44 Creative Family Dinner Conversation Starters to Get Kids Engaged

Family dinners are arguably the most important part of your child's day. But what your kid eats during this time isn't the only aspect that parents need to consider. Quality conversations are just as important as the healthy meals you work hard to provide. It might be time for a change if you find that your family is stuck in a rut of daily dinners that go something like this:

"How was your day?"
"Fine."
"Did you learn anything new?"
"Not really."

Help your family unit reconnect each night by getting creative with what questions you ask and opting for fresh ways to spark meaningful and imaginative conversations. Here are 44 fun ideas to try at your next meal to get those chats flowing.

  1. What was the craziest dream you had this week?
  2. Who were you able to help today?
  3. Does anyone have a hard time following directions?
  4. What was the hardest topic to understand today?
  5. Which one of your teachers would you want to have every year?
  6. Which classmates don't you know well but wish you knew better?
  7. What's your teacher's best motto?
  8. If you could have three careers when you grow up, what would they be?
  9. Whose lunch were you jealous of today?
  10. What is your favorite holiday?
  11. What was the bravest thing you did today?
  12. If aliens invited you to come for a ride on their spaceship, which planet would you want to visit?
  13. What was your favorite part of lunch?
  14. If you had to go to the moon with a classmate, who would you take and why?
  15. What games do you like the most and the least at recess?
  16. If you could trade places with any book character, who would you choose?
  17. What were the nicest and the meanest things you saw happen today?
  18. What could you do to brighten a classmate's day tomorrow?
  19. What made you smile the most?
  20. Which celebrity would you want to invite for dinner?
  21. What were you the most excited about learning?
  22. What was your biggest stressor?
  23. If you could invent something tomorrow, what would it be?
  24. What's the one superpower you wish you had? Why?
  25. If we could travel anywhere in the world, where would you want to visit first?
  26. What do you wish your teacher knew about you?
  27. What age are you most looking forward to being?
  28. Which family member would you want to explore the moon with?
  29. Who is the one kid you wish was in a different class?
  30. If you could be any color crayon, which would you be?
  31. What activity haven't you tried before but you'd like to give a shot?
  32. What's on your bucket list this school year?
  33. If you could rewrite the ending to any book, which one would it be?
  34. Who did you try to make smile today and how?
  35. What is going to be your biggest challenge this week?
  36. If you could only eat one breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a month, which meals would you pick?
  37. Which of your friends has the coolest parent?
  38. If you could trade places with a classmate, who would you pick?
  39. What would you do if you won the lottery?
  40. If you could change one of the house rules, which would it be?
  41. What quality do your friends like about you the most?
  42. If you could have a different name, which would you pick?
  43. What are four words you would use to describe each family member?
  44. What is your favorite family memory?