30 Super Stupid Questions You Have to Ask!

Ask a Stupid Question Day Writing Prompts —- There’s no such thing as a stupid question… but that doesn’t mean that sometimes we don’t worry we’ll look stupid for asking a question! “Ask a Stupid Question Day” was created in the 1980s by a group of teachers who wanted to make sure their students never felt this way. When they noticed students avoiding questions because they feared they would look dumb, the teachers designated “Ask a Stupid Question Day” to serve as a safe space for any and all questions to be asked and is celebrated on the last school day of September.

In that spirit, these “Ask a Stupid Question Day” journal prompts are designed to help students become more confident in their questions and learn a little about thinking outside the box.

First, students will reflect on topics like whether or not stupid questions exist and whether or not people should be embarrassed to ask them. Then, they’ll try to answer questions that may seem “stupid” at first glance, but that actually call for some creative thought—such as “Why does wool shrink in the laundry, but sheep don’t shrink in the rain?”

Kids will have fun coming up with their own creative answers to these silly stupid questions—and they’ll learn that it’s okay to not always know all the answers, too!

30 Ask a Stupid Question Day Writing Prompts for Elementary School Students

Is there such a thing as a stupid question? Why or why not?
Have you ever been too embarrassed to ask a question? Why or why not?
Write about a time when someone asked you a stupid question. How did you respond?
Think of a stupid question and then attempt to answer it yourself.
Think of a stupid question and ask someone else. How did you feel asking the question? How did the other person respond?
Think of a stupid question. Then, trade with a friend and try to answer one another’s questions.
Think of a stupid question about how something works and make up your own creative short story to answer it.
What was the stupidest question you ever heard? Was it actually stupid or was it just something that the person had never had the chance to learn?
Why shouldn’t people be embarrassed to ask supposedly stupid questions?
Make a list of all the stupid questions you’ve ever wanted to ask—then try to find answers for as many of them as you can.
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Do the fortunes in fortune cookies have an expiration date?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Do animals have different accents in different parts of the world?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why do we have 24 hours in a day?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Technology has developed exponentially in the last 50 years. What was everyone wasting their time on for all of the centuries that came before?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why don’t our toes have names like our fingers do?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Wool shrinks in the laundry—but sheep don’t shrink in the rain. Why?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: People say “cheese” when you take their picture. What does cheese say when someone takes a picture of it?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Can you tell if it is AM or PM when you look at an analog clock? Why or why not?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Coconut oil is made from coconuts and vegetable oil is made from vegetables. What is baby oil made from?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: What rhymes with “orange”?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why does it take more than a minute to cook minute rice?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why do kids have to learn math, but adults mostly use calculators?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why do some animal cartoon characters wear pajamas at night or coats in the winter when they normally don’t wear any clothes?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why don’t you laugh when you hurt your funny bone?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: What would happen if there was a typo in the dictionary?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why aren’t softballs soft?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Pizzas are round, but they come in square boxes. Why?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why is it called a pair of pants when it is only one piece of clothing?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why can’t you walk through a drive-thru?
Try to answer this “stupid” question: Why do people say “like taking candy from a baby” to mean something is easy, when most babies would cry and kick and scream if you took their candy?