Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“If you could become any character from a book, show, or movie for just one day, who would you pick?”
What to listen for
If they pick someone with traits they clearly admire, brave, funny, powerful, free, that choice reveals what they wish they had more of in their own life, and it's worth asking what a day as that character would actually feel like.
If they pick someone silly or chaotic, that's often just about wanting a day of no consequences, which is a completely normal thing to want at this age.
If they say "I don't know," offer a couple of characters they already like and see which one gets a reaction.
What this tells you
This shows you what qualities they're quietly wishing they had more access to in their actual life.