Dinner Talk is a book of 365 useful conversation starters (Table Topics questions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On November 21, 2022 I blogged about how Conversation Starters can also be used for Table Topics questions. Then, on January 3, 2026, I blogged about 135 Conversation Starters (or Table Topics Questions) from the Family Dinner Project.

 

Via interlibrary loan, from the Twin Falls Public Library I obtained a useful book from 2010 by Emily Hall, Philip S. Hall, and Nancy D. Hall titled Dinner Talk: 365 Engaging Conversation Starters to help you and your family connect. It also is subtitled that THERE’S MORE TO SAY THAN JUST “please pass the salt.” There is a Google Books preview. Along with each starter there is a paragraph on What to Expect. For example, Number 209 is How would you describe yourself in five words or less? and What to Expect is:

 

“Expect your children to describe themselves with five positive words that tell about their physical characteristics and attributes like strong, fast, tall, skinny, etc., because these are the characteristics that children are most focused on -the physical and visual. They are most tuned into how people look and haven’t yet learned to be as aware of inner characteristics, at least not in ways they can verbalize quickly. Adolescents will describe themselves in five words that tell how they hope they are perceived by their peers: cool, hip, smart, nice, etc. The adults at the table will describe themselves in five words that tell about their core values: honest, dependable, industrious, etc.” 

 

A dinner of red beans and rice came from Wikimedia Commons.