10 Open-Ended Conversation Starter Cards for Parents and Kids

These 10 open ended conversation starters for kids will help you connect and build a stronger relationship with your kids. They are great for elementary age and up!

As a mom to kids ranging in age from preschool through middle school, I can testify that we run the gamut in terms of talkativeness. Maybe you have kids that fall into one of these categories:

Our preschooler usually just shoves whatever art project he did that day in my face and runs to go get in the car. I ask questions that I already know the answer to, or that are simple for him to answer.

My first grader will tell me, in order, all the things she did that day, including what color her best friend was wearing.

My second oldest (a boy) usually says “it was good” if asked how his day was. He needs a little more prodding, which is where these 35 questions to ask your kids instead of “how was school?” comes in handy.

And my middle schooler, while she can be full of all sorts of information and stories, sometimes needs a little direction so she doesn’t get stuck complaining. #iykyk

10 Open-Ended Conversation Starters to Get Your Kids Talking

Last year, I shared a printable list of 35 questions to ask your kids instead of “how was school?”. It is a great tool to help kids reflect on their day (both the good and bad).

To give a few more options for connecting with your kids after school, I’ve put together these open-ended conversation starters. They are simple and some include humor to break through the walls that our kids sometimes put up.

*NOTE* If you pick your kids up from school, you can ask these questions in the car. If your kids ride the bus or carpool with others, ask them at snack time. Another option would be to go around at dinnertime and take turns going through one of these open-ended conversation starters.

2 Truths and a Lie

Have your kids say 3 things about their day, one of which is a lie and try to guess the lie. It gets a bit of information about their day and it’s no pressure because it’s a fun game for them.

Example: Today I played basketball with Greg, got 100% on my math test and lost my favorite keychain.

High Low Buffalo

Ask your kids to tell you something high about their day, low about their day and something random.

Example: I got to have a cupcake to celebrate Jane’s birthday. I fell down during recess. I saw a purple bouncy ball.

Rose, Thorn, Bud

Have your kids tell you something that was the best part of the day, worst part of the day and something they are looking forward to. Or it could be a win (rose) and a challenge (thorn).

Example: The best part of my day was getting to wear my new shirt. The worst part of my day was that my teacher said we couldn’t play outside for recess because it was raining. I’m looking forward to my after school snack.

Indirect Questions

Ask how their friends or teachers are doing. Allows kids to tell stories that don’t seem to have a point. It is more open-ended but still gives direction with a topic.

Example: I remember you told me that Cade was gone on vacation. Did he come back yet? Where did he go?

High, Low, What do you know?

What was the highlight of your day? Low point? What did you learn?

Example: The highlight of my day was meeting a new friend. The low point was finding out that they changed the lunch menu. I learned how to draw a face in art class.

Chocolate Lemon Banana

What were the chocolates (the good), the lemons (the not so good) and the bananas (the crazy things) that happened to you today?

Example: My teacher told me I am getting better at reading. I missed a lot of questions on my science test. A crazy thing that happened was that my PE teacher told us to pretend to be monkeys.

Scale of 1-10

Ask your child, “On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your day and why?” You can also make the scale something random like 1-274.

Example: I would rate my day at a 7 because the weather was really nice, but I didn’t get to play outside for as long as I wanted to.

Glow and Grow

Have your kids think about and share one thing they are proud of and one area they can improve.

Example: I am proud that I got up on time today and made it to the bus early. I can improve my reading by practicing my spelling words.

Peak and Pit

Ask your kids to reflect on one thing that was good from the day and one thing that stinks.

Example: I finished my chores and homework in time to play with my friends before dinnertime. I wanted to ride my bike, but my tire has a hole in it.

Fortunately/Unfortunately

This is less of a question about your kids day and more of a game. It’s a great ice breaker for those days when your kid(s) is feeling grumpy or having a hard time pulling out of a rut.

You can play this game with kids as young as 8. This is because their brains need to have developed enough for abstract thinking, which is basically the ability to think about objects, people, situations that aren’t actually present. You can start with something that actually happened to you that day or make it up.

Example: (You) Unfortunately, I got a flat tire today on the way to the store. (Child) Fortunately, I was only a block away from a repair shop. (You) Unfortunately, they were closed. (Child) Fortunately, someone still opened the door for me to come in. (And it goes on until you want to stop.)

More Ideas for Using the Conversation Starters

• Teachers: Use them as ice breakers in class.
• Therapists: Use them as a connection resource for your clients or as an ice breaker.
• Dinner Talk: Use at dinner time as a way to connect and chat about the day.

How to Get Your Printable Conversation Starter Cards

If you’d like printable cards with these fun and unique conversation starters, fill out this form and the link will be emailed to you!

I hope these open ended conversation starters for kids helps you connect more with your kids after school! I’d love to know if you’ve used any of these before or if you have any you think I should add to the list.

Best Tips for Making Your Printables Last Longer

One of my favorite craft “tools” is my personal laminator. It’s perfect for printables that I want to be able to reuse, which saves me money! Especially for printables that are done in color, such as BINGO cards.

On top of laminating, I like to use cardstock to give extra strength and durability to my printable projects. I’ve included links below to the laminator, laminating sheets and cardstock I use:

• Personal Laminator (this is the newer model of the one I have)
• Laminating Sheets
• White Cardstock

Back to School Printables

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