Dinner Conversation Starters
There’s nothing worse than those awkward dinners, the ones where you talk about the weather. Or worse, nothing at all. Here are a few tips for Dinner Conversation Starters that’ll kick off the conversation!
How was your day?
“Fine”, “good”, and “ok” are my family’s most common responses.
One day I asked a different question, and I got a 10 minute long answer from my husband.
How did I do it? I asked one of my best dinner conversation starters. Read on to see what it was!
Say no to small talk
We can talk about the weather with strangers on the street corner, so why do we spend precious time small talking with our family and friends?
For one thing, it’s easy. The rain/lack of rain probably won’t cause a disagreement.
But I’d argue that asking something a little deeper—through thoughtful questions—can foster meaningful connection.
And in a social media driven society, we could all use a little more connection.
Why dinner?
Dinner is an excellent time to connect over a meal. We all eat three times a day, so it’s a logical time to also enjoy someone’s company and strengthen our relationships.
Breakfast is usually rushed, lunch may be at our desks, but dinner? Dinner is usually at the table.
And you probably have 15–20 minutes to eat at least, so here are the dinner conversation starters that I recommend.
Ideas for Dinner Conversation Starters
Ask About a Certain Part of Their Day (and Get Specific)
“How was your meeting with the boss?” is an example of a question that elicits a one-word response.
Let me guess. Was it, “fine”?
Instead of asking questions that don’t require elaboration, try another route.
- Did your boss give you any specific advice?
- How did you feel when you left the meeting?
- Did your boss say anything that struck you as interesting?
For the kids, use questions such as,
- Who did you play with today at school?
- What’s one thing that made you feel happy?
- What made you laugh today?
Ask “the Challenge Question”
My husband’s aforementioned lengthy reply was the result of this question: What was the most challenging part of your day?
He not only responded to the question but dove into his opinion on his commission structure (he works in banking).
I’ve known him for years and had never heard these details or his thoughts on them.
This question is great for close friends, spouses, and even kids.
We all have challenges to our day. Responding authentically to this question is a good way to show children that parents have challenging days, too.
Reminisce together
When you were 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an architect. But a 4th grade class project using a “Fun with Architecture” kit convinced me otherwise, and now I’m a food blogger.
This question is especially fun at dinner parties—it’s light hearted and you’ll get a kick out of the responses.
Ask positive questions
If you take time to reflect on your day, you’ll notice that the negative circumstances of the day will often surface more quickly than the positive.
One of my favorite dinner conversation starters to ask is, “What’s something nice that someone did for you recently?”
The answers will restore your faith in humankind and encourage gratefulness in yourself, too.
Need more ideas for dinner conversation starters?
Keep a block of convo starters on your table to kick off the discussion anytime, or scroll through this list from Country Living and find another for dinner tonight!
Don’t forget the food!
Now that you’re armed with a thoughtful question or two, what are you having for dinner? Here are a few of my favorites:
