Table Talk
Family Meals - in association with Northumbrian Water
If you're out of practice, it can sometimes be difficult to get everyone chatting happily around the table.
Here are some tried and tested conversation openers to get you started.
FSGB
Around the dinner table, try FSGB (something Funny, something Sad, something Good, something Bad), where everyone tells a story from the day that fits into one of those categories. It's a good way to find out what went on in your children's day and let them know about yours.
Party Host
Pretend you're all at a party, then take turns playing host and introducing each person to the rest of the family. For example, the host might say, 'This is Molly. She's a terrific gymnast,' or 'This is Leticia. She's a great listener.' You are not allowed to say anything rude or hurtful.
Guess Who
Ask one person to come up with five adjectives describing someone else at the table, then say them slowly, one at a time, while the rest of you try to guess who is being described. The first person with the right answer gets the next turn. You are not allowed to say anything rude or hurtful.
Would You Rather...
'Would you rather do a bungee jump or give a speech in front of your whole school?' Would you rather have a new Playstation or a new pet?''Would you rather have a pay rise or an extra week's holiday every year?' Go round the table, taking it in turns to think up the questions - everyone must explain the reasons for their answers!
Yes' And 'No' Not Allowed
This sounds simple but it's harder than you'd think. Try having a conversation without using 'yes' and 'no' (you might like to add words such as 'yeah', 'okay' and 'nah' to the exclusion list as well). The point of this game is to avoid monosyllabic replies.
Give everyone a supply of pennies and charge a 1p fine every time 'yes' or 'no' is used during the meal. The person with the most pennies left at the end of the meal wins.
