Finally carved out a night for your family to sit down and eat a meal together? Now that you are all present and accounted for, take time to catch up with each other. If you have trouble getting the conversation rolling, try one of these games. Not only will you make mealtime more entertaining, you’ll also strengthen your relationship with one another.

1. Two truths and a false. This game appeals to my kids’ imaginations, and I usually learn something new about their day that they forgot or neglected to tell me. To play, go around the table and take turns sharing two events that happened that day and one that did not. Who can guess which one is false? For example, “I got a B on my spelling test. I saw a goat at school. I sat with Gina at lunch today.”

2. Get creative. Christie Zemencik, a mom of three (ages 18, 14, and 7), says she covers the table with butcher paper and puts crayons out. “My girls draw or write random things that usually lead to conversations as to why that was on their minds,” she says.

3. What is your Rose, Thorn, and Bud? Many families discuss the ups and downs of the day to get a conversation rolling. My 9-year-old son introduced me to this discussion starter: The rose symbolizes the highlight of your day, the thorn is the most frustrating or worst part, and your bud is what you are looking forward to the most for the next day.

4. Conversation in a jar. Karen Conklin, a mom of three (ages 9, 7, and 3), created a jar with dinnertime conversation starters on strips of paper. “An example is: Name two people that made you smile today and share why,” she says. Her children enjoy adding conversation ideas to the jar, too.

5. Table topics. Julie Melchior, a mom of three (ages 15, 12, and 9), says she purchased a pack of Christmas-themed conversation questions last year. Each night during the holiday season the family selected a card to discuss. “The kids couldn’t wait to sit down and get the cards passed out,” Melchior says. “It was so interesting for my husband and me to listen to their answers and hear what they remembered from their past holidays. It gave everyone an opportunity to share and listen, and we talked about things that probably wouldn’t have come up in normal dinner time conversation.”

Find “Kid Talk,” such as Conversation Cards, Crunch a Color Conversation Starters, Chat Packs, or Table Topics at area retailers, book stores, or online.

Why does family mealtime matter? “Sharing a meal together fosters feelings of warmth, love, and belonging,” says Jessica Velazquez, a healthy living director with the YMCA. “It promotes communication between family members and provides an opportunity for parents to give special attention to their kids.” Eating dinner together also provides parents with a valuable opportunity to model basic face-to-face social skills and etiquette; both of which are increasingly important to develop in an era where much of our children’s communication is conducted through technology.

Not sure how to get the family together for a meal?

• Try breakfast, lunch, or snack time together if dinner won’t work.
• Start a tradition. Make Friday night taco night or Sunday spaghetti night.
• Get everyone to the table by involving the entire family in meal planning. This will also help kids learn to plan and prepare meals.
• Depending on your child’s age, put him in charge of preparing dinner once a week.