10 Top Tips for fun conversations with young children

1. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Why: Avoid yes/no answers to keep the conversation flowing.

Try This:

💬 “What was the funniest thing that happened at school today?”

💬 “If your teddy could talk, what would it say?”

2. Enter Their Imaginative World

Why: Children love make-believe — and they’ll talk for ages about it.

Try This:

💬 “If you had a pet dragon, what would you feed it?”

💬 “Let’s pretend we’re explorers in the jungle—what do we see?”

3. Use Toys, Pictures or Drawings as Prompts

Why: Visuals help children express themselves and inspire storytelling.

Try This:

💬 Pick a toy animal and ask, “What kind of adventure should we send him on today?”

💬 Draw a scribble and say, “What do you think this could be?”

4. Let Books Lead to Bigger Chats

Why: Stories naturally spark thoughts and opinions.

Try This:

💬 After reading The Gruffalo, ask, “Would you be brave like the mouse?”

💬 “If you wrote your own story, what would it be called?”

5. Role-play Real-Life Scenarios

Why: Practising daily situations builds empathy and confidence.

Try This:

💬 “Let’s play cafés. What’s on the menu? How much is a cup of tea?”

💬 “Pretend I’m the baby, and you’re the parent — what do I need?”

6. Pause and Wait for Their Thoughts

Why: Kids often need more time to process and respond.

Try This:

💬 Ask a question, then count to 10 silently before speaking again.

💬 Let silences be golden — they often mean thinking is happening.

7. Be Genuinely Curious

Why: Children can tell when you’re really interested.

Try This:

💬 “How did you build that tower? What made you decide to do it that way?”

💬 “What do you think clouds are made of?”

8. Sing, Rhyme, and Be Silly

Why: Playful language lowers pressure and increases joy.

Try This:

💬 “What rhymes with ‘banana’? Let’s make a nonsense song!”

💬 “I’m going to talk like a robot until you can guess my secret word!”

9. Bring in the Past and the Future

Why: Helps children develop a sense of self and time.

Try This:

💬 “What do you remember from our holiday at the beach?”

💬 “When you’re 10 years old, what kind of bike will you ride?”

10. Model Good Listening

Why: Children learn how to talk by watching how we listen.

Try This:

Get down to their eye level.

Repeat or build on what they said: “You think the moon is a spaceship — that’s a cool idea! What makes you think that?”

View and download these tips as an illustrated PDF here....