20 Silly Conversation Starters for Families

Conversation Starter Questions for Kids

Do you get stuck asking your kids “how was your day” and getting a “fine” in response? These silly conversation starters are like icebreakers for your family dinner table, the after-school ride home, or anytime you need a quick way to connect with your kids and start a conversation.

Often, the times I’ve noticed our family hanging around the table, talking and laughing together, we’ve been discussing something completely silly. So I’ve created a list of silly conversation starters you can use to kickstart conversation with your kids. Use these to spark a little giggle and a lot of conversation. My kids are into missions (Mission: Impossible-style) these days so I’m calling it Conversation: Kickstart.

Why Conversation with Your Kids is Important

Without good communication, your family won’t be strong and healthy. Your kids won’t feel comfortable talking about their issues during the teen years if they haven’t built a foundation of strong communication. A study from MIT found that conversation between adults and children is critical to a child’s brain development.

In general, when kids engage in more conversation with adults, they have greater language development and reading comprehension skills.

Try some of these silly questions on your kids today and watch their imagination and creative thinking come to life.

List of 20 Silly Conversation Starters

1. What silly thing could you do to entertain a toddler for one minute?
2. Would you give up your favorite food forever to have your favorite superpower for one year?
3. What are three things you’d bring with you on a trip to Mars?
4. Finish the sentence, “Once upon a time in a gopher hole…”
5. What cartoon movie character would you want to be friends with in real life?
6. Where would be a good place to hide an elephant?
7. What is the most annoying sound to have in the background when you’re trying to concentrate?
8. Make up a silly song title starting with, “If only the lemur…”
9. What could you do with a marshmallow besides eat it?
10. What job would you have if you were an elf?
11. If you had to have an animal tail, which one would you choose?
12. What would your toothbrush say if it could talk?
13. If rain could be any liquid besides water, what would you want it to be?
14. If your nose had to be somewhere else on your body, where would you put it?
15. What are three action words to describe yourself that start with the first letter of your name?
16. If you could only see three colors, which colors would you choose?
17. If you had to be an animal for 12 hours a day, which animal would you choose?
18. What fictional land would you most want to visit?
19. If you could be invisible for one day, who would you want to spy on?
20. If you could bring one movie superhero to life, which one would it be?

Free Printable List of Conversation Starters

You can download a free printable of these 20 silly conversation starters for your family.

My kids love to be silly; sometimes they just need a little direction. I love conversation starters because they give permission to get started without any pressure to come up with a “right” answer. Usually, once we get going, our conversations meander through lots of territory before dinner is over. We are having more family dinners these days since we’re all at home, and a little dose of silly is just what we need!

50 Family Conversation Cards

If you feel stuck asking your kids, “How was your day?” at dinner most nights, check out my set of 50 conversation cards for families. This set includes 20 silly conversation starters, plus 30 more serious questions designed to get to know your kids and discover what boosts their confidence, and what drives them crazy!

Get a set of 50 conversation cards in my Etsy shop. Serious and silly, these questions will get your kids talking!

Visit my homeschool resources page for monthly unit study ideas, projects, and homeschool planning help!

Conversation Starts Family Fun

Give these conversation starters a try at breakfast, during a break from homework, or on a road trip. The more conversation you have with your kids, the more bonds you will build. Sometimes the silly conversations are the most memorable!

You can also boost family bonds by holding regular family meetings. Check out my post about how to hold a family meeting and grab a free template to plan your own family meeting.

Visit my Etsy shop for checklists, planning templates, and student projects

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Conversation Questions for Your Family Dinner Table