Let’s Give Them Something To Talk About

Now comes the tricky part. How do you keep your guests engaged and the conversation lively when everyone sits down for your Thanksgiving dinner? 

After all, the beauty of a holiday is the creation of memories that are cherished for a lifetime by both young and old. Here are some ideas and table topics for Thanksgiving conversations that will keep the celebration interesting and guaranteed to inspire a smile or two. Let the bonding begin.

Back To The Future

Here’s a fun Thanksgiving game everyone will enjoy. Place a different knick-knack on the plate of each place setting as you set your holiday table. Get creative and playful. One plate can have a few Lego blocks (doesn’t everyone have some of those laying around waiting to wreak havoc on your bare feet regardless of how old your kids are?), another plate can have a Beanie Boo, another plate some rubber bands. You get the idea. Announce you want to try something new this year when the guests sit themselves at the table.

There are two ways to steer the conversation at this point.

Version 1

Tell everyone they are going to be the author of a new Thanksgiving story.  Round robin style.  Each person must add a few sentences to the story as you go around the table. Here’s the catch- everyone must include something about the item on his or her plate as part of their story contribution. 

Version 2

The second way to play this Thanksgiving  game is to go around the table and have everyone describe how the item on their plate would have been used at the original Thanksgiving feast or how it would have changed things if it was available at that time in history.

All stories or explanations can be serious, outlandish or downright ridiculous.  There is no right or wrong. It is just meant to be fun.

Getting To Know You

As every good conversationalist knows,  it is always wise to have a few interesting topics for discussion hidden up one’s sleeve. A balaboosta is no different. She knows a Thanksgiving meal isn’t be the only thing that needs to be planned in order to serve a memorable meal. Fun and interesting table talk can more than compensate for any dish that didn’t turn out exactly like you planned. To insure your dinner conversations remain lively, write down your Thanksgiving conversation starters on separate index cards and place one on each table setting. Have one guest read their card out loud (a nearby adult can help out children too young to read) and then have everyone around the table answer the question. After everyone has had a turn to chime in their response, the next person reads their index card and a new round of discussions begins. Here are some table topics to get your conversations started:

• What was the worst advice you were ever given?

• What was the best advice you were ever given?

• If you were a famous musician or a singer, what type of music would you play/sing? What would be the name of your band?

• What was your most memorable Thanksgiving meal and why?

• What food would you be happy to never have to eat again?

• What food can you not live without?

• What thing that happened this year are you most thankful for ?

• If you had to write a book, what would it be about?

• What was your favorite book or story when you were young? Why?

• What recipe do you wish you learned from your grandmother (or favorite relative)?

• What would you want for your last meal during a Zombie Apocalypse?

• What thing that happened to you or that you did this past year would you like to change if given an opportunity for a do-over?

• What activity would you like to try that you haven’t tried yet?

• Using two or three words, describe each person at the table.

Keep in mind, there is no need to make your Thanksgiving conversations as deep and profound as G.K. Kesterton’s who once said, ” Thanks are the highest form of thought, and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder”. Your table talk can be as light and clever as Kevin James’ who once proclaimed, “Thanksgiving man. Not a good day to be my pants!”. It’s your party. Time to make some memories. Happy Thanksgiving to all….

Love to hear your secrets for keeping the conversation flowing and the smiles growing at your Thanksgiving table. Please share your tips in the comments below. Thanks, smiles.