Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“What's a made-up story you like telling, even if you've told it a hundred times?”
What to listen for
Genuine enthusiasm about retelling it shows they have a rich inner imagination they enjoy sharing, encourage them to tell it again, even if you've heard it before.
If the story has a recurring character or world, that's a sign of a whole private universe they've built, worth asking more questions about, since it clearly matters to them.
If they say they don't really make up stories, ask about a favorite daydream instead, not every imaginative kid tells stories out loud.
What this tells you
This shows the shape of their imagination and how much they enjoy inviting others into it.