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110 Best Open Ended Questions for Kids and Teens

110 Best Open Ended Questions for Kids and Teens

Making friends can be difficult, at any age. Kids and teens often find themselves in a new environment where they are expected to make friends. Sometimes it gets awkward when no-one says anything – because they don’t know what to say! Just as for adults, it helps to have a strategy to break the ice.

By suggesting an array of open ended questions for kids and teens, you are giving them the keys for getting to know someone by removing the panic of not knowing what to say.

These are the perfect way to start a conversation for kids and teens – packed full of information that is interesting and fun. Take the time to test run using open ended questions for kids and teens – roleplay a little and practice this important skill of social interaction. Your kids will thank you for it later.

The following is a list of the best open ended questions for kids and teens.

 

Open ended questions for kids

 

01“What kind of magical power would you like to have?”

 

02“If you could be friends with any superhero, who would it be and why?”

 

03“What food could you eat every day and never get tired of?”

 

04“If you had to choose a different name, what would you be called?”

 

05“Who’s your hero?”

 

Big hand holds small hand
Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

06“What’s your favorite part about your best friend?”

 

07“What’s your favorite game to play?”

 

08“What are your three favorite toys?”

 

09“Do you like to play outside or would you rather play video games? Why?”

 

10“What’s your favorite subject in school?”

 

11“Who’s your favorite teacher?”

 

12“What’s your favorite cartoon character?”

 

13“What’s your favorite book?”

 

14“What’s the best thing about your mom/dad?”

 

man kissing the feet of a baby

Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

15“What do you love most in the world?”

 

16“Are you closer with your mom or dad and why?”

 

17“Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so, are you close to them?”

 

18“Do you have any pets? If yes, what are their names? If no, why?”

 

19“What’s your favorite part about the summer?”

 

20“What’s your favorite holiday?”

 

21“What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”

 

3 scoops of cookie ice cream

Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

22“If you could teleport yourself anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?”

 

23“What animal would you want to be?”

 

24“Where’s your favorite place to visit?”

 

 

25“What’s your favorite Disney movie”

 

26“What’s your favorite TV show?”

 

27“What makes you mad?”

 

Thunderstorm lightening
Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

28“Who is the one person you look up to most? Why?”

 

29“What’s your favorite dessert?”

 

30“What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?”

 

31“Which one is your favorite – a dog or a cat? Why do you like it? (One of the best ice breakers for kids under 10 is asking them what their favorite animal is)”

 

32“What color would you choose – red, blue or green? Why? (You can tell a lot about a kid just from asking about the colors that he/she likes best)”

 

Image from MaxPixel.net – under CC0 license

 
 

33“What is your favorite musical instrument? Why? (Knowing what instruments a kid can play can give you a common thing to talk about)”

 

34“Why do you think the sun disappears during night time? (Asking questions starting with why is one of my favorites to ask because it allows them to think and be creative)”

 

 
 

35“Who is your favorite anime character and why do you like this character?”

 

Image from MaxPixel.net – under CC0 license

 
 

36“Would you rather be the best in academics or in sports? Why?”

 

37“Who is your favorite Marvel superhero and why? (Kids like to roleplay superheroes, and this is your chance to ask them about their favorite)”

 

38“Which one is the best – flying with birds or swimming with fishes? (I like asking this question because it allows them to think of reasons why they would rather be a fish or a bird)”

 

Photo by bipincpatil – under the CC0 / Public Domain License

 
 

39“Why do you think the oceans are blue? (This question is one of the best ones – asking why the oceans are blue when water is transparent makes them really curious and creative with their answers)”

 

40“What is your favorite fruit and why?”

 

41“Would you rather eat a green mango or a ripe mango? Why? (I like asking this question because it gives you an insight about the personality of the kid)”

 

Photo by labenord – under CC0 license

 
 

42“Would you rather be like your dad or your mom? Why? (Better ask this when the parents are not around!)”

 

43“Science or math – which subject do you like best? Why is it your favorite?”

 

44“What kind of computer games do you like to play with your friends? (This is the best one to ask of you like to know what video game console to bring next time you meet)”

 

Image from libreshot.com – under CC0 / Public Domain License

 
 

45“Where do you think lightning comes from? (Another creative question I like to ask because it makes them think hard instead of just answering Yes or No)”

 

 
 

46“The best way to make friends with you is to?”

 

47“What is the best cake flavor for you? Why?”

 

Photo by congerdesign – under CC0 license

 
 

48“Do you like strawberry or chocolate ice cream? Which one is your favorite? (Knowing the favorite ice cream flavor of a kid can really give you a lot of plus points – you can bring him his favorite flavor the next time you meet!)”

 

49“Who is your favorite classmate and why do you like him or her?”

 

50“What are the best things that would easily make you smile?”

 

Photo by bruce mars – under CC0 license

 
 

51“Who is your favorite – Batman or Superman? Why do you like this hero? (Listen to kids talking about their favorite superhero can be really fun!)”

 

52“What is the best game that you have ever played and why do you like playing it?”

 

53“Do you like to play in the rain or under the sun? Why?”

 

Photo by StockSnap – under CC0 license

 
 

54“Will you rather be a butterfly or a bee? Why?”

 

55“Do you like watching funny or scary movies? Why?”

 

Open ended questions for teens

 

56“If you had to eat the exact same meal every day for the next year, what would you choose and why?”

 

57“What’s one thing that you wish you could tell your younger self?”

 

58“If you could ask God one question, what would it be?”

 

sacred church

Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

59“What are you most scared of?”

 

60“What’s your favorite class in school?”

 

61“Do you have a favorite teacher? Why are they your favorite?”

 

62“Do you have pimples on your back? What’s your best choice of body washes for acne prone skin?”

 

63“If you were president for a day, what would you change?”

 

64“Do you place the toilet paper in the under or over position? Why?”

 

65“Is it worse to fail miserably at something you want to do or to never try at all?”

 

66“What is your favorite website to visit?”

 

laptop blackboard

Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

67“What is one trend that you hate that everyone else loves?”

 

68“What’s the best thing about your mom/dad?”

 

 

69“What is guaranteed to make you laugh every time?”

 

70“In what ways do you feel that you’ve matured over the past year?”

 

71“What makes a house a home?”

 

72“Do you have any brothers/sisters? How many? What are their names?”

 

73“Are you more of a morning or night person? Why?”

 

74“What would your family/friends say you’re like when you first wake up in the morning?”

 

75“What’s your favorite room in your house and why?”

 

bathroom with glass door
Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

76“What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?”

 

77“What is your dream car?”

 

78“Do you watch more Netflix or TV? Why?”

 

79“What’s your favorite series to watch?”

 

80“What do you want to do after you graduate high school?”

 

81“What did you think you would be like at this age when you were younger?”

 

82“What do you love most about the place you live and why?”

 

dog house little girl

Image from Canva – under one-time use license

 

83“Has anyone ever said that you look like a celebrity? If so, which one?”

 

84“In your opinion, what’s the best song ever written?”

 

85“If you could eliminate one illness from the world, what would it be and why?”

 

86“If you can gain an extra 10 years in your life in exchange for your voice, would you like to swap it? Why? (These questions can really produce amazing answers – this is why it is one of my personal favorites)”

 

Photo by harshvardhanart – under CC0 license

 
 

87“If you can swap the powers of two of your favorite superheroes, what superheroes would you choose and why?”

 

88“Which is the best power – to be as fast as the speed of light or to be invisible? Why is it your favorite? (Another one of my favorite questions to ask. Knowing why someone would rather be invisible than fast and vice-versa is really interesting)”

 

89“What is your best reason to explain why the outer space is soundless? (This is one of those why questions that is best asked when you want to gauge the intellect of someone)”

 

Image from MaxPixel.net – under CC0 license

 
 

90“Which one do you think is the best sea predator – a giant squid or a great white shark? Why? (This is one of my favorite ones to ask – each has its own merit and knowing why he chose one over the other can be a great ice breaker)”

 

91“If you could be the best at anything, what would you choose to be good at? (Knowing what is the field that he or she wants to excel at should give you an idea about his or her dreams)”

 

 
 

92“If you could choose between watching your favorite TV show versus listening to your favorite song, which one would you choose? (The best way to get close to someone is knowing what his or her hobbies are)”

 

Photo by Pavlofox – under CC0 license

 
 

93“Who do you think is the best basketball player of the latest generation – Kobe or Lebron? Why? (Knowing why he chose Lebron or Kobe as his favorite player will give you knowledge about his favorite basketball team too – and you can use it to get close to open up a lighter conversation)”

 

94“Do you believe there is life on other planets aside from our Earth? Why or why not?”

 

95“Would you rather be like Einstein who is good with numbers, or Shakespeare who is good with words? Why?”

 

Image from MaxPixel.net – under CC0 license

 
 

96“If you could go back in time and change anything, what would you like to change? (The best way to know someone is to know his past – and this is one of the best questions to ask)”

 

97“What kind of sport are you best at and why do you like this sport?”

 

98“What do you think is the best video game that you have played?”

 

Image from Pexels – under CC0 license

 
 

99“What superpower would you like to choose – to be able to turn water into ice or to conjure fire with a flick of your hand? Why?”

 

100“What do you think is the best Valentines gift? Chocolate or flowers? Why?”

 

101“Who is your favorite singer? (Once you know his or her favorite singer, you can open up a deeper conversation)”

 

Image from MaxPixel.net – under CC0 license

 
 

102“Which do you think best describes you – a leader or a follower? Why? (This will give you an outlook to his or her personality and what works best for him/her)”

 

103“Would you rather be rich or be famous? Why?”

 

 
 

104“If you could be the best at anything, what would you choose to be best at?”

 

Image from Pixabay – under CC0 license

 
 

105“Among all the places you’ve visited, which one is your favorite?”

 

106“What makes you happy?”

 

107“Do you look like your mom or your dad? Which part?”

 

Image from MaxPixel.net – under CC0 license

 
 

108“If you could go anywhere for a day, what place would you like to visit?”

 

109“What is your favorite color? Why?”

 

110“Would you rather live in a place that is close to the mountains or to the beach? Why? (There are interesting reasons why someone would like to choose mountains over a beach – and it would be a fun question to ask)”

 

Image from MaxPixel.net – under CC0 license