Fun Family Dinner Ideas & Activities

It’s more important than ever to make dinner feel more fun and stimulating. Start some new dinnertime family traditions with the help of these fun dinner table activities!

Experts agree: Dinnertime matters. And now that dinnertime is spent together every night, it’s important to make it feel more fun and stimulating. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, kids who eat frequently with their families have a lower risk of substance abuse, reduced tension and stress at home and get better grades says. But when you do sit down to family dinner, especially with everyone stuck at home, it may seem difficult to keep the conversation going—much less get it started. What’s one way to build cohesive bonds? Start some new dinnertime family traditions with the help of these fun dinner table activities!

1. CELEBRATE DIFFERENT KINDS OF HOLIDAYS

Who knew: There’s a National Pancake Day. A National Strawberry Day—even a National Hamburger Day. Do a quick Internet search for a list of possible food-themed dinner ideas that could be the spark you need to start some brand new family traditions.

2. DINNER DOODLES

In place of a tablecloth, spread a long piece of Kraft paper on the table and scatter some pencils. This is one of many dinner table activities that can start long before meal time: Have the kids gather before dinner to sketch favorite doodles, and rank different drawings as “favorite” and “most inventive.”

3.TAKEOUT TIME

No time for dinner on Thursdays? Make it takeout night, and rotate the choice of where you order to a different family member each week.

4. THE GOOD AND THE BAD

Everyone has highs and lows, and talking openly about them both can be one of a family’s most important dinner table activities. Get your kids talking by asking them the best and worst parts of their day. Another idea: Discuss a kindness they did or witnessed, and a choice they wish they’d made differently.

5. CONVERSATION STARTERS

Fill a jar or basket with different topics—some fun, some silly, some real-world, some newsworthy—and draw one topic per dinner, then discuss as a family. Remember: All opinions are valid.

6.BUILD YOUR BRAIN

Sure, they’ve learned all day long at school, but kids relish the chance to master a topic outside the school’s curriculum (plus, parents don’t mind learning, too). Pick a new word or unfamiliar country, for example.

7. TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN

Breakfast for dinner, a picnic inside, the evening meal in your pajamas: There are plenty of ways to add more fun—and maybe a new family tradition—to the ordinary nighttime meal.

8. TRIVIA TURN

Do you have cards from a trivia-themed board game? Toss them in a basket and take turns pulling questions and guessing at answers. It’s a low-key way to twist family game night.

9. JOKE’S ON YOU

A little laughter does wonders to lighten the mood, remove tension from the day, and to help family members focus on a shared emotion. Find a book of family-themed jokes or riddles at the library and share it around the table.

10. ADD SOME MEANING

Some families say grace or offer a blessing before a meal. you don’t do this, consider opening the meal with a phrase or passage from a book—even a poem. Give each family member a turn at whatever ritual suits you.

Every family is different and so are their family traditions. The important part is just having them! Use some of your favorite ideas for dinner table activities from above to spark your own unique take on tradition. To learn more about making the most of your time around the table, sign up for our mailing list and get more tips from the Vanity Fair® brand.