Ten on Tuesday: Questions for the Dinner Table

Question: "How was school today?"

Answer: "Uh-huh."

I'm not really sure how that's an answer, but it seems to be the response I get quite frequently around here.  I'd like to interact with my kids and get them to tell me about their days, and I'll bet other parents do too.  So I'm making a list of questions I do get responses for. If you have others, please add them in the comments.

1. What did you learn in ___________? (math, science, spelling,etc.)
2. Who did you sit with at lunch?
3. Who did you play with at recess?  What did you do?
4. Who got in trouble today? (This one elicits some great stories!)
5. What special did you have today? (music, art, PE, library, Spanish, guidance) These things rotate on a daily basis for the kids at their school.
6. Who were you kind to today? (If the answer is "no one" that prompts a good discussion too.)
7. What made you laugh (sad, confused, interested, etc.)?
8. What book are you reading in reading group?
9. What was the best part of the day?/What was the worst part of the day?
10. Tell me about something purple (or red or square or loud) that was interesting today.

We don't actually ask all of these questions every night.  It's just a list I keep in my head to jump start a conversation when there isn't already one going on.  We do enjoy playing "Cherries and Pits" though. Have you played it?  Each person tells one good thing about the day (a cherry) and one bad thing (a pit).

What kinds of questions do you like to ask to get a conversation going with your family?