Meadhbh,
I think the discussion could also be really interesting if they have visited anyone over the summer – is their house similar to other houses? If you are in a city school you might have children who live in flats, as well as the more suburban 3-bed semis or bungalows in the country.
Would you take a walk of the local area and look at the various styles of houses? Google streetview could do that if the weather is against you, or if you are very rural with only a few houses nearby.