In my team, we take turns running stand up. When you run the stand up you have to make sure it’s staying on track, but you also get to come up with the bonus question of the day. There aren’t limits on what this question is, but it should of course be work appropriate.

If this sounds like something you would like to try out in your stand ups.. I’ve been keeping a smaaaall list of questions which have been asked over the years. You are welcome to pick and choose any to try at your own stand up. I have not ordered of them in any way, because there are way too many.

• What did you want to be when you grew up? Would you still want to try it?
• What weird combination of two flavours have you tried? Did you like it?
• In what ways are you similar your parents?
• In what ways are you different from your parents?
• Would you rather have bionic arms or bionic legs?
• Cats with human faces, or dogs with an extra set of human hands?
• If you were a C-grade super hero, what would your power be?
• What if you were a C-grade villain, what would your scheme be?
• What is your go to karaoke song?
• A time when you felt like you could have died.
• What’s an example of some dumb logic you had as a kid?
• What is something you thought you’d grow out of, but haven’t?
• What is something you did as a kid that you’ve now grown out of?
• What is something you did as a kid, that you now want to do again?
• What is your favourite “bad” movie?
• Would you rather be trapped in space or under the ocean?
• What minor annoyance would you inflict on your enemies?
• Which item at the supermarket do you think would be a good friend?
• If you had an ice-cream company, what flavour ice-cream would you specialise in?
• If you were a super hero what would your signature move be? What would your super suit look like?
• If you could do an extreme stunt or trick without fear of being hurt, what would it be?
• How are you similar to your siblings, how are you different?
• What hobbies do you have from when you were a child?
• What hobbies don’t you have any more?
• If you had to lose a limb, which limb would you choose?
• What was the most recent movie you’ve seen? Would you recommend it?
• What would you like to have an infinite amount of? (has to be something selfish) What would you use it for?
• What’s the most extreme thing you have ever done?
• What is the most lost you’ve ever been? How did you get un-lost?
• What is your unique family tradition?
• What new skill are you currently learning?
• If you had a signature dish, what would the secret ingredient be?
• What is one of your favourite childhood memories?
• What is your public transport horror story?
• What are you currently looking forward to this weekend? What are you looking forward to this month?
• What is your go to dance move?
• What time have you been caught in the rain?
• Would you rather meet your great grandparents, or your great grandchildren?
• What is one small or large way you’ve recently changed your life for the better?
• Describe a drawing you remember making as a kid?
• Which fictional universe would you like to live in?
• Which fictional universe would you absolutely not want to live in?
• What would the you of 10 years ago be surprised to know about the you of today?
• If you had to drink a litre of one condiment, which one would you pick?
• If you had a boat, what would you name it?
• If you were a video game character, what would be your voice line for moving around?
• If you were the star of a movie, what genre would it be?
• If you created a unique burger, what would the key ingredient be?
• What is your biggest purchasing regret?
• What was your best purchasing decision?
• What is your favourite bird memory?
• What do you remember about learning to ride a bike?
• If you were in a horror movie how would you die?
• If you were in a romantic movie how would you fall in love?
• What would be the theme of your comedy movie?
• Who is your most interesting family member?
• If you were a druid who could turn into an animal, what animal would you turn into?
• What is a rule for ghosts?
• You have a devil’s trinket which does something good, the next person gets to choose a way to corrupt it.
• If you were turned into a house hold item like in beauty and the beast, which item would you be?
• What is your oldest item of clothing?
• What was something you once disliked that you now don’t mind?
• Favourite theme park ride?
• What extreme sport are you most likely to die doing?
• Where would you like to go in a hot air balloon?
• When you hear breakfast of champions what do you see in your minds eye?
• What is some junk you own which you can’t bare to throw out?
• What is the dumbest way you’ve been injured?
• What animal would be the most terrifying if it could speak?
• If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create?
• At what age did you become an adult?
• When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?
• What was your favourite food when you were a child?
• What is your guilty pleasure?
• Favourite cereal? Least favourite cereal?
• What is your way of relieving stress?
• So tandem bikes already exist, what tandem would you invent? Can be great, or terrible.
• Do you have a prised childhood possession you are embarrassed about now?
• If you were to make a fast food restaurant based on yourself, what would you call it? What would it sell?
• If you worked in one of those horror houses, what kind of spooker would you be?
• If you were a machine, what type of machine would you be?
• If you ran away and joined the circus, what would your act be?
• What is your favourite niche museum? Or which museum would you make?
• What if your favourite shit town you’ve stayed at?
• Would you are rather be on Dr Phil, Jeremy Kyle, or Judge Judy?
• When you were a child, what did you think you understood, but as an adult you realised you had no idea?
• If we were starting to live on other planets, at what point could you feel comfortable going to one?
• What fashion trend would you like to bring back instantly?
• What is a topic you are quite interested in now, and what made that topic so interesting to you?
• Would you rather have leg length fingers, or finger length legs?
• If you could hack anyone’s computer, who’s computer would you choose?
• If you had to leave New Zealand forever, where would you choose to live?
• If you had a large plot of land, what would you do with it?
• What, if anything, have you re-gifted? Or what is a bad gift you’ve been given in the past?
• What is a great gift you’ve been given in the past?
• What is your “dork”-est secret?
• What is your current creative outlet?
• Do you have a memory from when you spilt food all over yourself?
• What is something interesting you’ve been enjoying recently? (book, movie, game, tv series)
• What celebrity have you tangentially interacted with?
• If you were victim to Ground Hog day, what lesson would you have to learn for it to stop?
• What are you up to this weekend?
• What if your favourite piece of technology?
• If you were a bird, what type of bird activities would you get up to?
• What was a documentary you enjoyed?
• What do you do when you are stuck on a problem?
• What is the most tired you’ve ever been?
• When you were a kid, what was the weirdest lie a kid every told you?
• If you were an alien in a person suit, what would your alien look like?
• What do you wish you knew more about?
• If you were a master of woodworking, what would you make?
• What is the most boring superpower you can think of?
• What has someone borrowed from you, but never given back?
• What is the most uncomfortable place you’ve had to sleep?
• What is something simple that you really enjoy?
• Would you give up autonomy if it meant that you would get more done?
• What animals would you combine together to defeat a Gorilla Horse?
• What great structure would you be? (e.g. leaning tower of pisa)
• If you could hang out with one famous person for a day, who would you choose?
• If you were in a fighting game, what would be your winning voice line?
• If you lived in medieval times, who would you be?
• If you were in the wild west, who would you be?
• If you could, which animal would you shrink to be your pet?
• If you were in the Teenage Mutant Ninja “Somethings”, what would you be?
• If you could make a custom game for a carnival, what would it be?
• What do you like about yourself?
• If you could turn 15 minutes of your day into a musical, what would it look like?

Let me know if you love any, hate any, or have any of your own!