50 Conversation Starters for Family Dinner Time
50 Conversation Starters for Family Dinner Time to get the kids talking.
Eating dinner together can be one of the most bonding times for a family. However, if your family isn’t talking at dinner time, you are not doing much bonding at all.
Do you ever have an evening that you just don’t feel like talking? Or maybe you have been so focused on school, work, or household chores all day that you can’t get your mind shifted to casual conversation. For those evenings when the conversation is sluggish or hard to get started, I have some great Family Dinner Conversation Starters for you.
You won’t need to pull these out every evening, but when you need a little extra help getting the conversation flowing, you are sure to find some great ideas with these cards.
50 Conversation Starters for Family Dinner Time
Conversation Starters Sheet #1
- Parent(s) share a story about the kids when they were babies or toddlers.
- Each kid tells how they think their parents met. Parents go last.
- Parents share what you were like at your kids’ ages. Kids say what they think they will be like as parents.
- What do you want to be when you grow up? (This answer changes often with kids.)
- Best thing, worst thing. Go around the table and ask each person to share the best thing about their day and the worst thing about their day.
- What is your favorite meal Mom cooks? What is your favorite meal Dad cooks? (You’ll get some dinner ideas from this conversation!)
- If you could have any super power, what would it be?
- Name 3 foods you would never eat.
- What is your dream job?
- If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
- What is the thing you worry about most?
- What are you most thankful for?
Conversation Starters Sheet #2
- What is the best gift you’ve ever received? What is the best gift you’ve ever given?
- What is your favorite movie?
- What is the best book you’ve ever read?
- What is your favorite Bible verse?
- Describe the person sitting to your right in 3 words. Keep it positive.
- What is your least favorite chore?
- What is your favorite thing about our family?
- What is your all-time favorite toy?
- If you won the lottery (at least $1,000,000), what is the first thing you would buy?
- What is the hardest thing about being your age right now?
- If you could live in any state, which would you choose? Why?
- Describe your life 10 years from now.
Conversation Starters Sheet #3
- When you have children, what will they like most about each aunt and uncle (your brothers and sisters)?
- If you planned our next family vacation, where would we go and what would we do?
- If you could pick any age and stay that age, how old would you be?
- What do you think heaven will be like?
- What do you know more about than your parents?
- How can you tell when you’re grown up?
- What is your favorite place in our home?
- What is your most favorite fast food restaurant? What is your least favorite?
- What is your greatest strength? Why?
- Would you ever change your name? If so, what would your new name be?
- What makes you feel loved?
- What habit would you most like to break? What habit would you like to start?
Conversation Starters Sheet #4
- What motivates you?
- Think of the people you respect the most. What is it about them that you respect?
- What is your favorite dessert?
- If you could create a new holiday, what would it be called and what would it celebrate?
- Would you ever get a tattoo? If not, why not? If yes, what would it be?
- What is your favorite number? Why?
- Have you ever witnessed a miracle? If so, what was it? If not, do you think miracles still happen?
- If you could have one question answered about your future, what would it be?
- What do you do to get yourself out of a bad mood?
- What 3 apps do you use most on your phone?
- What is the best thing about having a cell phone? What is the worst thing?
- What are your goals for the next 2 years?
Conversation Starters Sheet #5
- Do you prefer summer or winter? Why?
- Would you rather live on the beach or in the mountains? Why?
- 9 blank cards for you to create your own conversation starters
- Label for the jar
Download the Conversation Starter Cards
You can use the list above, or to make it a little more fun I’ve added the Conversation Starters to some handy printable cards. Print them on standard copy paper or on cardstock if you prefer.
Links for printing the card sheets are below.
If you would like to use a jar to hold your cards, I’ve included a label on Sheet 5. You’ll also find Sheet 6 is totally blank for you to add your own conversation starters.
Conversation Starters – Sheet 1
Conversation Starters – Sheet 2
Conversation Starters – Sheet 3
Conversation Starters – Sheet 4
Conversation Starters – Sheet 5 (includes a label)
Conversation Starters – Sheet 6 (blank to add your own)
What You Need to Make a Conversation Jar
Click on the image for more information or to purchase.
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This cookbook contains 20 easy-to-cook family dinners. You’ll have enough dinner ideas for 4 weeks without repeating a meal. Every recipe has a picture of the dish. At the bottom of each recipe is a link to the recipe post on FindingTimeToFly.com. Simply click on the link, and you’ll be taken directly to the recipe post with step-by-step in process photos.
Thank you! These look great.
I was just reading an article about the importance of family meal time together, https://www.ez.insure/landing/2018/10/the-importance-of-family-mealtimes/. It made me think to myself, well that can I talk about with them?! Which led me to your article. These are great tips, thank you for posting, I will be using it tonight!
we have our first time ever family conversation for 2018 and it was fruitful even thou was the first time in my family but it was really great and awesome…family members starting to to get there act together in regards to individual committements …but will be better in days to come…
That is awesome! Having a conversation over dinner seems so simple, but with so many distractions nowadays it takes effort to get started. I’m so happy to hear your family enjoyed it! I hope you are able to keep it up and grow closer as a family.
Blessings,
~Melisha
Thank you for making up these cards. I think they’ll help get the conversation flowing with our 15, 15 and 13 year olds 🙂
Thanks so much for these. We had bought some but have used them and are ready to move on. These are great! Family conversation is so important!
Our family has a great time together at dinnertime. We often think we should video our dinners, they can be so funny! I’m so glad you like the Conversation Starters. I hope your family enjoys them.
Thanks for the comment!
~Melisha