What questions should I ask for my birthday?

Each year, when my birthday approaches (it’s tomorrow), I always find myself reflecting on the year leading up to it:

Big events, life experiences, transitions good and bad. Essentially, all of the moments that made up every minute of my days.

This year marked the first year of my 30s, and it was a big one.

I got married. I left one job and lept head first into a new one. I traveled to a new country (Belize). I watched my husband run the Boston Marathon. We moved into a new home that we love. I became a full time writer.

These were some big moments, all of which I am eternally grateful for.

Yet in between all of these great moments existed all the little ones that, when strung together, created a melody in my life whose harmony is more beautiful than I could have ever intentionally composed.

It’s comprised of the buzzing sounds of the voices of friends sitting around my dining room table, eating, drinking, and being merry. Trips up to Mammoth with the girls. Yoga retreats to faraway places. Trail runs with my amazing (and strong) friends. Saturday morning yoga classes and brunch. Skype calls with my dearly missed Canadian friends and family. Cozy nights at home on the couch with a good book. Taking in the views from the top of a ski mountain and then racing down to the bottom. Writing. Lots of writing. Walking hand in hand with my husband. Warm hugs, big smiles, the chorus of laughter, great conversations, and heart warming connections.

These are the moments that make all the big ones worth mentioning. For without these little moments that make my heart smile and nourish my soul, the big ones wouldn’t matter as much.

And so, as I sit here on the eve of my 31st birthday, I’ve come to realize something I’ve known all along:

Of great and equal importance in my life are all of my moments, big and small. For they all carry a certain weight and color, and with each stroke of their brush, they create the masterpiece that is my life.

My life, of course, is and always will be a work in progress. And as such, I like to check in with myself at opportune times, particularly on special occasions like birthdays and New Year’s Day.

So whether you’re celebrating a big birthday (they’re all big, as far as I’m concerned), or you just want to check in with yourself to see where you’re at with your dreams and visions for your life, here are some questions to ask, in no particular order. I will be asking myself the same ones tomorrow:

Now that my oldest kids are older, I can not believe how fast the time has gone. It seems like yesterday I was helping my firstborn put on his velcro shoes. But, I blinked, and we’re knee-deep in Minecraft. What’s next?!

Lately, I find that there’s so much I don’t remember from when they were younger. The details of their loves, dreams, and quirks are lost.

As a result, I created these birthday interview questions and a birthday questionnaire as an effective way to document the fast growth of our kids.

So that later on, we can relive this amazing and sometimes difficult time of watching our kids become amazing human beings.

This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission at no cost to you if you purchase. See my disclaimer for more.

Plus, not only do children learn vocabulary best through interaction (source), but these questions are an easy way to connect deeply. Do it yearly, and you have a wonderful tradition that creates special memories for years!

In this post, you’ll find questions for young kids, older kids, funny questions, and a free printable.

And these interview questions for kids aren’t just for birthdays! Try them for:

• New Year’s Eve
• Beginning of a new school year
• End of a school year
• Summertime fun (put them on your bucket list!)
• Any transitionary or milestone time in your lives

Or just ask the questions when you need to bond with your child and get them talking! Here you go!

Interview Questions for Younger Kids

These are the basic birthday questions, perfect for toddlers!

1. What is your name?

2. What day is your birthday?

3. What is the best thing about your birthday?

4. What is your favorite thing to do?

5. What is your favorite toy? Or non-toy item?

6. What is your favorite thing to eat?

7. What is your favorite show or movie?

8. What is your favorite book?

9. What are you really good at?

10. What do you like to do with your mom?

11. What do you like to do with your dad?

12. What do you like to do with your brother/sister?

13. What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?

14. What is your favorite season of the year?

15. What is your favorite type of weather?

16. What’s your favorite holiday? Why?

17. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

18. What’s your favorite thing about nature?

19. What’s your favorite thing about your home?

20. When you grow up, what do you want to do?

*See the free printable at the end of the post for the birthday questionnaire above!

Related Post: Unforgettable Traditions to Make a Birthday Special

Birthday Interview Questions for Older Kids

Next, ask any of the questions above to your big kids, and try the more in-depth questions below! Plus, take a yearly video to make it a sweet memory you can all look at later!

21. What’s one thing you learned in the past year?

22. What’s one thing you’d love to learn this year?

23. What do you wish for in the next year?

24. What was the best thing about being ____ (6, 8, 11)?

25. What is something you accomplished in your last year?

26. What’s the best thing about turning a year older?

27. What was the most fun thing you did in the last year?

28. Who is your best friend? What is he/she like?

29. What is your favorite thing to do with your family?

30. What do you enjoy learning about?

31. What do you like to collect?

32. What makes you happy?

33. If you could invent something, what would it be?

34. Which one of your senses could you not live without?

35. If you found a genie and had three wishes, what would they be?

36. What makes you want to dance?

37. What is something that used to be hard, but is now easy?

38. If you could only keep one thing in your room, what would it be?

39. If you were the president for a day, what would you do?

40. If you could buy anything, what would you buy?

41. If you were the school principal for a day, what would you do?

42. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

43. If you could go back in time, when and where would you go?

44. What kind of music do you like?

45. If you were to bury a secret treasure, where would you bury it?

*To find a secret treasure, check out this scavenger hunt!

46. What is your favorite memory?

47. If you could create a rule that everyone had to follow, what would it be?

48. If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be?

49. What does a perfect day look like for you?

50. What country would you live to visit?

51. How have you helped others lately?

52. What’s the worst chore to do at our house?

*Find a free weekly kids chore chart HERE >>

53. What’s your favorite thing about your bedroom?

54. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

55. What’s your favorite thing about school?

56. What’s your least favorite thing about school?

57. What school subject do you find the most interesting?

58. When was the last time you tried something new?

59. What do you like to talk about with your friends?

60. What do you like to do with your friends?

65. What is something you are thankful for?

*Find great gratitude messages for kids HERE >>

61. If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

62. If you could do anything you wanted for a day, what would you do?

63. When was the last time you were proud of yourself?

64. If you could invite someone famous to dinner, who would it be?

Want more types of questions?

Check out:

• This List of Would You Rather Questions for Kids
• Ice Breaker Questions for Kids (great for a birthday party!)
• Never Have I Ever Questions Kids Edition
• The Best List of Fun Questions to Ask Your Family

Funny Birthday Questions to Ask

Now it’s time to get the giggles going! Try these!

66. How much does a car cost? How much does a container of milk cost?

67. If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

68. What do you love to do that no one knows about?

69. What’s the funniest joke you know?

70. How old do you think mom and dad are?

71. What’s the grossest thing you have ever seen?

72. What’s the funniest thing you have ever seen?

73. If you could make up your own holiday, what would it be?

74. If you were a dessert, what would you be?

75. If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

76. If you could create an animal, what would it look like? What would it do?

77. What was one funny thing that happened today or yesterday?

78. What do you think animals would say if they could talk?

79. If you could only eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?

80. What’s something that made you laugh lately?

81. If you could go to space, what would you do there?

82. What does your mom or dad do for a job?

83. What do mom and dad like to do for fun?

84. How old are grandma and grandpa?

85. What is the funniest/strangest thing about our family?

Check out these other ways to be more playful together too!

Get the Free Birthday Interview Printable!

Birthday Interview QuestionnaireDownload

Fill out the birthday questionnaire, then find a simple binder and make a birthday book out of your yearly interviews!

Related Post: Free gift coupons for kids (we love them for birthdays!) Or click HERE >>

And check these out if you’d love a free birthday letter template, or a free thank you for coming to my birthday party printable.

To Consider With the Birthday Questions

Finally, a birthday interview doesn’t have to be complicated, but it is something that will last the test of time.

So, enjoy the free interview or take a short video of a few questions every year as a beautiful testimony to your kids’ childhood.

What are your favorite birthday interview questions? Will you use the questionnaire? I’d love to know!

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