150+ Conversation Starters for Kids to Make Friends or Enjoy Family Time [2020]

By January Nelson

The best way to encourage your kids to open up as well as learn how to talk to new friends is to practice conversation starters. The key to any great conversation is to ask meaningful questions and exchange opinions and ideas. However, many kids either lack direction or focus in a conversation or are too shy to share. Use the list below to help your kids learn good conversation starters and improve their social interactions!

What are conversation starters?

A conversation starter is a question or a prompt that is used to initiate a conversation. Conversation starters are good to teach young children so that they can make new friends.

Tip: You can purchase conversation cards that will help facilitate a fun and meaningful conversation.

How you can teach your conversation starters to kids

You can teach your kiddo conversation starters by asking interesting questions and discussing with the whole family. Start by asking your kids the questions below and ask them to think about questions to ask you back. By normalizing these types of questions and conversations, your kid will feel more comfortable conversing with others.

Where you can practice your conversation starters

The best place to practice these conversation starters is at mealtime (specifically dinner time). Family dinner conversations are a great place to ask everyone about their day as well as explore good conversation topics. A dinner conversation is also a fun way to focus on each other at the family dinner. Furthermore, a family conversation is a safe place for kids to explore unusual and varied conversation topics. A dinner table conversation can also last a long time, giving your kids plenty of time to practice!

Benefits of conversation starters for kids

One of the biggest benefits of practicing conversation starters with your kids is that they learn how to feel comfortable asking and answering questions. This is especially useful when they are making new friends. New friendships can be tricky, but a great conversation can help make a great first impression!

List of good conversation starters:

Family Dinner Conversation Starters

What is your favorite color?
Where is your favorite place in the world?
What is your favorite movie?
What is your favorite book?
What kind of dessert is your favorite?
What is your favorite smell?
What is your favorite game?
What was the best part of your day?
What was the hardest part of your day?
What is your favorite holiday?
What was your favorite part of your lunch today?
What did you do in school today?
What is your favorite subject in school?
What is your favorite beverage?
What is one good thing you’re really good at?
What makes you feel happy?
What is your favorite food on the dinner table tonight?
What’s your favorite thing to cook with our family?
What’s your favorite room in our home?
What are you thankful for?
What do you find funny?
Who did you play with at school?
What do you like best about our family?
What superhero is your favorite?
Do you have a favorite TV show?
What could our family do that would make the world a better place?
Who’s the nicest person you know?
What do you think makes a family close?
What is the hardest thing about being you?

Fun Conversation Starters

If you had one superpower what would it be?
If you could be an animal, which one would you be?
If you had to make your own flavor of ice cream what would you make?
If you could be any age, what age would you be?
How would you like to change the world when you grow up?
What is your favorite word?
When you play tic-tac-toe, do you choose to be Xs or Os?
What is your ideal pet?
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
If you could create a zoo, what animal would you have the most of?
What is your favorite joke?
What is your favorite riddle?
What planet would you like to visit in outer space?
What book or movie character reminds you most of yourself?
If you could make up a sport, how would you play it?
If you were in a parade, what would be the theme of your float?
If you were trapped on an island and could only bring three things, what would those three things be?
What is your dream job?
If you could time travel, where would you go?
Which element would you want to control: water, earth, air, or fire?
If you could eat dinner with one person (dead or alive, fiction or nonfiction), who would it be?
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
What is your idea of the perfect day?
If you could pick or create one, what would be the perfect cereal flavor?
If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
What is one food you could eat everyday?
If you could have one wish, what would it be?
If you could make up any holiday what would it be called and what would you celebrate?
What is the funniest face you can make? Show me!
If you had to design an amusement park, what would be its theme?

Family Conversation Starters

What is your favorite chore?
What makes you happy?
What makes you sad?
When is the last time you were scared?
Do you think you are most like your mom or your dad?
What is your favorite part of being a kid?
What do you want to do more of in your life?
What is the hardest thing about being a child?
What is a dream of yours?
What do you do to relax?
What is your favorite shape?
What is your favorite thing to do with the whole family?
How would you describe your style?
How would you describe your personality?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What is your favorite question to ask your friends?
Who is the nicest person you know?
What is your favorite memory so far?
What is your favorite sports game?
Would you rather eat breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?
What is a social cause that you care about?
If you could make a new law, what law would you create?
What is your favorite past time activity?
What is a new hobby that you want to try?
What is your favorite song?
Who was kind to you today?
What do you love about your friends?
What is your favorite thing to eat at lunch?
If you could get your face painted, what would you want?
What recess equipment is most popular?

More Conversation Starters

What did you read about today?
Who is your closest friend at school?
If you could invent a subject in school, what would the subject be?
What is your favorite field trip that you’ve gone on?
What new fact did you learn today?
What emoji describes your day?
If someone gave you $5o, what would you do with it?
What do you love about your teachers?
What was the high point and low point of your day?
What funny videos have you seen lately?
What country do you want to visit?
What is the most important thing in your life?
What is your favorite car?
What embarrasses you the most?
What is your favorite kind of candy?
What is your favorite vegetable?
What do you do like to do on the weekends?
What was a mistake you made today?
What is your favorite drink?
If you could change one thing about your bedroom, what would it be?
Would you rather travel by boat, train, helicopter, or plane?
What topic interests you the most?
What is your favorite day of the week?
If you could learn any language, what one would it be?
What is your favorite month?
If you could build anything in the backyard what would you build?
What is your favorite thing to do in the car?
Have you ever had an imaginary friend? Tell me about them.
How many animal noises can you make?
What is your favorite weather?
What is the coolest thing that you have built?
What would you do with a million dollars?
What is something that you don’t like?
What is your favorite time of day?
What is your favorite story?
What sound annoys you the most?
Name a person that you trust. Why do you trust them?
Which color makes you the happiest?
What qualities do you think make a good friend?
What is the best surprise you have had?
What is your favorite thing about summer?
What is your favorite thing about winter?
What is your favorite thing about fall?
What is your favorite thing about spring?
What is the prettiest thing you have seen?
What do you like to collect?
What are you thinking about right now?
What is the grossest thing that you can think of right now?
What makes you smile?
What sport star do you want to meet?
If you had a robot, what would you make it do?
If you were in a circus, what would your job be?
Do you like bugs?
What is the best gift that you’ve ever received?
What is the bravest thing that you’ve ever done?
What is the most important thing in your life?
What do you want to invent?
What is something you want to learn how to cook?
If you discovered a new planet, what would you name it?
If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
Which one of the five senses do you think is the most important?
What is a new skill you wish you could learn overnight?
What kind of person do you want to be when you grow up?
If you had to spend the whole day with a loved one, who would you spend it with?
What is your favorite toy?