Table of contentsShow:
- How do you organise a family quiz at home?
- Which general knowledge questions can the whole family try?
- How much does your family know about animals and nature?
- Can your family answer these food and drink questions?
- Which geography questions can you answer together?
- How well do you know children’s books and films?
- How can you keep a family quiz fun for different ages?
- Frequently asked questions
How do you organise a family quiz at home?
Set up a game that works for your family
- Let everyone help choose the categories. A familiar topic can make joining in feel less daunting.
- Mix confident readers with family members who prefer listening, talking or drawing.
- Agree whether clues are allowed before you begin, so everyone plays by the same rules.
- Keep the answer screen facing the quiz reader. Players can write answers down or whisper them to a teammate.
- Choose whether to keep score or work together towards a shared set of answers.
- Leave room for a break, a change of category or an early finish.
Which general knowledge questions can the whole family try?
General knowledge questions and answers
- Question: Which musical instrument has black and white keys and is played by a pianist? Answer: A piano. For a clue, invite everyone to mime playing it.
- Question: What do we call water when it freezes solid? Answer: Ice. You could give a clue about something you might find in a freezer.
- Question: Which organ pumps blood around your body? Answer: The heart. If players are unsure, ask them to think about a heartbeat.
- Question: Which language do the words ‘bonjour’ and ‘merci’ come from? Answer: French. Afterwards, invite anyone who knows another French word to share it.
- Question: What do we call a word that means the opposite of another word? Answer: An antonym. Hot and cold make a useful clue.
- Question: Which season follows spring? Answer: Summer. As a follow-up, let everyone name something they associate with that season.
- Question: What is the job title for someone who helps people find and borrow books in a library? Answer: A librarian. Accept a spoken answer without checking spelling.
- Question: What colour is a traffic light’s signal for vehicles to go, if the way is clear? Answer: Green. Keep the wording focused on vehicle signals.
How much does your family know about animals and nature?
Animals and nature questions and answers
- Question: What do we call a young frog before it develops into an adult? Answer: A tadpole. A pond is a useful starting point for a clue.
- Question: Which insect makes honey? Answer: A bee. If you need to narrow it down, explain that you’re looking for a honeybee.
- Question: Which plant part usually takes in water from the soil? Answer: The roots. Players can draw a plant and point to the answer.
- Question: What does a caterpillar become after its chrysalis stage? Answer: A butterfly. Invite anyone interested to describe how its appearance changes.
- Question: What do we call an animal that eats both plants and animals? Answer: An omnivore. Accept an attempt at the word if its meaning is clear.
- Question: Which bird is associated with a fan-shaped display of colourful tail feathers? Answer: A peacock. The displaying bird is the male.
- Question: What is the name for a young sheep? Answer: A lamb. An animal sound can help as a clue, but it isn’t the answer.
- Question: What is the name for the process plants use to make food using sunlight? Answer: Photosynthesis. This is a useful question for teammates to tackle together.
Can your family answer these food and drink questions?
Food and drink questions and answers
- Question: Which fruit is traditionally dried to make raisins? Answer: Grapes. If players get stuck, ask them to picture dried fruit in a bun.
- Question: What is the main ingredient in traditional hummus? Answer: Chickpeas. You can offer a clue by saying that the answer is a type of pulse.
- Question: Which fruit is the main ingredient in guacamole? Answer: Avocado. A clue about its green flesh may help without giving the name away.
- Question: Which kitchen tool is used to drain cooked pasta? Answer: A colander. Accept a suitable sieve as an alternative, since it can do the job too.
- Question: Which beans are used to make chocolate? Answer: Cocoa beans, also called cacao beans. Either name is suitable for this question.
- Question: What is tofu traditionally made from? Answer: Soya beans. Soybeans is another name for the same ingredient, so accept that wording too.
- Question: What type of pasta has a name meaning ‘little tongues’ in Italian? Answer: Linguine. Offer spaghetti and linguine as choices if the group needs help.
- Question: What is the main ingredient in a traditional omelette? Answer: Eggs. Follow up by asking players which filling they would choose for their own.
Which geography questions can you answer together?
Geography questions and answers
- Question: What is the capital city of Wales? Answer: Cardiff. For a clue, ask players to think of Welsh cities they have heard of.
- Question: What is the capital city of Scotland? Answer: Edinburgh. Say the answer aloud afterwards if its spelling makes it tricky to recognise.
- Question: What is the capital city of Northern Ireland? Answer: Belfast. Keep Northern Ireland clear in the question to avoid confusion with Ireland.
- Question: Which continent is Kenya in? Answer: Africa. On a map, players can find Kenya and then name the continent around it.
- Question: Which country has Tokyo as its capital? Answer: Japan. Let teammates discuss the country before giving their final answer.
- Question: What do we call land surrounded by water? Answer: An island. Players who prefer drawing can sketch what they think the word describes.
- Question: Which ocean lies between Africa and Australia? Answer: The Indian Ocean. This works well as a map-finding question if recalling the name feels difficult.
- Question: Which compass direction is opposite east? Answer: West. Invite someone to draw a compass afterwards and add the other directions.
How well do you know children’s books and films?
Children’s books and films questions and answers
- Question: What kind of animal is Paddington? Answer: A bear. If someone recognises the character but forgets the name, describe his fondness for marmalade.
- Question: Who wrote The Gruffalo? Answer: Julia Donaldson. If you ask who illustrated it as a follow-up, the answer is Axel Scheffler.
- Question: In Toy Story, what is the name of the cowboy toy? Answer: Woody. Accept his name without asking players to identify the actor.
- Question: In Frozen, what is the name of Elsa’s sister? Answer: Anna. Make clear which sister you’re asking for before the team answers.
- Question: What kind of animal is Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia? Answer: A lion. Knowing the animal is enough for this question.
- Question: Who wrote Matilda? Answer: Roald Dahl. Offer a clue about another of his stories if your family knows his books.
- Question: In Finding Nemo, what kind of fish is Nemo? Answer: A clownfish. A description of his appearance can help players who remember the film.
- Question: In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which animal does Alice follow before entering Wonderland? Answer: The White Rabbit. Accept rabbit if you aren’t requiring full character names.
How can you keep a family quiz fun for different ages?
Adapt the questions, not the welcome
- Offer a choice of answers when an open question feels too difficult.
- Let teammates talk before answering, but encourage each person to share an idea.
- Allow spoken answers, writing, pointing or drawing where they make sense.
- Rotate the quiz-reader role so confident players can help run the game.
- Praise useful clues and teamwork as well as correct answers.
- Let anyone pass without making it a big moment.