Finally carved out a night for your family to sit down and eat a meal together? Now that you are all present, make mealtime fun by trying one of these games, sure to spark conversation between you and your children and strengthen your relationships with one another.
- Two truths and a false. Not only does this game appeal to my children’s imaginations, I can usually learn something new about their day that they forgot to tell me. To play, go around the table and take turns sharing two events that really happened that day and one that did not. Who can guess which one is false?
- Draw forth a discussion. Christie Zemencik, Olathe mom of three children ages 18, 14 and 7, says she covers the table with butcher paper and puts crayons out. “My girls draw or write random things that usually lead to conversations as to why that was on their minds,” she says.
- High-Lo. Many families discuss the ups and downs of the day to get conversation rolling. Adrienne Dreher, Prairie Village mom of 6- and 3-year-old boys, calls discussion of the day’s highs and lows “Whoa-Wow!” “Your Wow! is your favorite part of the day. Your Whoa! is your least favorite part,” she says.
- Conversation in a jar. Karen Conklin, Olathe mom of three, ages 8, 6 and 2, created a jar with dinnertime conversation starters on strips of paper. “An example is ‘Name two people that made you smile today and why,’” she says. Her children enjoy adding conversation ideas to the jar, too.
- Table topics. Julie Melchior, Lenexa mom of three children ages 14, 11 and 8, says she purchased a pack of conversation questions last year. Each night the family selected a card to discuss.
“The kids couldn’t wait to sit down and get the cards passed out,” Melchior says. “It was so interesting for my husband and me to listen to their answers and hear what they remembered from their past holidays. It gave everyone an opportunity to share and listen, and we talked about things that probably wouldn’t come up in normal dinnertime conversation.”
Find “Kid Talk: Conversation Cards,” “Crunch a Color Conversation Starters,” “Chat Packs” or “Table Topics” at area retailers, bookstores or online.
Freelance journalist Christa Melnyk Hines, Olathe, loves to find new ways to “chat and chew” with her family, which includes her husband and their two sons.