Questions · Kids

Questions to ask kids that get more than a shrug

Good questions for kids from about five to twelve. Easy openers, questions about their friends and their world, a few wild what-ifs, and a handful that go a little deeper when they’re in the mood.

  • 18 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.

Getting to know№ 40

How do you usually show a friend that you care?

Paano mo usually pinapakita sa friend na may care ka?

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A note

Care has many shapes: checking in, feeding people, remembering details, giving space, or staying when it gets inconvenient.

Maraming itsura ang care: nangangamusta, nagpapakain, nakakaalala ng details, nagbibigay ng space, o nananatili kahit hassle.

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The questions

18 questions to ask kids

Every card is written for anyone, so read it aloud in your own words if a phrase is too grown-up for your kid.

Easy openers

5 questions

Nothing to get wrong. Good for the first question of the day.

  1. With an unlimited budget, what extra room would you add to your home?

    Kung walang limit ang budget, anong dagdag na kuwarto ang gusto mo sa bahay?

    Back of the card

    If the new room had a sign on its door, what would it say?

    Kung may karatula sa pinto ng bagong kuwarto, ano ang nakasulat doon?

  2. Design a celebration just for you. What would make it feel special?

    Magplano ng celebration para sa sarili mo. Ano ang magpapaspecial dito?

    Back of the card

    Which part of the celebration would you happily repeat the next day?

    Aling bahagi ng celebration ang masaya mong uulitin kinabukasan?

  3. 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.

  4. Which toy would you want to make as tall as you?

    Anong laruan ang gusto mong maging kasingtangkad mo?

    Back of the card

    You can choose a toy you know or invent one. What would you do with it?

    Puwedeng laruan na kilala mo o sariling imbento. Ano ang gagawin mo rito?

  5. Pick one small mood upgrade, like a drink, song, scent, snack, or clean space.

    Pumili ng isang small mood upgrade, like drink, song, scent, snack, o malinis na space.

    Back of the card

    A mood upgrade does not need to be big. Sometimes one small detail is enough to change the angle of the day.

    Hindi kailangang malaki ang mood upgrade. Minsan isang small detail lang, nag-iiba na yung angle ng araw.

About their friends and their world

5 questions

Kids notice more than we think. These let them show it.

  1. When you meet a new friend or group, how do you usually get comfortable?

    Kapag may bago kang friend o group, paano ka usually nagiging comfortable?

    Back of the card

    People warm up at different speeds. Some start with jokes, some with listening, some by quietly showing up again.

    Iba-iba ang pace ng pag-warm up. May dumadaan sa jokes, may sa pakikinig, at may tahimik lang na bumabalik ulit.

  2. What makes a game with friends fun even when no one wins?

    Ano ang nagpapasaya sa laro kasama ang friends kahit walang nananalo?

    Back of the card

    What would be a funny prize just for joining?

    Anong nakakatawang premyo ang puwedeng ibigay sa lahat ng sumali?

  3. 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.

  4. How do you usually show a friend that you care?

    Paano mo usually pinapakita sa friend na may care ka?

    Back of the card

    Care has many shapes: checking in, feeding people, remembering details, giving space, or staying when it gets inconvenient.

    Maraming itsura ang care: nangangamusta, nagpapakain, nakakaalala ng details, nagbibigay ng space, o nananatili kahit hassle.

  5. If someone were choosing a snack or drink for you, what’s one choice that would almost always work?

    Kung may pipili ng snack o drink para sa'yo, ano yung halos laging okay sa'yo?

    Back of the card

    Tiny preferences can be an easy way to know someone better. It feels good when people remember the simple things.

    Minsan sa small preferences tayo mas nakikilala. Nakakatuwa rin kapag may nakakaalala ng simple things about you.

Imagine if…

4 questions

Big, silly scenarios. Expect long answers and follow-up rules.

  1. If someone funded one helpful idea for your neighborhood, what would you build or improve?

    Kung may sasagot sa gastos, ano ang gagawin o aayusin mo para makatulong sa lugar ninyo?

    Back of the card

    Picture its first day in use. What would you be happy to see people doing?

    Isipin ang unang araw na ginagamit na ito. Ano ang ikatutuwa mong ginagawa ng mga tao?

  2. If you could lend someone a superpower for one day, what power would you give?

    Kung mapapahiram mo ng superpower ang isang tao nang isang araw, anong power ang ibibigay mo?

    Back of the card

    Imagine their first reaction when they try the borrowed power.

    Isipin ang unang reaction nila kapag sinubukan ang hiniram na power.

  3. In an adventure story, would you be the guide, cook, builder, storyteller, or someone else?

    Sa adventure story, anong role ang pipiliin mo: guide, cook, builder, storyteller, o iba pa?

    Back of the card

    Your character has one familiar object in their bag. What is it?

    May isang pamilyar na gamit sa bag ng tauhan mo. Ano iyon?

  4. If you could pause time, when would you use it?

    Kung kaya mong i-pause ang oras, kailan mo ito gagamitin?

    Back of the card

    During the pause, would you rush to do something or enjoy the quiet?

    Habang naka-pause, may mamadaliin ka bang gawin o mae-enjoy mo ang katahimikan?

A little deeper, when they’re in the mood

4 questions

For a calm moment, never as a quiz.

  1. What have you done recently that you are pleased about?

    Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?

    Back of the card

    If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?

    Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?

  2. Name something you are nervous about that still feels worth trying.

    Magsabi ng isang bagay na kinakabahan ka pero parang worth it pa ring subukan.

    Back of the card

    Nerves and courage often show up together. The fear does not automatically mean the step is wrong.

    Madalas magkasama ang kaba at courage. Hindi porket may takot, mali na agad ang step.

  3. What helped you feel welcome in a new place?

    Ano ang nakatulong para maramdaman mong welcome ka sa isang bagong lugar?

    Back of the card

    Would you do something similar for someone new? You can also leave it as a good memory.

    Gagawin mo rin ba iyon para sa bagong dating? Puwede ring magandang alaala na lang muna ito.

  4. Which compliment from a friend made you smile recently?

    Anong compliment mula sa friend ang nagpangiti sa'yo lately?

    Back of the card

    Did you believe it right away, or did it sink in later?

    Naniwala ka ba agad, o saka mo lang ito naramdaman?

How to use them

Before you ask

The questions kids answer best are specific, a bit playful and impossible to get wrong. “How was your day?” fails because it asks a seven-year-old to summarize six hours. “What would you sell in a tiny shop?” works because there’s a picture in it.

Start with the easy openers and the what-ifs; they warm kids up the way small talk warms up adults. Once they’re chatting, slip in a question about friends or about something they’re proud of. You’ll often hear more about their day sideways than you would by asking about it straight.

Answer the questions yourself too. Kids love hearing a grown-up’s silly answer, and it shows them the game is a swap, not a test. If they pass on one, let it go and pick another card.

Good for

  • Dinner, breakfast and snack time
  • Car rides and waiting rooms
  • Bedtime wind-down
  • Playdates and sleepovers
  • Grandparents, aunts and babysitters who want an easy way in

Tips

  1. Ask one question, then follow their answer instead of reading the next card.
  2. Give your own answer first when a kid looks stuck. It shows the shape of an answer.
  3. Let them ask you a card, too. Kids ask better follow-ups than most adults.
  4. Swap a big word for a smaller one when you read aloud; keep the idea the same.
  5. Stop while they still want one more. That’s how it becomes a habit they ask for.

Decks for this

Questions for kids

Frequently asked questions

What are good questions to ask kids?

Specific, playful questions with no wrong answer: what they’d sell in a tiny shop, which superpower they’d lend a friend, what makes a game fun even when nobody wins. Then follow whatever they say with “and then what?”

How do I get my kid to answer more than “fine”?

Ask about something smaller than the whole day, ask while you’re doing something side by side, and answer the question yourself too. Imaginative questions often lead kids back to real things that happened.

What age are these questions for?

Roughly five to twelve. For younger kids see the kindergarten questions; for ten to twelve, the tween questions go further into friends and school.

Can kids play these on a phone?

Yes. They come from Kumustahan, a free conversation card app. Pick Just for fun or Icebreakers, choose Keep it light, and let your kid tap to flip the card.

Bring a better question to the table.

Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.

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