Questions · Grandkids
Questions to ask your grandkids that they’ll actually answer
Questions for grandparents who want to know their grandkids, not just hear “good” about school. Their world right now, favorites worth remembering, silly ones for sleepovers at your house, and a few for when you live far apart.
- 16 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
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.
What kind of message from me makes you feel close to me when we are apart?
Anong klaseng message mula sa akin ang nagpaparamdam sa'yo na close pa rin tayo kahit magkalayo?
Distance does not always need constant contact. Sometimes one thoughtful message can help you feel connected again.
Hindi laging constant contact ang kailangan kapag magkalayo. Minsan isang thoughtful na message lang, nakakatulong nang maramdaman ulit ang connection.
The questions
16 questions to ask your grandkids
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.
Catching up on their world
5 questions
What they’re into now. It changes faster than you’d think.
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Name a new interest a friend might be surprised you enjoy.
Magbanggit ng bagong hilig mo na baka ikagulat ng friend.
Back of the card
You could open with: “I never thought I'd enjoy this, but...”
Puwedeng magsimula sa “Hindi ko akalaing magugustuhan ko ito, pero...”
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What are you good at that your friends rarely get to see?
Saan ka magaling na bihirang makita ng friends mo?
Back of the card
Imagine a friend seeing you do it for the first time.
Isipin na unang nakita ng friend kung paano mo ito ginagawa.
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Which kind of task makes you lose track of time?
Anong klaseng task yung nakakalimutan mong oras kapag ginagawa mo?
Back of the card
The tasks that make time move fast can reveal what absorbs you, energizes you, or quietly fits how your mind works.
Yung tasks na nagpapabilis ng oras pwedeng clue kung ano ang kumukuha ng focus mo, nagpapagana sa'yo, o bagay sa utak mo.
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How can friends tell when you are excited about something?
Paano nahahalata ng friends na excited ka sa isang bagay?
Back of the card
Think of the sign you notice in yourself before anyone else does.
Isipin ang senyales na napapansin mo sa sarili mo bago pa mapansin ng iba.
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What fun activity would you like to introduce your friends to?
Anong masayang activity ang gusto mong ipakilala sa friends?
Back of the card
Imagine their first try going wrong in a harmless, funny way.
Isipin na may simpleng sablay sa unang pagsubok nila na puwede ninyong pagtawanan.
Favorites to remember
4 questions
Write these down. They make easy gifts and good surprises.
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What food is hard for you to say no to?
Anong pagkain ang hirap mong tanggihan?
Back of the card
Food answers can be light, but they usually carry a little story: comfort, habit, craving, or someone who introduced it.
Light lang ang food answer, pero madalas may kasamang kuwento: comfort, habit, craving, o taong nagpakilala nito sa'yo.
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Pick one drink that makes an ordinary day feel a little special.
Pumili ng isang drink na nagpaparamdam na medyo special ang ordinary day.
Back of the card
A drink can turn an ordinary pause into a tiny celebration. Sometimes that small upgrade is the whole point.
Minsan isang drink lang, parang may small celebration na sa ordinary day. Yun na yung tiny upgrade.
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What flavor of ice cream would you invent?
Anong lasa ng ice cream ang iimbentuhin mo?
Back of the card
Give your invented ice cream a name if you like.
Kung gusto mo, bigyan mo ng pangalan ang ice cream na inimbento mo.
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Name one small, specific thing you enjoy more than people expect.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit at specific na bagay na mas enjoy mo kaysa ina-expect ng iba.
Back of the card
Specific joys can be tiny clues about a person. They do not need to make sense to everyone to be real.
Yung specific joys, maliit na clue tungkol sa tao. Hindi kailangan gets ng lahat para maging real.
Silly ones for sleepovers at your house
4 questions
Grandparents are allowed to be sillier than parents.
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What comic-book hero name would fit something you are good at?
Anong comic-book hero name ang bagay sa talento mo?
Back of the card
What problem would your hero solve?
Anong problema ang kayang ayusin ng hero mo?
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Give yourself a funny award for something you are surprisingly good at.
Bigyan mo sarili mo ng funny award para sa bagay na surprisingly magaling ka.
Back of the card
A funny award makes small talents official. Some skills may not belong on a resume, but they still deserve a ceremony.
Ginagawang official ng funny award ang small talents. Hindi man pang-resume, deserve pa rin ng ceremony.
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If you could open a tiny shop just for fun, what would it sell?
Kung magbubukas ka ng maliit na tindahan for fun, ano ang ibebenta mo?
Back of the card
What would you call your shop?
Ano ang ipapangalan mo sa tindahan?
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If you could understand one kind of animal, which would you choose?
Kung maiintindihan mo ang isang klase ng hayop, ano ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Imagine the animal gets to ask you something too. What might it ask?
Isipin na may tanong din sa'yo ang hayop. Ano kaya iyon?
When you live far apart
3 questions
For video calls and the gap between visits.
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What kind of message from me makes you feel close to me when we are apart?
Anong klaseng message mula sa akin ang nagpaparamdam sa'yo na close pa rin tayo kahit magkalayo?
Back of the card
Distance does not always need constant contact. Sometimes one thoughtful message can help you feel connected again.
Hindi laging constant contact ang kailangan kapag magkalayo. Minsan isang thoughtful na message lang, nakakatulong nang maramdaman ulit ang connection.
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What could you and a faraway friend enjoy doing together online?
Kung nasa malayo ang friend mo, ano ang puwede ninyong gawin online na pareho ninyong mae-enjoy?
Back of the card
Choose a little ritual to start it: the same greeting, the same song, or your own idea.
Puwedeng may nakasanayan kayong panimula: parehong bati, parehong kanta, o sarili ninyong ideya.
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How would you like friends to react when you share good news?
Paano mo gustong mag-react ang friends kapag may good news ka?
Back of the card
A loud cheer or a quiet “I'm happy for you” — which fits this news?
Malakas na cheer o tahimik na “Masaya ako para sa'yo” — alin ang bagay sa balitang ito?
How to use them
Before you ask
Grandparents often get the short version of a grandchild’s life: school is fine, soccer is fine, yes they’re eating. The fix is to ask about what they’re into, not how they’re doing. A grandkid who shrugs at “how’s school?” will talk for ten minutes about a new interest you didn’t know they had.
Write down the favorites. Knowing their go-to drink or the ice cream they’d invent turns into the treat waiting at your house, which tells a kid you were listening. The silly questions are for sleepovers, when you have more time than parents usually do.
If you live far apart, ask what kind of message makes them feel close. Some kids love a voice memo, some a photo of the dog, some a quick video call. Knowing which saves a lot of calls that go nowhere.
Good for
Tips
- Ask about interests, not performance: skip grades and scores.
- Keep a notebook of their favorites and use it.
- On video calls, ask one question and let them show you something.
- Tell your own answer from when you were their age.
- Let them ask you a card; grandkids love grandparents’ stories.
Decks for this
Grandkids
Frequently asked questions
What questions should I ask my grandchildren?
Ask about their world right now: a new interest that might surprise you, something they’re good at that people rarely see, what they’d love to introduce you to. Then ask for favorites you can remember.
How do I talk to my grandkids on a video call?
Ask one specific question, let them show you something on camera, and keep it short. Ask what kind of message makes them feel close, then send that kind between calls.
What can grandparents talk about with teenage grandkids?
Their interests, how they like good news to be met, and what they’d like to do together. Teens open up to grandparents who listen without lecturing.
Bring a better question to the table.
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