Dinnertime Can Be All Fun and Games

When many of our parents and grandparents were growing up, children were expected to sit quietly at the table and not speak unless spoken to.

Today, many of us are struggling just to keep the kids from dancing on their chairs, crawling under the table, or racing out to friends' houses!

Even if our kids are old enough to stay seated, many of us want to go achieve more than a simple family sit-in and actually make dinnertime a joyful time of day. At our house, usually at the prompting of our eldest child (a.k.a. my husband, Andrew), we often play games that keep the conversation fresh and lively. Some of these games also help children develop their vocabulary, spelling or counting skills, and of course, their social skills:

Speech Club: This is my daughter Celia's favorite game. Each family member has to talk for 30 seconds (use a timer) without preparation on a topic someone else chooses without saying "um" or "like" or pausing for more than 2 seconds. Subjects can include anything from eggs to Italy to fall.

Progressive Story: My eight-year-old nephew Clark wants to play this game whenever he eats at our house, and it's a great one for large family gatherings. The family tells a story with everyone at the table going around and adding just one word. When someone wants to end the story they can say period. The stories can be hilarious (especially if you do what we've done and ban potty talk at the table, lest all the answers involve a bodily function).

Time Test: This game requires a stopwatch and kids who are old enough to count. Each family member tries to accurately count to 10 or 30 seconds, measured against a stopwatch. The adults at the table really get into the competition.

Here are a few games suggested by other parents on The Six O'Clock Scramble Facebook page:

Alphabet Game: "We have young kids - so we do alphabet games. Everyone goes around (in order) and names a word that starts with A, the next person with B, and so forth. As they get older, they can also spell the word." - Beverly Cook Halperin, Plano, TX

Spin the Dreidel: "We spin a dreidel to get my almost 4-year-old son to eat. He eats the meat, veggies, and starch or drinks water based on what letter the dreidel lands on. My 6-year-old daughter came up with this idea last winter, and it works well." - Tracie Cohen, Singapore

Guess the Animal: "We do an animal guessing game, kind of like twenty questions but with actual answers to keep things easier for the little ones. This works great until my husband picks an animal no one knows, like a Wallaroo." - Trudi Benford, Washington, DC

There are, of course, some meals where the kids just don't feel like talking much, and others where they won't stop interrupting us and each other. But we find the meals where we all happily engage in conversation to be some of the most memorable times for us as a family.

What fun and games do you create around your dinner table? Let us know in the Comments section below.