Conversation Starters

Questions that get kids talking

Here is a list of 26 questions, some silly, some serious that encourage conversation:

1. If you wrote a book, what would you name the main character and where would he/she go?

2. What is your favorite thing to do?

3. If you could design a t-shirt, what would you draw or write on it?

4. What was your favorite part of your day?

5. What is your favorite memory about being ___ years old?

6. If the story of YOU became a movie, how would the movie end?

7. Do you have any jokes to tell me?

8. What’s the funniest thing you saw today/this week?

9. How would you describe a perfect day for you?

10. If you had an airplane to take you on vacation right now, where would you want to go and who would you take with you?

11. If you could have any animal in the world as a pet, what would it be?

12. If you could change anything about school what would it be?

13. If you could change anything in the world, what would you change and how?

14. Who is your favorite tv/book/story character and what do you like about him/her?

15. If you could eat lunch with (insert favorite character’s name) where would you go and what would you eat together?

16. If you could wake up tomorrow with a superpower, what superpower would you want to have?

17. If you could have any 3 wishes granted, what would they be?

18. If all your clothes could only be one color, what color would you choose?

19. If you could change the lunch menu at (school/home) what would you change?

20. What is your biggest dream?

21. What is your biggest worry?

22. If you could change your name, would you want to and what name would you choose instead?

23. What are you proudest of in your life?

24. Where is your favorite place to be?

25. What is something you never thought you could tell me but maybe want to tell me now?

26. Is there anything you have always wanted to ask me but didn’t? Do you want to ask me now?

Conversation starters to get to know your kids better

Asking specific questions about your child’s dreams, emotions, and values can give you great insight into the individual that you’re raising. It might clue you into things you want to work on with your child or you might leave the conversation feeling astonished that your child is growing into such a wonderful person.

Here are some conversation starters that can help you get to know your child on a deeper level: 1. Who is your best friend and why? 2. What traits do you look for in friends? 3. What do you think is the most important quality a person can have? 4. What do you think of the way the other kids at school dress these days? 5. What’s your most embarrassing moment?

Conversation starters to help grow gratitude

From improved physical health to better relationships, studies consistently show that gratitude has many benefits.

Here are some conversations starters that can cultivate gratitude: 1. What are some things you feel grateful for today? 2. What are some things that you don’t need, but you’re really happy that you have? 3. What are some things that are easy to complain about, but we’re actually lucky to have? For example, rainy days help gardens grow and give animals water to drink. 4. What are some things you get to do that other people might not be able or allowed to do?

Conversation starters to help develop imagination

After kids outgrow pretend play, their use of imagination may decline. But, you can help spark their creativity with a few simple questions.

Here are some conversation starters that will help them be a bit more imaginative: 1. If you could have any super power, what would it be and why? 2. If you wrote a book, what would it be about? 3. If your pets could talk, what would they say? 4. What color is the happiest color? What makes it happy? 5. If you won $100, what would you do with it?

Conversation starters to help develop empathy

Kids can get caught up into thinking they’re the only person who matters. Help them think more about others and how they might feel.

Here are some questions that can help your child develop empathy: 1. Did you have a chance to be kind to anyone today? 2. How do you think other people feel when you’re kind to them? 3. Who gets teased at school or in your activities, and why? 4. How do you think kids who do the teasing feel about themselves? How do you think kids who get teased feel? 5. Does anyone else ever step in to stick up for the kids being teased? 6. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

Conversation starters to help develop mental strength

Kids can learn to develop mental muscle by learning how to manage their emotions, regulate their thoughts, and take positive action. While it’s important to give them regular exercises that help them build mental strength, you can also remind them of strategies they can use to be mentally strong by asking targeted questions.

Here are some simple conversation starters that can help kids build mental strength: 1. What feeling do you think is most uncomfortable? Embarrassment, anger, fear, or something else? 2. What are some things you can tell yourself when your brain tells you things that are too negative to be true, such as ‘you’ll never succeed’ or ‘no one likes you?’ 3. How do you make yourself face your fears?

Conversation starters to help develop ethical thinking

Asking questions about ethical issues can help your child get to know her values and develop morality.

Here are a few conversation starters that can help your child think about her ethics: 1. If your friend always forgets to bring his lunch to school, should other kids always share with him? 2. Is it ever OK to ever cheat in school or sports? 3. Is there ever a time that it would be OK to steal from someone?

Conversation starters to help develop confidence

It’s important for kids to recognize their talents, abilities, and skills. Asking questions that help them identify their strengths can help them realize they put their talents to good use.

Here are some conversation starters that can boost your child’s confidence: 1. What are you most proud of? 2. What is something you are good at? 3. What are some things you can do to make a difference in the world?

Conversation starters to help develop ambition

Kids and young adults sometimes have trouble thinking past the next five minutes, let alone thinking much about their long-term future. Asking some questions about the life they want to create for themselves is a good way to help them start imagining what type of life they want to live.

Here are some conversation starters that can help your child think more about the future and develop the ambition to make it happen: 1. Where would you like to live someday? A house in the country, an apartment in the city, on a farm, in a mansion, in an RV that travels around, or somewhere else? 2. What do you want to be when you grow up? 3. If you could achieve any goal, however impossible it seems, what would it be? 4. What is one thing you want to achieve before you finish school?