How to Start Conversations with Kids: Tips and Ideas

Some kids are super talkative, others are shy and quiet. Getting them talking is a great way to bond, connect, and learn about how they’re feeling and what’s going through their minds, but you may not always know how to get the ball rolling.

This guide is here to help, listing over 100 conversation starters for kids of varying ages.

Contents:

• Why Conversation Starters Are So Helpful for Kids 
• Common Conversation Topics for Kids 
• Tips for Using Conversation Starters 
• Conversation Starters for Toddlers and Preschoolers 
• Fun Conversation Starters for Kids/Schoolers 
• Conversation Starters for Older Kids To Get Them Talking
• FAQs

Why Conversation Starters Are So Helpful for Kids

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Conversation starters for kids are helpful for both the children in question and the adults—like parents or teachers—who want to talk to them. They help to establish a conversation and dialogue between the two parties, getting the ball rolling when conversations may otherwise be difficult to start.

Conversation starters also teach children of all ages valuable social skills. They help kids learn how to show interest in other people, how to approach them, ask them things, learn more about them, and make friends. This can be invaluable in the long run when it comes to forming relationships and building a social circle, both as a child and as a grown-up.

Plus, by using conversation starters and chatting with your kids often, you can learn so much more about them, and vice versa. This helps to strengthen the bonds and connections you share, and it also makes children more likely to open up to you in the future and share what’s on their minds if they’re feeling a little down or worried about something.

Common Conversation Topics for Kids

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So, what kinds of topics do kids like to talk about? Well, that all depends on the child in question. Kids are all unique, with their own personalities, tastes, ideas, hobbies, and interests. The better you know them, the easier it’ll be to pick the most appropriate and engaging things for them to talk about. However, some good general starting points include:

• Toys and Games: Pretty much all kids enjoy toys and games, especially young ones, so they’ll often be happy to talk about them. You can ask about toy names or the child’s favorite toys and games to play, and expand the conversation from there.
• Friends: Once they’ve started school, kids often think a lot about their friends and love to talk about them. This is a great way to find out more about their character and the kinds of people they’re drawn to and like hanging out with.
• School: Again, once kids have started school, it naturally becomes a big part of their lives. It’s highly recommended for parents to ask about school regularly in order to learn how their child feels about it, what they like, dislike, and so on.
• Animals: Many children are also fascinated by the animal kingdom and will be only too happy to talk about their favorite animals or answer questions like “If you were an animal, which one would you be?”
• Food: For children, life is pretty simple, and the simplest of things—like food and drink—make up large parts of their lives. They often like to talk about food, discussing their favorite meals, snacks, and recipes.
• Activities: You can also discuss everyday activities with children, like games they’ve played, sports, clubs, or simply how they spend their free time. This can be effective for learning about their passions and interests.
• Movies, TV, and Music: Even in homes where TV time is carefully controlled, many children enjoy movies, TV, and other sources of entertainment and will be happy to discuss them with their parents.
• The Future: A lot of children like to think about the future. They imagine what kind of job they might have when they grow up, where they’d like to live, or even if they’d like to have kids of their own someday—all interesting topics of conversation you can use.

Related: 30 Questions to Ask a Kid Instead of How Was Your Day?

Tips for Using Conversation Starters

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Even with a good conversation starter on your mind, it’s not always easy to get kids talking. That’s why you have to use your conversation starters with care to get the most out of them. Here are some smart tips to help out:

• Timing Matters: Kids are naturally chattier and more open to communication at certain times when they’re calm and not distracted, tired, or hungry. Pick your moments with care to get the best conversations.
• Listen Closely: There’s no point asking a kid a question or starting a conversation if you then fail to pay attention. Put your phone and other distractions away and listen carefully to how your child responds.
• Show Interest: Listening is about more than just hearing what the child is saying. Show that you’re interested through active listening—nod, gesture, and ask follow-up questions that demonstrate you’re paying attention and want to know more.
• Set an Example: It’s up to parents and other adults in general to serve as role models for children. Do your bit by being a good communicator in everyday life, showing kids how we listen, learn, and engage with one another.
• Opt for Open Questions: To get conversations going, it’s best to ask open questions that should have long and elaborate answers, rather than simple “yes or no” answers which could fail to trigger any sort of discussion or debate.
• Be Empathetic: Put yourself in your child’s position as they answer questions and share their thoughts. Think about how they’re feeling and let them know that their feelings are valid and important. You don’t necessarily need to provide solutions right away, either— sometimes, just listening and understanding is enough.
• Focus on Their Interests: Kids won’t necessarily want to talk about things they’re not interested in or don’t care about, as they don’t have the same social filters as adults. Focus your conversations and starters on what they enjoy the most.
• Understand Your Audience: Children respond and communicate differently to adults, so you have to adjust your methods of communication accordingly. Avoid jargon and complex terms, and use positive expressions and gestures to encourage them.
• Share Your Experience: Children often like to hear about their parents’ or guardians’ own experiences. So don’t be afraid to share some personal stories, anecdotes, or impressions from the past that your children can relate to and learn from.

Conversation Starters for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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Next, let’s look at some conversation starters for kids, beginning with the youngest of them. These starters are aimed primarily at toddlers and preschoolers, meaning that they’re quite simplistic, but effective at getting little ones chatting:

1. Who is your best friend?
2. What do you like most about your friends?
3. What’s the best thing to do on a sunny day?
4. What’s the most fun thing to do indoors?
5. What’s the tastiest food you’ve ever had?
6. What’s the most exciting place you’ve been?
7. If you could be any animal, which one would you be?
8. Which is your favorite breakfast cereal?
9. What’s the silliest face that you can make?
10. What’s your favorite song?
11. What was the best holiday you had?
12. Where do you like to go in the car?
13. If we were at the grocery store, what would you want to buy?
14. How many animal noises can you make?
15. Have you ever had an imaginary friend?
16. How high can you count?
17. If you had three wishes, what would they be?
18. Who do you love?
19. What’s your favorite smell?
20. What’s your favorite taste?
21. What’s the yuckiest thing you’ve ever eaten?
22. What’s your favorite weather?
23. Do you prefer rain or sun?
24. Do you prefer night or day?
25. Do you prefer cold or hot?
26. What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever built?
27. If you could be any ice cream flavor, which one would you be?
28. What do you want to be when you grow up?
29. What’s something that always makes you laugh?
30. What do you love doing at the park?
31. What’s your favorite thing to do with your friends?
32. What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever seen?
33. If you could have a pet dinosaur, what would you do together?
34. What’s your favorite thing to build with LEGO?
35. What’s your favorite toy?
36. What would you do if you were king or queen?
37. Do you have any pets?
38. What’s your favorite sound?
39. What sound annoys you most?
40. What’s your bedroom like?

Fun Conversation Starters for Kids/Schoolers

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Moving on, the next set of conversation starters for kids is aimed at slightly older children of elementary school age. At these ages, kids are more capable of voicing their thoughts and feelings, but still learning the rules of social engagement and conversation:

1. Where would you go if you could fly?
2. If you were in the circus, what would you do?
3. What pretend place would you like to visit?
4. If rain could be another liquid, what liquid would you make it?
5. Would you rather have a tail or fur?
6. Would you rather be a fish or a bird?
7. What would your superpower be?
8. What do you think it would be like if superheroes were real?
9. Which book or movie would you like to live in?
10. If you wrote a book, what would happen to your characters?
11. Would you rather live in the sea or the sky?
12. What superpower would be horrible to have?
13. What’s something you liked to learn
14. Do you have a favorite part of the day?
15. What do you like to play during recess?
16. Do some people do things that annoy you?
17. Do you like dinner or breakfast more?
18. Who is your best friend? What do you like about them?
19. What did you learn in school today?
20. What three words do you think describe your personality best?
21. What’s your favorite subject in school?
22. If you could be any animal, which one would it be?
23. If you could go to space, would you?
24. What would be your dream job?
25. Would you like to have kids of your own one day?
26. How do you imagine your future?
27. Do you like male or female teachers best?
28. What sort of music do you like to hear?
29. Can you play any instruments?
30. What’s the best movie you’ve seen?
31. What’s the first thing you think of in the morning?
32. If you could have any dessert for breakfast what would you eat?
33. What’s the silliest thing you can think of doing?
34. Do you think it’s important to be polite?
35. What’s the best smell you’ve ever smelled?
36. Can you make up a new sport?
37. How many books do you have? What’s your favorite?
38. Would you ever wear pajamas at school?
39. Can you remember some time you made someone smile?
40. Do you think you could go a whole day without speaking?

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Conversation Starters for Older Kids To Get Them Talking

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Finally, we’ll look at some more conversation starters aimed at older kids (pre-teens and young teens) who are sometimes a little more secretive with their thoughts and less likely to open up about how they’re feeling. These conversation starters can bring them out of their shells:

1. What’s the best way to make friends?
2. Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met?
3. What’s a challenge you’d like to overcome some time in the future?
4. What’s a goal you’d like to achieve this year?
5. What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited?
6. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned this year?
7. Which teacher is your favorite? Why?
8. If you could go on a picnic anywhere, where would you go?
9. What’s the best way to spend a day with the family?
10. What’s the best way to spend time with grandma and grandpa?
11. What’s your favorite part of being in this family?
12. What do you enjoy doing with your siblings?
13. What do you think about religion and faith?
14. How do you think your school could be better?
15. How do you think the world could be better?
16. What are three words you would use to describe yourself?
17. What’s something you’re really good at?
18. What’s something you’d like to learn how to do?
19. What’s your biggest dream for the future?
20. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
21. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
22. If you could go back in time, which time would you visit?
23. Imagine you have a secret room in your house, what would you keep there?
24. If animals could talk, what would they be like?
25. What movie or book would you love to live in for a day?
26. What’s your favorite place in the house?
27. What’s your favorite way to be kind to people?
28. What’s your favorite thing to do first thing after getting up?
29. What’s your favorite thing to do before going to bed?
30. What would you do if you had a million dollars?
31. What do you like most about the weekend?
32. What’s something that annoyed you this week?
33. What’s your favorite fruit or vegetable?
34. What’s your favorite way to express how you’re feeling?
35. What’s your favorite way to relax and forget your worries?
36. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
37. What’s your earliest memory?
38. Can you describe your mom or dad in a single word?
39. How do you think the world will change in 10 years?
40. If you could swap lives with someone, who would you swap with?

Get the Conversation Flowing with Your Kids

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With these conversation starters, you should find it much easier to get discussions, debates, and interesting conversations flowing with your kids, no matter their age, interests, or personality. Just remember to choose your moments well and show attention and empathy to keep the talk going.

Additionally, be sure to share this guide around so more moms, dads, and grown-ups in general can build bonds with the kids in their lives!

FAQs

What Are Good Conversation Starters for Kids?

There are lots of great examples of conversation starters for kids to get them talking. Examples include “How was your day at school?” “Who is the nicest person you know?” “What makes you angry?” and “What would you do if you had a hundred dollars?”

How Do You Start a Conversation With Little Kids?

To start a conversation with young children, it’s important to get on their level. Make sure you choose a time and place where they’re easily engaged and open to communication, and discuss topics that interest them, like toys, cartoons, friends, and so on. Keep it simple and ask lots of questions to get them to do most of the talking.

What’s a Fun Way To Start a Conversation?

To start a conversation in a fun way, it’s good to think outside of the box. Avoid boring and cliché questions, and try to think of more surprising and unexpected conversation starters, like “What if?” questions or asking someone something personal, like “What’s the best gift you ever got?” or “What would your superpower be if you were a superhero?”

What Are Good Questions To Ask a 6-Year-Old?

There are hundreds of great examples of questions to ask a six-year-old. Some good ones that help to get conversations going include “What do you want to do when you’re grown up?” and “If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be?”

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