Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“What's something that cracks you up that you don't think most people would find funny?”
What to listen for
If they describe something oddly specific and clearly theirs, that quirky sense of humor is a real piece of their identity forming, laugh with them genuinely rather than just tolerating it.
If they seem hesitant to share, worried it'll sound weird, reassure them that odd is exactly what makes it interesting, not something to hide.
If they say "I don't know," bring up something you've seen make them laugh unexpectedly and ask what it was about it.
What this tells you
This shows you a genuine, unfiltered piece of who they are, not the version they think they're supposed to show.