Conversations

A collection of research-backed conversation guides for parents of kids ages 5 to 9.
Parent and 7-year-old walking together along a suburban sidewalk after school, mid-conversation, in warm afternoon light.
75 Questions to Ask Your 7 Year Old
The year a kid is 7 is the year of the follow-up. The 75 questions below are calibrated for that shift, organized by the moments of a second grader's day:... Read more...
Parent and young child sitting side by side at a small kitchen table doing homework or crafts together in warm afternoon light, both mid-conversation.
75 Questions to Ask Your 6 Year Old
Being 6 is a jump. The vocabulary has doubled, opinions have sharpened, and the kid is starting to notice things a 5-year-old walked past. The 75 questions below are calibrated... Read more...
Small group of school-age kids sitting cross-legged on grass at a day camp or summer program, one kid in the middle mid-sentence with a small hand raised while the others lean in listening.
75 Summer Icebreaker Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
75 summer icebreaker questions for kids ages 5 to 9. Organized by the summer settings where icebreakers actually come up: day camp, pool parties, road trips, backyard playdates, family BBQs,... Read more...
75 Questions to Ask Your 5 Year Old
75 Questions to Ask Your 5 Year Old
The 5-year-old has strong opinions, a fresh vocabulary, and a shorter attention span than they will have in six months. The 75 questions below are calibrated for that window: short... Read more...
Small circle of school-age kids sitting on a classroom rug or playroom floor, all looking toward the kid in the middle who is mid-sentence with one hand raised.
75 Icebreaker Questions for Elementary Students (Ages 5 to 9)
75 icebreaker questions for elementary students ages 5 to 9. Organized by the settings where elementary icebreakers actually happen: the first day of school, a new student arriving mid-year, after-school... Read more...
Multi-generational family of six gathered around a long dinner table in warm evening light, grandparent in mid-conversation while kids and parents lean in to listen.
100 Dinner Conversation Starters (Ages 5 to 9)
100 dinner conversation starters built for the tables where kids ages 5 to 9 eat alongside parents, grandparents, cousins, and visiting family. Organized by occasion: grandparent visits, cousin dinners, hosting... Read more...
Family of four around a dinner table mid-round, each person looking at a different person across the table while one is answering and the others are listening.
75 Dinner Table Questions for Families (Ages 5 to 9)
A good dinner table question lets every voice at the table get a turn. The 75 questions below are designed for families with kids ages 5 to 9, organized by... Read more...
Family of three sitting at a dinner table in warm evening light, kids and parent leaning toward each other mid-conversation with plates of food on the table.
75 Dinner Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
A good dinner question for a kid is the question that gets a real answer instead of "fine." The 75 below are written for parents to ask their kids at... Read more...
Parent and young child sitting at a small kitchen table during breakfast, parent leaning in to listen while child gestures mid-sentence.
75 Open Ended Questions for Preschoolers (Ages 3 to 5)
An open-ended question for a preschooler is short, concrete, and pointed at something the child can see or touch or remember. The 75 below are organized by the everyday moments... Read more...
Parent and child ages 5 to 9 sitting side by side on wooden porch steps in afternoon light, leaning in toward each other mid-conversation.
100 Open Ended Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
An open-ended question is the kind a kid cannot answer in one word. The 100 below are organized into ten categories, each pointed at a specific thing the question builds... Read more...
Parent and kid ages 5 to 9 at the dinner table mid-conversation, plain cards beside the plates.
50 Family Dinner Conversation Cards (Ages 5 to 9)
A great family dinner conversation card has to fit a slot most cards do not consider: the 20 to 40 minutes of a real dinner with kids ages 5 to... Read more...
Family of four seated at the dinner table mid-conversation during an evening meal.
100 Family Dinner Conversation Starters (Ages 5 to 9)
The dinner table is the one window of the day when the whole family is in the same room at the same time. The 100 questions below are calibrated for... Read more...
Group of kids ages 5 to 9 in a classroom circle laughing during a silly icebreaker round.
75 Fun Icebreaker Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
An icebreaker does not have to be a name-and-favorite-color. The 75 questions below are the playful side of the icebreaker, the silly, energetic version that gets a group of kids... Read more...
Parent and kid ages 5 to 9 seated at a kitchen table mid-conversation, a small stack of plain cards between them.
50 Best Family Conversation Cards (Ages 5 to 9)
A great family conversation card does one job: ask the question that gets a real answer. The 50 below are organized around five criteria for what makes a conversation card... Read more...
Family of four laughing together at a kitchen table during a playful conversation.
50 Fun Family Conversation Starters
Family conversation gets a reputation for being serious. It does not need to be. The 50 questions below are the playful side of family conversation, calibrated for kids ages 5... Read more...
Multi-generational family seated around a long table mid-conversation during a holiday gathering.
75 Conversation Starters for Families (Ages 5 to 9)
The 75 questions below are built for the moments when the whole family is together. A holiday dinner, a long weekend at Grandma's, the cousins all in one house. Conversation... Read more...
Group of kids ages 5 to 9 sitting in a classroom circle answering an icebreaker question.
100 Icebreaker Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
A good icebreaker is the one that puts a tiny crack in the social ice without asking anyone to leap through it. 100 questions for kids ages 5 to 9,... Read more...
Illustrated family gathered around a dinner table mid-conversation
100 Family Conversation Starters (Ages 5 to 9)
A family conversation starter is the small question that takes a regular dinner and turns it into a story everyone remembers. 100 questions for families with kids ages 5 to... Read more...
Illustrated thought bubbles showing a small dragon and a small unicorn with the word or between them
100 Would You Rather Questions for Kindergartners
Would-you-rather is the easiest invitation in the world to a five-year-old. Two choices, no wrong answer, the picking is the whole conversation. 100 questions for kindergartners, organized into ten everyday... Read more...
Two kids laughing while imagining silly would-you-rather options
100 Silly Would You Rather Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
Silly works because the worst answer is also a good answer. 100 wacky would-you-rather questions for kids ages 5 to 9, organized into ten categories. Wild, warm, weird in the... Read more...
Two children playing a would you rather game with imagined options floating between them
200 Would You Rather Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
Two choices and a question mark. That's all "would you rather" needs to keep a kid talking for ten minutes. 200 questions for kids ages 5 to 9, organized into... Read more...
A parent and kindergartner mid-conversation at the kitchen table
100 Questions to Ask Kindergartners
Kindergartners want to talk. They just need a better question to talk about. 100 specific, playful, single-moment questions organized into ten everyday categories. For bedtime, the car ride home, the... Read more...
Dad listening attentively to their child ages 5 to 9 during a quiet conversation on the living room couch
100 Questions to Ask Kids to Get to Know Them (Ages 5 to 9)
Kids ages 5 to 9 hold most of their inner life back, not on purpose. The work of getting to know them in this window is on the parent. 100... Read more...
Parent and child ages 5 to 9 laughing together while playing a silly questions game at the kitchen table
100 Silly Questions to Ask Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
Silly questions are the fastest way to break a bad mood in a kid ages 5 to 9. The trick is the register, short and snappy, no setup, no stakes.... Read more...
Parent and child ages 5 to 9 laughing together at a kitchen table during a fun conversation
100 Fun Questions to Ask Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
When "how was school?" gets you "fine," try one of these 100 fun questions instead. Silly, imaginative prompts for kids 5 to 9 that get real answers at the dinner... Read more...
Asian mother and 8-year-old daughter in a real conversation at the kitchen table, listening attentively to each other
200 Questions to Ask Kids: Conversation Starters for Ages 5 to 9
200 open-ended questions for parents to ask kids ages 5 to 9, sorted across 7 areas of their inner world. Conversation starters built to get past "how was school?" and... Read more...
A dad and his young son play a this or that food choice at the kitchen counter, choosing between a banana and an apple.
100 This or That Food Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
100 this or that food questions for kids ages 5 to 9. Real food choices sorted across breakfast, lunch, snacks, sweets, and fruits and veggies. The straight-format spoke for the... Read more...
Two children laughing together at a kitchen table
100 Funny This or That Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
100 quick-fire funny this or that questions for kids ages 5 to 9, sorted into 5 themed categories from food to superpowers. The faster, sillier companion to longer-form would-you-rather scenarios. Read more...
Two children laughing together in the back seat during a family car ride
100 Funny Would You Rather Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
100 funny would you rather questions for kids ages 5 to 9, sorted into four themes from animals to superpowers. Built for the back seat, the dinner table, and any... Read more...
A mother and her young daughter talking and smiling at the kitchen table
300 This or That Questions for Kids (Ages 5 to 9)
300 this or that questions for kids ages 5 to 9, sorted into 15 themed categories from food and animals to feelings and big choices. Use them at the dinner... Read more...