or the wicked witch?
- Would you rather have a pig or a goat for a pet?
- Would you rather be a giraffe or have a giraffe for a pet?
- Would you rather travel by submarine or hot air balloon?
- Would you rather eat nothing but pizza or ice cream for the rest of your life?
- Would you rather end up on a desert island or an isolated mountaintop?
- Would you rather live in a castle or a sky scraper?
- Would you rather live in the city or the country?
- Would you rather travel every weekend or for a month in the summer?
- Would you rather swim with penguins or live with tropical birds?
- Would you rather take a canoe along the Amazon river or climb Mount Everest?
Get 300 more Would you Rather questions.
Have You Ever Questions
These questions ask about students’ experiences and can be used to help students find common ground.
- 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?
- Have you jumped off a diving board?
- Have you ever climbed a tree?
- 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?
- Have you ever been to the ocean?
- Have you ever walked through a corn field?
- Have you ever carved a pumpkin?
- Have you ever been to another country?
- Have you ever baked a cake from scratch?
- Have you ever tossed pizza dough?
What if Questions
What if questions make students think through scenarios they’ve never thought about before!
- If you found a pot of gold, what would you do with it?
- If you could have a wild animal for a pet, which wild animal would you choose?
- If you were a shark, what kind of shark would you be?
- If you could have a conversation with your pet, what would you talk about?
- What if you didn’t need to sleep. How would life be different?
- 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?
- If you were going to start a band, what genre of music would you play?
- 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?
- 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?
- If you had to pull off a museum heist, which museum would you rob and how?
- If you had to smell one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- If you suddenly became a giant, what would be the greatest inconvenience?
Imaginative Questions of the Day
These questions get kids’ imaginations going. Use them to start kids’ thinking before they discuss or write.
- What fairy-tale character would you like to meet?
- 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?
- What is a time you felt lucky?
- Imagine that you discovered a new color. What would you name it?
- What is something that is usually eaten for breakfast but you think it should be eaten for lunch or dinner?
- What is a job you would like to have for one week?
- What mythical creature would you want for a pet?
- What ecosystem would you like to explore?
- What would you do with one extra hour each day?
- What sport would you like to try?
- 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?
- Which Olympic sport would you like to win a gold in?
- If you could talk with any animal, which would you talk with and why?
- Which Disney movie would you like to live in?
- What was the most important invention in human history and why?
Preference Questions of the Day
These questions ask students to name their favorite animal, sport, and other categories. They’re a great way to learn more about students and gather information that you can use to create pairings and groups.
- 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?
- 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 musical instrument?
- What is your favorite time of day?
- What is your favorite day of the week?
- What country are you most interested in visiting?
- Do you like sunny days or rainy days?
- What is your favorite class?
- 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?
- 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?
- Do you prefer to do sports or athletic activities by yourself (running, yoga) or with a team?
- What sports do you like to watch but not play?
- What sports do you like to play but not watch?
- 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?
- Would you rather watch a movie at home or in the theater?
- What is your favorite board game or video game to play?
- What TV show could you binge-watch over and over?
- What is a movie that everyone should watch?
- What is a book that everyone should read?
- What is a holiday tradition that you want to share?
- If you got to plan a vacation, where would you go?
Reflective Questions of the Day
Reflection is an executive functioning skill that will build students’ ability to think about their preferences, actions and thoughts. This carriers over into reflecting about their work and actions.
- What are you very good at?
- What makes you laugh?
- What makes you cry?
- What makes you angry?
- What is your best quality?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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 the best gift you have ever given someone?
- What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
- What is the hardest thing about being an elementary schooler (or middle schooler, etc)?
- 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 irritates you the most?
- 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?
- 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 is your preferred method of communication?
Questions about Family
Learn more about students’ families and home lives with these questions. Note: Change the word “parents” for grown-ups or adults for students who don’t live with their parents.
- Who is in your family? Who do you live with?
- What makes your family special?
- What is one rule at home that you would change if you could?
- What makes you unique in your family?
- How does your family show you that they love you?
- Which family member do you want to be like when you grow up?
- How do you show your family that you love them?
- How do you define success?
- What is a habit that you picked up from your parents?
- What is something nice that someone in your family did for you recently?
Questions about Friends
You know friendships and the drama that comes with them comes into your classroom, talk about friendships before SEL lessons or before concerns arise with these questions.
- Would you rather have a lot of friends or one close friend?
- What are your favorite things to do with friends?
- What makes you different from your friends?
- Think about a friend you have. What is special about that friend?
- What makes you a good friend?
- What makes you unique in your group of friends?
- What makes your group of friends special?
- Who do you sit with at lunch?
- Who do you sit next to on the bus?
- Who made you smile today?
- Did anyone share with you today? Did you share with anyone?
- Who do you usually play with at recess? What do you play?
- How can you include kids at recess (or lunch, etc)?
School Questions
Learn everything from how students get to and from school to their ambitions and goals by asking these questions.
- How do you get to school?
- What is your favorite school breakfast or lunch?
- Who is the first person you see when you get to school? How do they make you feel?
- What is the hardest thing about being an elementary schooler (or middle schooler, etc)?
- What is something that you are looking forward to doing in the next month at school?
- What is one memory you have from the last week at school that you want to remember forever?
- What sports do you play now? Do you think you will continue those in middle school or high school?
- What do you think makes a good classmate?
- How do you like to learn?
- How do you know you’re making progress in school?
- Tell us about a time you learned something. What did you learn? How did you learn it?
- What skill could you teach to others?
- What do you think your class’s reputation in the school is?
- What might your principal (or teacher) say about you?
- What makes the kids in your grade level unique?
- What club would you like to start or attend?
- Where is your favorite place to sit in a class?
- 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 1st grader (2nd grader, etc)?
- What do you think kids need to learn in school to be successful after they graduate?
- What song do you want to be played first at graduation?
Big Picture Questions of the Day
Big picture questions help kids think critically and connect their background knowledge with new ideas. These are great for when you have a longer time to discuss.
- 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?
- 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?
- What do you think the most significant event has been in the last 100 years?
- What time period in history had the most impact? Why?
- What makes someone a hero?
- What is the biggest challenge facing humanity today?
Get morning meeting questions.
Silly Questions of the Day
Sometimes you just want a question that will make students laugh.
- Would you like to be a shark?
- Have you ever touched a worm?
- What is one word you hate to say or hear?
- 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 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 of yourself?
- What is something you have an unreasonably strong opinion on?
- Have you ever cheated on a board game?
- 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?
- How do we know you are not a robot?
- You are a conman and can infiltrate any job. What do you do?
Questions 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?
- What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
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