One of the family activities we value is eating dinner together. Since our kids are school aged we tend to be apart from our kids more than we are together. We have always engaged in discussions throughout dinner by asking specific questions since the question, “How was your day?” usually didn’t give us the information we were seeking. We have learned to ask questions like, “Who did you eat lunch with?” and “What did you play at recess?” to gauge whether our boys were have any problems with social relationships. However, within the last month, my second grader requested to play a game while we ate dinner. My husband and I were a bit reluctant at first as we already have difficulty keeping our two active grade schoolers in their seats while we eat. My busy boy suggested that we play a game where we ask each other questions. We have taken his initial suggestion and refined it a bit. We have even created several variations and my two boys get to take turns picking which version we play.
Guess the Disney Character
In this version, we take turns picking a Disney character. The object of the game is to ask “yes/no” questions to eventually come up with the answer. We ask broad questions at first to narrow down the answers. We usually begin with, “Is it a boy (girl)?” We then narrow it down even further with questions like, “Is it a human? Alien? Animal?, etc.” We ask if it is in a certain movie. I love that the boys get to use some problem solving and recall to think through details of the Disney movies. The person who figures out the specific Disney character gets to pick the next character.
What is Your Favorite?
In this version we go from youngest to oldest and ask, “What is your favorite (fill in the blank.” For example, we have learned some new things about each other by asking questions like: What is your favorite food, book, dessert, sport, movie, vacation, etc.? We have sometimes been surprised with the responses.
Would you rather?
We didn’t make this game up, but the boys love to come up with far fetched ideas to determine our preferences. For some reason, they think it is hilarious to know if we would rather eat moldy bread or rotten food. They have branched out and begun asking more serious questions as well. It is rather insightful to know whether they would rather go to the beach or the mountains for vacation. We all four take turns when asking questions.
Many of the questions seem silly or absurd. Some of them are more serious and insightful. We have found that these games are fun even when we aren’t sitting around the dinner table. While on a recent road trip, we put away all of the electronics and started our question asking. It was a great way to get the boys talking! So, even though we weren’t too sure where the game playing would lead, my husband and I are happy to encourage these shenanigans.
