Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“What's a totally random skill you've picked up just because you enjoy doing it, not because it's useful for anything?”
What to listen for
An enthusiastic answer shows they feel free to pursue things purely for the joy of it, without needing to justify it as productive, that kind of unpressured curiosity is a sign of genuine self-direction.
If the skill connects to a bigger interest they haven't mentioned before, this is a good moment to just listen and ask a follow-up question, rather than immediately connecting it to a class or career.
If they say they don't really have one, you can share a random skill of your own, sometimes that gives them permission to think of theirs.
What this tells you
A skill pursued purely for fun shows what genuinely delights them when no one is scoring or requiring it.