This past Sunday, I went out to lunch with my wife and kids. As we walked into the restaurant, I noticed a family with three elementary-aged kids. They looked like a perfect family, all dressed in their Sunday best; they probably came to the restaurant straight from church. But I noticed one problem—they weren’t talking to one another. It looked like an awkward date. Each person sat chewing and looking off into the distance. They needed some conversation prompts.
It’s not uncommon. You’re running around and finally get to the dinner or lunch table and then you have no questions to ask your kids other than, “How was your day?” After their one-word answer, you’ve got nothing left. I’ve been there. That’s why I thought of some conversation prompts that will help get the ball rolling. Nothing helps a relationship go deeper like a fun conversation. Ask your kids to finish these sentences. Make sure you give everyone a turn, and ask follow-up questions. Here are 50 conversation prompts for you and your kids.
1. I think I’m really good at…
2. I wish I were better at…
3. I wish I could go…
4. My favorite thing to do right now is…
5. My favorite celebrity right now is…
6. A person I admire is…
7. One thing I wish I had is…
8. The hardest thing I’ve ever done is…
9. Something that comes easily to me is…
10. One thing I love about our family is…
11. My dream house would include…
12. My dream day would include…(Give the full schedule)
13. My best friend, not including any family members, is…
14. My favorite outfit right now is…
15. If I could choose only one thing to eat for the rest of my life, I would choose…
16. If I could paint the walls in my room any color or design, I would paint…
17. One movie I like to watch over and over again is…
18. A fictional character from a book I would like to meet in real life would be…
19. An actor or actress I would like to play me in a movie would be…
20. I’m happiest when…
21. I’m saddest when…
22. A moment I would like to relive would be…
23. One accomplishment I’m really proud of is…
24. The scariest thing I’ve ever done is…
25. My biggest failure so far was…
26. I wish I could go back in time and change…
27. I love the cartoon character…
28. One thing I want to learn how to do is…
29. If I could write the story of my life, the title would be…
30. My pet peeve is…
31. My favorite animal is…
32. I’m afraid of…
33. One thing I like to do every single day is…
34. I was really embarrassed when…
35. If I could be the best in the world at one thing, it would be…
36. If I could be a character in a book or movie, I would choose…
37. One language I wish I spoke fluently is…
38. If I could live at a different time period, I would choose…
39. If I could witness one historical moment I would choose…
40. I’m excited about this month because…
41. I am most excited when…
42. The best gift I ever gave was…
43. I always feel better after I…
44. If a song played whenever I entered a room, I would choose…
45. I don’t like when people…
46. I like when people…
47. If I designed a uniform I had to wear, the primary color would be…
48. If I could choose one exotic animal to be my pet, I would choose…
49. If I could play one new instrument, I would pick…
50. One of my favorite places to go is…
Sound off: What are some of your favorite conversation prompts with your kids?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “If you could ask me one question, what would it be?”