Questions · Bedtime

Bedtime questions for the last ten minutes of the day

Quiet questions for kids at bedtime, when the lights are low and they suddenly want to talk. Dreamy what-ifs, a look back at today, something to look forward to, and a soft one for when something is on their mind.

  • 17 questions
  • EN + TL on every card
  • Free in the app
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Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.

Icebreakers№ 52

Which compliment have you remembered long after someone said it?

Anong compliment ang tumatak sa'yo kahit matagal na itong sinabi?

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A note

The exact words are optional. Notice which part of the compliment stayed with you.

Hindi kailangan ang eksaktong salita. Balikan kung aling bahagi ng papuri ang tumatak sa'yo.

Tap to returnkumustahan

The questions

17 bedtime questions for kids

Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.

Lights low, imagination up

6 questions

Peaceful places and quiet moments. Nothing that winds them back up.

  1. You wake up on a peaceful island with food and shelter ready. What do you do first?

    Nagising ka sa tahimik na isla na may pagkain at matutuluyan na. Ano ang una mong gagawin?

    Back of the card

    Imagine you find a path across the island. Would you follow it or stay where you are?

    May nakita kang daan sa isla. Susundan mo ba ito o mananatili ka muna sa kinaroroonan mo?

  2. What day from the past would you like to watch?

    Anong araw sa nakaraan ang gusto mong mapanood?

    Back of the card

    Pause on one scene from that day. Which detail would you want to look at longer?

    Huminto muna sa isang eksena ng araw na iyon. Anong detalye ang gusto mong tingnan nang mas matagal?

  3. Pick one view for a quiet morning: a beach sunrise or city lights before dawn.

    Sa tahimik na umaga, alin ang gusto mong tanawin: pagsikat ng araw sa beach o city lights bago sumikat ang araw?

    Back of the card

    Picture the view. Which detail would you want to remember?

    Isipin ang tanawin. Anong detalye ang gusto mong maalala?

  4. Pick your ideal weather: a warm rainy afternoon or a cool sunny morning.

    Pumili ng gusto mong panahon: maulan pero mainit na hapon o maaraw pero malamig na umaga.

    Back of the card

    Choose a sound to go with your weather.

    Pumili ng tunog na bagay sa pinili mong panahon.

  5. Describe your favorite quiet moment at home in one sentence.

    I-describe in one sentence yung favorite mong tahimik na moment sa bahay.

    Back of the card

    Quiet at home can be its own kind of treat. Sometimes the best part is that nothing needs to happen.

    Yung tahimik sa bahay, treat din minsan. Minsan best part na yung walang kailangang mangyari.

  6. Which everyday sound reminds you of home right away?

    Anong everyday sound ang nagpapaalala agad sa'yo ng home?

    Back of the card

    Home is not always a place first. Sometimes it is a sound you recognize before you even think about it.

    Hindi laging lugar agad ang home. Minsan sound siya na kilala mo na bago mo pa isipin.

Looking back at today

4 questions

One good thing, one kind thing, one thing that can wait.

  1. Name one small part of today that felt okay.

    Magbanggit ng isang maliit na part ng araw mo na okay naman.

    Back of the card

    An okay moment still counts. It does not have to fix the whole day to be worth noticing.

    Bilang pa rin ang okay na moment. Hindi niya kailangang ayusin ang buong araw para mapansin mo siya.

  2. Which small kindness from other people do you notice right away?

    Anong small kindness mula sa ibang tao ang napapansin mo agad?

    Back of the card

    It could be someone checking in, saving you a seat, helping quietly, or remembering a small detail. The kindness you notice may be the kind you needed before.

    Puwedeng may nag-check in, nagtira ng seat, tumulong quietly, o nakaalala ng small detail. Baka yung kindness na napapansin mo ang kind na kinailangan mo dati.

  3. Which compliment have you remembered long after someone said it?

    Anong compliment ang tumatak sa'yo kahit matagal na itong sinabi?

    Back of the card

    The exact words are optional. Notice which part of the compliment stayed with you.

    Hindi kailangan ang eksaktong salita. Balikan kung aling bahagi ng papuri ang tumatak sa'yo.

  4. Name one thing that can wait until tomorrow.

    Magbanggit ng isang bagay na puwedeng maghintay hanggang bukas.

    Back of the card

    Not everything needs today's strength. Letting one thing wait can be a practical kind of kindness.

    Hindi lahat kailangan ng lakas mo today. Minsan praktikal na kindness yung hayaan munang maghintay ang isang bagay.

Something to look forward to

4 questions

Send them to sleep thinking about tomorrow, not today’s worries.

  1. Which part of your day do you look forward to?

    Anong part ng araw mo ang inaabangan mo?

    Back of the card

    The part you look forward to can be a clue. It shows where your day still gives you a little life.

    Clue din yung part na inaabangan mo. Ipinapakita niya kung saan may konting buhay pa sa araw mo.

  2. Which small plan are you looking forward to?

    Anong small plan ang nilu-look forward mo?

    Back of the card

    Looking forward to something simple can help a week feel kinder. Small plans are allowed to matter.

    Nakakagaan ng week kapag may simpleng nilu-look forward. Puwedeng maging mahalaga kahit maliit na plan lang.

  3. Name one small hope that helps you keep going.

    Magbanggit ng isang maliit na hope na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.

    Back of the card

    A small hope can still carry real strength. It may be quiet, but it is not nothing.

    May totoong lakas din ang maliit na hope. Tahimik man siya, hindi ibig sabihin wala siyang bigat.

  4. What are you looking forward to over the next few weeks?

    Ano ang inaabangan mo sa susunod na mga linggo?

    Back of the card

    Finish if you like: "The part I cannot wait for is..."

    Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Ang pinaka-inaabangan ko ay..."

If something’s on their mind

3 questions

Only if they bring it up. Listen more than you answer.

  1. Which fear gets smaller when you talk about it?

    Anong takot ang gumagaan kapag naikukwento mo?

    Back of the card

    Some fears grow in silence and shrink in safe air. Talking can help you see their true size.

    May takot na lumalaki kapag tahimik lang. Kapag naikuwento sa safe na lugar, mas nakikita mo ang totoong laki niya.

  2. Pick one feeling you have today. What would you say to a friend who felt that too?

    Pumili ng isang feeling mo today. Ano ang sasabihin mo sa friend na ganun din ang nararamdaman?

    Back of the card

    Sometimes your gentlest wisdom shows up first for someone else. It may be allowed to come back to you too.

    Minsan mas mabilis lumabas ang lambing natin para sa iba. Baka puwede ring bumalik sa'yo yung same na wisdom.

  3. What helps you settle down after a full day?

    Ano ang nakakatulong sa'yo mag-settle after a full day?

    Back of the card

    The way you come down from a full day matters. Small rituals can help your mind know it is safe to rest.

    Mahalaga rin kung paano ka bumababa from a full day. Kahit maliit na ritual, puwedeng signal na safe nang magpahinga.

How to use them

Before you ask

Bedtime is when kids talk. The day is over, nobody is rushing, and the dark makes it easier to say things they wouldn’t say at the dinner table. Many parents notice that the stalling (“one more question!”) is actually a kid who wants ten more minutes of attention.

Use that, but keep the energy low. Start with a peaceful what-if, like a quiet island or a view at sunrise, then look back at one good part of today. End on something to look forward to, so the last thought before sleep is a small plan, not a worry.

If a kid brings up something heavy at bedtime, that’s trust, not bad timing. The last group is for those nights: listen, ask one gentle question, and promise to talk more tomorrow if it needs more than ten minutes.

Good for

  • Tuck-in and lights out
  • Bedtime stories that end early
  • Sleepovers winding down
  • Bedtime video calls with a traveling parent
  • Kids who stall bedtime with “one more thing”

Tips

  1. Keep the same order every night: one dreamy, one about today, one about tomorrow.
  2. Whisper the question. It slows everyone down.
  3. Skip anything that starts a debate or a giggle fit right before sleep.
  4. If a worry comes up, write it on a sticky note together and “park” it until morning.
  5. Let the last answer be theirs; don’t add a lesson.

Decks for this

Bedtime

Frequently asked questions

What are good bedtime questions to ask kids?

Calm ones: what they’d do first on a peaceful island, one small part of today that felt okay, a small plan they’re looking forward to. They settle the mind instead of revving it up.

Why does my child want to talk at bedtime?

It’s often the first unhurried, one-on-one moment of their day, and the dark makes talking feel safer. A few bedtime questions give that need a shape and an ending.

How many questions should we do before sleep?

Two or three. Make it a ritual with a clear last question so it soothes rather than stretches bedtime out.

Bring a better question to the table.

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