Questions for Question/Interview Activities

The following questions can be used in any question or interview based activity, depending on the group needs and point in the group process. They are divided by group and reconciliation needs to focus the facilitator on their role in the grief process, but can be combined in most any variety to meet the needs of your group.

Group Building

• Where do you like to go on vacation?
• What school do you attend?
• What is your favorite color?
• What is your favorite food?
• What is your favorite animal?
• What is your favorite sport?
• What is your favorite season?
• What do you do for fun?
• What is your name?
• Who is in your family?
• Are you the oldest? Youngest? In the middle of your family?
• What grade are you in?
• What is your favorite food?
• Do you have a pet? What kind? What is its name?
• If you don't have a pet, would you like one? What kind?
• What is your favorite thing to do?
• If you could invite any three people to dinner, whom would you invite?
• What makes you laugh?
• What is your favorite kind of music or your favorite musical group?
• What do you think you are good at doing?
• What do you wish you were better at doing?
• If you were trapped on an island for a year, what three things would you like to have with you?
• Choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why?
• Have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
• Have an endless supply of any food, what would you get?
• Be an Olympic athlete, what sport would you compete in?
• Be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play?
• Be someone else, who would you be?
• Buy a car right now, what would you buy?
• Change anything about yourself, what would you change?
• Do your dream job 10 years from now, what would it be?
• Eat your favorite food now, what would it be?
• Eliminate one thing from your daily schedule, what would it be and why?
• Go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
• Go back in time and change history, what would you change? Why?
• Go on a road trip with any person (dead or alive), who would you choose and where would you go?
• Have an unlimited storage of one thing, what would it be?
• Have any kind of pet, what would you have?
• Have any question answered, what would it be?
• Invite four famous people to dinner, who would you choose and why?
• Learn any skill, what would it be?
• Live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
• Live in any period of history, when would it be?
• Meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
• Replay a fun (or deep or big) moment in your life, what would you What was a time when you got into big trouble with your parents?
• What is the naughtiest thing you have done in school?
• What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?
• If you were to change your name, what would you change your name to? Why?
• Do you have any siblings? What are they like?
• Does your name have a special meaning and or were you named after someone special?
• Would you rather kiss a jelly fish or step on a crab?
• Would you rather be 3 feet tall or 8 feet tall? why?
• Would you rather be born with an elephant trunk or a giraffe neck?
• Would you rather be missing a finger or have an extra toe?
• As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up? (A good conversation starter indeed!)
• If you were sent to live on a space station for three months and only allowed to bring three personal items with you, what would they be?
• What are one truth and one lie about your personality? Let the others guess which is what?
• What book, movie or video have you seen/read recently you would recommend? Why?
• What is the funniest prank ever played on you?
• What was the best museum/gig/play/game you have ever been to?
• What was the most terrifying situation you have ever been in?
• What was the worst thing you ever had to wear to school?
• What was the worst/weirdest haircut you have ever had?
• What is your earliest childhood memory?
• What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen in nature?
• What is the kindest thing that someone has ever done for you?
• What is your funniest family story?
• What two words best describe you?
• Which bad habits of other people drive you crazy?
• Which body part would you choose to get a tattoo done?
• If you were running for office what would your campaign slogan be?
• Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances?
• What are three words that describe the most perfect kiss you have had?
• What are you passionate about?
• What do you dream about at night?
• What is a weird habit that you have?
• What is the first thing you notice about someone when you first meet?
• What is the most unusual thing in your wallet, pocket, or purse right at this moment?
• What is your pet peeve in traffic?
• What three things do you love about your friends? And three you could do without?
• What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
• What is the one thing, you can’t live without?
• If you were the Miss World, what would your message for aspiring models be?
• What is your idea for de-stressing?
• If you were a superhero, what would your super-name be? What would your superpower be?
• If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
• What compliment do people give you the most?
• What Netflix show did you binge embarrassingly quickly?
• If you had to delete all but three apps from your phone, which three apps would you keep?
• If a theme song played every time you entered a room, what song would you choose?
• If you could have a superpower, but one you couldn’t use to help anyone, what would it be? (i.e. flawless complexion)
• Which Disney character is most like you and why?
• What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?
• Who do you wish you could see in concert?
• Have you ever been told you looked like someone famous? If so, who was it? Do you agree?
• Who's your all-time favorite YouTuber?
• How did you get your scar?
• If you had the opportunity to visit Mars, would you?
• Thinking over the past week, what’s one thing you would have done differently?
• What's the last movie you watched? Give it a brief review.
• What commercial jingle do you find the most annoying?
• What's the scariest thing you did for fun?
• How did you meet your best friend?
• What do you do as soon as you get home from school?
• If you were the eighth Dwarf, what would people call you?
• If you knew you wouldn’t fail, what thing would you do?
• The zombie apocalypse is upon us. Which three people would you band with?
• What school project are you most proud of and why?
• What emoji do you use the most?
• What's your favorite game to play?
• What's the best show on Netflix right now?
• If someone took a candid picture of you, what would they most likely find you doing?
• What's the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Who told it to you?
• What's your go-to “good vibes” song?
• How would you best describe yourself in three emojis?
• Who's the wisest person you know? Who’s the wittiest?
• What was one of your favorite childhood vacations?

Acknowledge the Reality of the Death

• Who died in your life?
• How did the person die?
• How did you find out about the death?
• How did you hear about the death?
• What happens to the physical body when someone dies?
• Who told you about the person who died?
• Did you go to the funeral?
• What was it like trying to sleep the first night after you received the news of the death?
• Tell why we have funerals.
• One thing I hated the most about the funeral was….
• One way to show someone I love him or her is…
• How old were you at the time of each of your death experiences?
• How did your special person die?
• Who told you about the death?
• What was your first experience with death?
• What was your reaction?
• Where were you when someone told you about the death of your special person?
• How old were you?
• Did you attend the funeral?
• What are the things you see at a funeral?
• What was your first reaction to the news that someone had died?
• Did you feel the person who told you about the death did it properly?
• Tell your story about the death and whatever details you want about what happened and how you felt at that time.
• What was difficult about the funeral/memorial service?

Pain of the Loss/Dimensions of Grief

• Do you ever get mad and what do you do?
• Do you ever get sad and what do you do?
• What makes you happy?
• What makes you sad?
• What are the things that are sad?
• What are the things that make you happy?
• What are some ways to express anger?
• What are the things you do to feel better?
• What makes you the most angry?
• What do you worry about?
• What are the things that worry you?
• Why is talking about your feelings important?
• How are you feeling now?
• What fears do you have now that the person died?
• Do you have any regrets?
• What are the feelings you had when told that your family member died?
• What is the hardest thing about school since your person died?
• The feeling I have that gives me the most trouble is…
• Since my special person died, I still worry about…
• Describe your feelings when you learned your special person had died.
• There are many feelings we have when a person we love dies. Can you name some of them?
• What makes you angry about someone dying?
• Do you worry about what your life is going to be like now that the person you loved died?
• When you think about all the things that the person who died won’t be here for, how does that make you feel?

Convert the Relationship from One of Presence to One of Memory

• Share a memory of the person who died.
• What would you tell your person who died about your life now?
• If I could create a special memorial plaque for my special person who died, it would say…
• What song reminds you of the person who died?
• What did you like to do with the person who died?
• What do you miss most about the person who died?
• What do you want people to remember about the person who died?
• What is a memory of the person who died?
• My favorite memory of my special person who died is…
• Name something that you loved doing with the person who died.
• What are some things that you would like to tell your family member who died?
• What was one of their favorite foods?
• Did the person who died have a favorite place to go?
• What do you think was their favorite holiday? Why?
• What do you think their favorite color was? Do you remember something they had that was their favorite color?
• What did you like to talk about with the person who died?
• Did the person who died have a special item that he/she liked to wear? Do you still have that item?
• Do you have a favorite picture of the person who died? Tell us about that picture.
• What is your favorite memory of the person who died?
• What do you miss most about the person who died?
• What is your favorite memory about the person who died?
• What didn’t you like about the person who died?
• How do you feel when you think about the person who died?
• What would you like to share with the person who died?
• Something I'd like to tell my special person who died is...
• If your person who died were here now, what would you say or do?
• If you could send a message to your family member what would your message say?
• What would you say to the person who died if he/she walked through the door right now?
• My special person who died taught me about….
• What is something that the person who died taught you to do?
• What are the things that help you remember your family member?
• Do you agree that although the person died, the memories will always be with you?

Develop a New Self Identity

• Tell what is different about you since your special person died.
• What is different around home since your person died?
• How have you changed since the person died?
• How do you think the people around you have changed?
• What are the things that change after a family member dies?

Relate to a Context of Meaning

• Something I have learned about grief is...
• Where do you believe your family member is?
• What is hard to understand about death?
• Something I still don't understand about death and dying is...
• What is something you are learning now that you think will help you in the future?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• How many pets do you think you’ll have when you grow up?
• What is one thing you will always remember about being at the Caring Place?
• Is there some place special you want to travel when you are older?
• What might you say or do when you learn of a person in your school that has experienced a loss?

Living on the Grief Spiral

• What did you think when you were first told about the Caring Place?
• What's your favorite thing you have that belonged to the person who died?
• Do you think that when you are older you might want to volunteer at the Caring Place? Why?
• How are you feeling today?
• What is your favorite thing about the Caring Place?
• What are some ways to show people you love them?
• What has been hard for you since the death?
• What might you anticipate your grief to be like in a year or two?
• What special days of the year do you look forward to or dread coming?
• In the future as you grow older what times do you think might be difficult? What might you do to make these times easier?

Continued Support

• What have people said that has been helpful?
• What have people said that has been hurtful?
• What supports do you have?
• How are things with your friends since your person died?
• What do the adults in your life tell you? Of these, what have been the most and least helpful things said?
• How did family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors treat you?
• Did anybody help you through the grief process?
• What has helped the loss in your life?
• Who are the people who can support you?
• Who are the people you can talk to about your grief?
• Where can you feel safe?
• What did people say when your family member died?
• What are the things you would like to ask your family member?
• Someone I can always talk to about feelings is….