Wheel…of…Questions!
It’s the beginning of the school year, and for many families, things are becoming (or are about to become) a lot more hectic. During times like this, maintaining family rituals like sitting down together for dinner becomes even more important. And to help you avoid these dinners being awkward and silent, we’d like to offer you the Wheel of Questions!
There are just three steps: create a wheel, come up with questions, and play.
We offer you three options for creating your wheel, in order of increasing complexity. The simplest way is to use an online wheel generator like Spin Wheel Maker. Type in your questions and it generates a wheel for you; click “spin” and see where you land!
If you’re feeling a bit crafty, but have limited time/art skills, make a simple wheel out of paper and cardboard. Use a compass or a circular object (like a bowl or a pot) to draw a circle on paper, then use a ruler to create the segments. Color code them rather than writing your questions in each section so you can re-use the wheel as you cycle through questions. Attach the paper to a piece of cardboard, then slide a pin through the small oval of a paperclip and down into the center of your circle. If you use a safety pin, bend it open so the paperclip can spin freely.
If you consider yourself a CRAFTER, or love watching how-to videos on YouTube, try this fancy cardboard wheel that uses a ball bearing (or fidget spinner) as the center.
Then, come up with your questions, and if you made a physical wheel, match them up with the colored segments. You’ll need to dig a little deeper than you would with folks you don’t know as well, so try to get creative. Here are some ideas to get started:
What is your favorite memory?
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
What’s a talent you have that we don’t know about?
What would your memoir be called?
If you could meet one character from a book or movie, who would it be?
If you’re using the wheel with kids, and are hoping to learn more about how school is going, try some sneaky questions like “What is something surprising that happened at school today?” or “Who are you most excited to see at school tomorrow?”
All that’s left to do is play! Grab your wheel or your iPad and start spinning. Let the questions guide the conversation wherever it might go, and enjoy a family dinner full of laughter, communication, and connection.
What is the most intriguing question on your family’s wheel? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
