These conversation starters for kids swap “how was school?” for questions children actually want to answer: “what made you smile today?”, “if you opened a restaurant, what would be on the menu?”. 80 starters for dinner, the school run and bedtime.
Conversation cards for kids to print (PDF)
These four pages show the conversation cards: 12 on a page in color, 8 big cards, a small 20-card page in black and white for a question jar, and the matching card backs. Click any picture for the PDF, or use the generator above to choose the number of cards per page.
Print the conversation starters for kids
- Choose the deck, the level and how many cards fit on a page (8 big cards, 12, or 20 small ones).
- Add your own cards at the bottom: family names, inside jokes, films your group loves.
- Tick Card backs to add a matching back page (print double-sided, flip on the long edge).
- Press Download PDF or Print, cut along the dotted lines, and shuffle.
Play it now on a phone or a TV
No cards to cut? Use the game below. Pick a level, set the timer and let the game keep score for two teams. Put it on full screen on a laptop or TV for the whole room, and press Copy link to send the same shuffled deck to friends on a video call so everyone follows along.
How to use the conversation starters for kids
- Question jar: print, cut and fold the cards into a jar on the dinner table. Each person pulls one.
- School pick-up: ask one card in the car. Save the “what was tricky today?” cards for calm moments.
- Bedtime: two questions each night: one fun, one thankful.
- Classroom circle time: put the game on the board and pass a talking object around.
Tips for real conversations
Answer the question yourself too: children open up more when adults share. Listen more than you ask, and let silly answers be silly. Add your own cards about family plans, friends and hobbies.
Conversation starters for kids
- What made you smile today?
- If you could invent a new ice cream flavor, what would it be?
- What is the best thing that happened at school this week?
- If you could talk to one animal, which one and what would you ask?
- What would you do if you were the teacher for a day?
- What is the funniest thing you saw this week?
- If you had a magic wand, what three things would you change?
- What is something new you learned today?
- Who did you help today, or who helped you?
- What is your favorite place in our home?
- If you could go anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?
- What would your dream birthday party look like?
- What is the hardest thing about being a kid?
- What is the best thing about being a kid?
- If you could have any superpower, what would you use it for?
- What is a rule you would make if you were in charge?
- What do you think you will be doing when you are 30?
- If you wrote a book, what would it be called?
- What is your favorite game to play with friends?
- What is something that made you feel brave?
- If our family had a motto, what should it be?
- What would you name a new planet?
- What is the yummiest thing you have ever eaten?
- If you could be in any film, which one?
- What is something you want to learn to do?
- What do you like most about your best friend?
- What is your favorite sound?
- If you could build anything, what would you build?
- What would you do with a whole day of no plans?
- What is one thing you are thankful for today?
- What is the silliest thing you have ever done?
- If you could swap places with a pet for a day, would you?
- What do you think your teacher does after school?
- What is your favorite story we have read together?
- What would you pack for a trip to the moon?
- What is the kindest thing you did this week?
- If you could make one thing free for everyone, what would it be?
- What makes a good friend?
- What would you do if you found a dinosaur egg?
- What is your favorite memory with your grandparents?
- If you opened a restaurant, what would be on the menu?
- What is something that made you feel proud?
- Which would you rather visit: a jungle or a desert, and why?
- What job would be the most fun for one day?
- What is something you find really hard?
- What is your favorite thing to do when it rains?
- If toys could talk, what would yours say about you?
- What would you like to do together this weekend?
- What is the best joke you know?
- What do you think happens in your dreams?
- If you could change your name for a day, what would it be?
- What was the best part of your day?
- What was the trickiest part of your day?
- What would you do if you were invisible for an hour?
- If you could meet any character from a book, who would it be?
- What is your favorite season and what do you love about it?
- What is something that scares you a little?
- How would you describe yourself in three words?
- What is a place you would like to visit with our family?
- If you could have any pet, what would you choose?
- What would you do if you were the prime minister for a day?
- What is one thing you want to get better at?
- What do you think animals talk about?
- What is your favorite color and what does it remind you of?
- If you could design a playground, what would it have?
- What is the funniest dream you have had?
- Who is someone you admire and why?
- If you had a robot, what jobs would you give it?
- What is your favorite holiday tradition?
- What would you invent to make life easier?
- If you could live in any time in history, when would it be?
- What do you love about our family?
- What would you like to be famous for?
- What is your favorite thing to draw?
- If you could have a conversation with your future self, what would you ask?
- What makes you feel happy when you are sad?
- What song makes you want to dance?
- What would you do with a treehouse?
- If you could shrink to the size of a bug, where would you go?
- What is the best thing about today?
Questions to ask your child after school
“How was school?” usually gets “fine”. Better conversation starters for kids, and better questions to ask your child after school, are specific, curious and easy to answer. Try one of these from the list: “What was the best part of your day?”, “What was the trickiest part of your day?” or “Who did you help today, or who helped you?” Give your child a few quiet minutes before you start, because many children need time to switch from school to home.
How the 80 conversation starters for kids are built
The starters mix three types of question, so you can pick one for the mood of the moment. The questions are short, with an average of 9 words and none longer than 14, so a child can remember them and answer without help:
| Type of starter | How many | Example from the list |
|---|---|---|
| “What…” questions about the day | 55 | What made you smile today? |
| “If you could…” questions for imagination | 21 | If you could talk to one animal, which one and what would you ask? |
| Other questions (Who, Which, Do, How) | 4 | Who is someone you admire and why? |
Conversation starters for kids by age
Children of different ages enjoy different conversation starters for kids. Here are examples from the list for each age group:
| Age | Good starters from the list | Why they work |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6 | What made you smile today? What is your favorite sound? What is the best joke you know? | Short, concrete and easy to answer in a sentence |
| 7 to 9 | What would you do if you found a dinosaur egg? What is something that made you feel brave? | Imagination and feelings, with room for a story |
| 10 to 12 | What makes a good friend? What do you think you will be doing when you are 30? | Opinions and the future, for older children who like to debate |
Dinner table questions: ten ground rules
These dinner table questions turn the conversation starters for kids into a habit. Use the conversation starters for kids at any meal, in the car or at bedtime.
- Put the phones away, for adults too.
- Pull one of the conversation starters for kids from the jar for each person.
- Answer the question yourself, because children copy adults.
- Let each person speak without interruption.
- Accept silly answers, because silly leads to real.
- Skip any card that nobody likes, with no argument.
- Ask one follow-up, such as “Why?” or “What happened next?”
- Do not use the questions to check homework or manners.
- Keep it short: 10 minutes is enough.
- Finish with a thankful card, such as “What is one thing you are thankful for today?”
Conversation cards for kids: print, cut and fold
Every one of the conversation starters for kids prints as a card, so the conversation starters for kids can live in a jar.
Conversation cards for kids work best in a jar or a box that lives on the table. Print the cards at 20 per page, cut along the dotted lines and fold each card once. For a bedtime routine, keep a small stack by the bed and ask two cards each night, one fun and one thankful. Listening well matters more than the question: Wikipedia’s active listening article explains how to show a child that you are really listening.
Frequently asked questions
4 quick answers
What age are these conversation starters for kids for?
About 4 to 12. Teens enjoy the would you rather and icebreaker lists.
How do I make a question jar?
Print the cards with 20 per page, cut them out, fold each one and keep them in a jar or box on the table.
What are good questions to ask kids at dinner?
Open questions such as “What made you smile today?” or “If you could invent a new ice cream flavor, what would it be?” work well, because they have no wrong answer. Keep one jar of cards on the table.
How do I get my child to talk after school?
Wait a few minutes, offer a snack, and ask a specific question such as “What was the trickiest part of your day?” instead of “How was school?” Share your own answer first.