Guest Post – Dinnertime Game

This game is a great way to encourage talking and (friendly) interaction at the dinner table with the added benefit of getting to know each other better. Depending on the questions, it can also be a great learning tool to help kids learn new vocabulary and understand difficult concepts like empathy or charity, all cleverly hidden in a game.

To play, the first person draws a question from the jar and reads the question out loud (or someone else can read it, if the player is a non-reader) and then answers the question. After the player has answered the question, each person around the table also answers the same question. Once everyone has answered, that question is discarded for the remainder of the game play and the next person draws a question and repeats the process.

This particular version is a gift for my step-son and his wife for Christmas. They have two young children, nearly four and not quite 6 months, so I tried to pick questions that would work for a youngster. We play this game regularly at our dinner table with our nearly five-year-old, so I was able to use a lot of the questions that The Boy likes. (Yes, all of those ages are typed correctly…and yes, it is kind of weird.)

I was able to get a lot of good questions from How Does She?, which has a large variety suitable for both young and old. The other questions I took from the latest VocalPoint mailer for Barilla Plus pasta, which included a similar version of this same game, though not nearly as cute, right?

You can also make up your own questions based on your family and your own experiences. For example, if you recently took a trip to Disneyland, one of your questions could be “What was your favorite Disney character that you got to meet?” This allows everyone the opportunity to relive their memorable experiences and hopefully help cement those lifelong memories. What about a question to honor the memory of a departed loved one, recalling a favorite trait or fun thing you did together? As you can see, there are lots of ways to personalize it for your family and even for specific events that you want to generate discussion about.

The questions can simply be typed out on paper and cut into strips, handwritten on pieces of (recycled) paper, or as I did, written on die-cut shapes made from scraps of pretty paper. I used my Ellison/Sizzix Thick Cuts Petal Card, or you could use any kind of envelope die. There are lots of options if you want to make your questions “look pretty”.

After your questions are written, you simply need a vessel to store your questions until you play the game. I used a wide-mouth glass storage jar that I happened to have. A regular wide-mouth canning jar would work fine. You just need to make sure that someone can reach their hand through the opening to grab a question!

As a final touch, I cut out a scalloped circle and used rub-on letters to spell “Table Talk” and then adhered it to the top of my jar and sealed it with Mod Podge.

I hope you enjoy creating and using your own version of this game. I guarantee (or at least sincerely hope) it will keep your kids at the dinner table talking (and eating) far longer than you could ever imagine.