Improve your bond with these family conversation starters!

Finding time and ways to connect with our family and improve our bond is important. Whether you’re sitting at the dinner table, in the car or lounging on the couch, sometimes you need conversation starters for your family to get everyone talking.

We do a monthly check-in night with each of our children about what is going on in their lives. My kids tease me that I always have questions for them, and they end up talking when they didn’t think they had anything to say! That’s the power of good questions. As a journalist, I know the importance of asking good questions. I’ve carried that over into my family life.

For our family, we’ve found that once the conversation gets going, we usually have follow-up questions and keep chatting away. Having some conversation starters for your family to kick off with can get the flow started.

Fun family conversation starters

One of the easiest ways to kick off family conversation is with fun topics and questions. These questions are fun to answer. I am often surprised at my family’s responses to questions like these. And they usually spark some friendly debate as well!

1. What superhero power would you choose and why? (Bonus: what is your superhero name?)
2. Share one of your most embarrassing moments.
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
4. Which historical figure would you most like to have dinner with? What would you talk about with them?
5. What three items would you take with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?
6. If you created your own ice cream flavor, what would it be and what ingredients would you use? (Bonus: name the flavor!)
7. Which animal would you choose to be for a day? Why?
8. Share your favorite family vacation memory.
9. What kind of robot would you create to help you? Why?
10. Tell a silly joke you’ve heard recently that made you laugh.

Daily dinner table conversation starters

Though any of these conversation starters for your family can be used at the dinner table, these questions in particular are great for connecting with each other daily. Work them into your regular dinner table conversation to stay up-to-date with what’s going on in each other’s lives.

1. What was your favorite part of the day today?
2. What was the most challenging part of your day? How did you handle it?
3. Share something that made you laugh or smile today.
4. Did you learn anything new today or recently that surprised you? What was it?
5. How are you feeling emotionally today? Do you have anything you’d like to talk about?
6. What upcoming activity or event are you looking forward to? Why?
7. Who made your life easier today? How?
8. Name three things you’re grateful for today.
9. What did you accomplish today that makes you feel proud?
10. Is there something you’re struggling with today? How can we help you?

Family conversation starters with young children

Family conversations don’t have to wait until your kids are tweens and teens. These conversation starters for your family work for even the youngest family members who can talk!

1. What is your favorite toy right now?
2. If you could have any animal as a pet, which one would you pick? Why?
3. Sing a song you know. (Bonus: add in dance moves!)
4. What’s your favorite food? What’s your least favorite food?
5. If you could make up a new holiday, what would it be? How would you celebrate it?
6. What do you like to do when you have free time?
7. Come up with an idea for a new toy and how it would work.
8. Which book character would you want to hang out with in real life?
9. Share about someone who was nice to you recently and how they were nice.
10. What is something that always makes you feel happy?

Deep questions about family

Of course, there are some times that you want to go deeper with your conversations. These deeper questions work well during one-on-one time with your children or serious talks. You can make them part of a family meeting once a month or whatever works best for you.

While I always want to have fun with my children, I also want us to be able to talk about deeper emotions and challenges together. In order to make that happen, we have to be intentional.

1. How do you feel our family cares for each other during challenging times? What can we do to improve that even more?
2. What is your favorite family ritual or tradition we have? Why do you enjoy it?
3. In what ways do you think our family communicates well? How can we improve our communication?
4. Are there any unresolved conflicts or issues within our family that you think we need to address?
5. How do you feel about the roles and responsibilities within our family? Are there any adjustments or changes you would suggest?
6. What can our family do together to make an impact on the world?
7. If you were the parents in our family, what would you do the same? What would you do differently?
8. Share your hopes for our family for the next year.
9. Tell each family member one character trait you most admire or appreciate about them.
10. Are there any routines or activities that aren’t working so well right now and we need to address? If not, what is working well that you enjoy?

Faith conversation starters

Finally, as a Christian family, you want to connect about your faith. I have been surprised at the depth of faith conversations our family has had with our children. They have great insights and questions. Use these faith conversation starters any time or work them into your regular family devotional time.

1. Who is one of your favorite people in the Bible? Why?
2. How do you spend time with God regularly?
3. What are some ways our family can share our faith with those around us?
4. What Bible story do you enjoy most?
5. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, share it and why it’s your favorite. If not, share a Bible verse you remember and what it says to you.
6. How does your relationship with God impact your daily life?
7. What three questions would you ask God right now if you could?
8. How can we worship God together as a family?
9. What’s one of your favorite hymns or worship songs? What do you like about it?
10. In what ways can we show God’s love and compassion to those who believe differently than we do?

Download a free PDF with a list of all these questions!