101 Fun & Meaningful Conversation Starters For Teens

Are you looking for conversation starters for teens? We all know how difficult it can be at times to initiate conversations with teenagers. When you’re faced with one-worded answers or disinterest from your teen, it can leave you feeling frustrated and anxious. 

Even the most chatty of kids often go through this teenage stage of being more closed off to communication. That’s where conversation starters can be a great tool in connecting with your teen!

Why Won’t My Teen Talk To Me? 

If you enjoyed a close relationship with your child and find them suddenly pulling away as a teenager, it can be a startling experience.

Often it leaves you worried that something is seriously wrong.

Yet this stage of pulling away from parents during the adolescent years is actually within the normal stage of development for their age group.

This movement towards independence can cause quite a bit of turmoil in the household. 

Your teen is trying to establish their identity.

They are experiencing a whirlwind of hormones and emotions. Navigating friendships and possibly romantic relationships. Juggling school work and also trying to manage your expectations of them. 

So while it is normal for your teenager to seek their own space, that’s not to say they don’t still need you. It’s more likely they are at a stage where they aren’t really sure what they need from you or how to ask for it.

This is a time when they need support to navigate through the complexities of adolescence, all while trying to prove to themselves and to you that they are old enough to handle it all

That’s why it’s so important for parents, extended family and caregivers to help bridge this gap. 

Tips For Encouraging Deeper Conversations With Your Teen

Great conversation starters are those that have open-ended questions and encourage your teen to feel comfortable talking and sharing, in a non-judgmental way. 

The best time to engage your teen in conversation is when they aren’t already preoccupied with something that is important to them.

They aren’t going to be very receptive if you barge into their room while they are in the middle of a video game or phone call, just as you wouldn’t if you were in the middle of something meaningful to you. 

Around the dinner table can be a good time to chat as a family. Or one on one time with your teen such as during car rides or when you know they aren’t already preoccupied with something.

Here are some tips for better communication using conversation questions:

• Active Listening – Ensure you are actively listening to your teen when they speak. No distractions such as devices. Listen carefully to what they are saying, give them your full attention and resist giving advice unless it is requested. 
• Use Follow-Up Questions – If relevant, ask follow-up questions that encourage a full discussion on the topic. 
• No Wrong Answers – It should be a judgement-free zone. While we worry about our kids no matter their age, being open to listening means your teen will be more likely to open up to you in future. 
• Ask Questions That Require More Thought – Use open-ended questions rather than yes and no questions so that your teen needs to give more detail.
• Allow The Conversation To Flow – It’s okay if your topic of conversation changes and you end up talking about something completely different because you may end up learning something surprising.
• Share Your Own Stories – Sharing your own experiences, thoughts, feelings and dreams with your teen tells them that you respect them enough to open up and you value their opinions. 

We want our teens to develop into confident and resilient young adults and having strong communication skills will help set them up for success!  

101 Conversation Starters For Teens

To help break the ice, this list of conversation starters for teenagers will help encourage communication and openness with your teen, and the rest of the family.

They are designed to help spark interest, encourage discussion and also have a little fun while connecting with your teen. 

Funny Questions To Ask Teens

Sometimes you need to ease your way in. Especially if your teen is prone to the silent treatment and barely gives more than a grunt in response. 

It can be hard to resist answering silly questions and they make great icebreakers to get the conversation warmed up. They can be a good tool for making family dinners more engaging and hopefully, your teen can’t resist contributing. 

1. If you could have any superpower, what would you choose and why?
2. If you could be any Disney character, who would you be?
3. Which TV family would you like to live with?
4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what are you choosing?
5. If you could live in any fictional universe, which would you choose and why?
6. If you could have a mythical creature as a pet, which would you choose?
7. Which fictional sidekick would you choose as your best friend?
8. Would you rather battle Batman or Iron Man in a fight?
9. Would you rather have Thor’s hammer or Hulk’s strength?
10. If you could only wear one colour for the rest of your life, which colour would you choose?
11. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one type of snack, what would it be?
12. If you could have any superpower, but it had to be completely useless, what would you choose?
13. If you could have any animal as a pet but in miniature size, what would you pick?
14. If you were a vegetable, which vegetable would you be?
15. Would you rather never use utensils again or only eat pureed food?
16. If you could be any age you wanted but had to remain that age forever, how old would you be?
17. If you could have any celebrity play you in a movie, who would you choose?
18. If you could be the best in the world at something, what skill would you choose?
19. If you could only listen to one kind of music forever, what would it be?
20. Which famous person would you love to switch places with for a week?
21. What is the funniest thing you’ve seen this week?
22. If you could create your own TV show, what would it be about?
23. If you had one million dollars, what is the first thing you would do?
24. What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

Getting To Know Your Questions For Teens

How well do you know your teen? Really? Somewhere between those late childhood years and the early adolescent years, our kids develop so many of their unique personality traits and really develop as individuals. 

This is a beautiful phase but it also often leaves us a little out of the loop as their interests and passions change rapidly to adapt to their peers and influences. 

These getting-to-know-you questions to ask your teenager are a great way of showing them how invested you are in them as individuals and catching up on the things that make their hearts happiest!

1. What is the last book you read that you really enjoyed?
2. What is your favourite childhood memory?
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?
4. What is something you’ve accomplished recently that you’re proud of?
5. What is your favourite movie?
6. If you could have any job in the world, what would you do?
7. What is your favourite food?
8. What is the last TV show you binged on?
9. What is the best gift you ever received?
10. What do you wish you had more time for?
11. What is your favourite hobby?
12. What is something you would like to learn how to do?
13. Where was your favourite vacation?
14. What is one thing you do every day that makes you feel good?
15. Which chore do you most dislike?
16. What is your pet peeve?
17. Where is a place you want to visit again?
18. What is your favourite genre of movies?
19. Do you prefer summer or winter?
20. What is your favourite way to spend your weekend?
21. What do you most love doing with your friends?
22. Who are your 3 closest friends?
23. What is something you love to do together as a family?
24. If you could only use one social media platform for the rest of your life which would you choose and why?
25. What experience is at the top of your bucket list?
26. What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?
27. How do you most like to spend your free time?
28. What are your earliest memories of?
29. What kinds of things would you enjoy doing as a family?
30. What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
31. What would your perfect day look like?
32. Have you made a new friend recently?
33. What is the most embarrassing moment that you’ve had?
34. What is the most important trait for a new friend to have?

Deep Discussion Topics For Teens

While most teens will shut down quickly if you suddenly start asking deep and meaningful conversation topics out of the blue, these deeper conversation topics for teenagers are wonderful for helping your teen explore their thoughts, feelings and aspirations in a safe place. 

1. What is something you’ve learned recently that surprised you?
2. What is something you are struggling with at the moment?
3. If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
4. Who is someone in your life that you miss right now?
5. What is one thing that you aren’t looking forward to in the near future?
6. What is something you would like to accomplish in the next 2 years?
7. If you could create a family rule, what would it be?
8. If you could eliminate one family rule, which one would you get rid of?
9. What is something I do that makes you feel loved and supported?
10. If you could change one thing about the world, what would you change and why?
11. What is an important value for a friend to have?
12. What is something you have accomplished that you didn’t think you were capable of?
13. What personality trait are you most proud of?
14. What was something kind you did for someone else recently?
15. What is something you’ve always wanted to learn but have been too afraid to try?
16. Do you think you would like to get married when you are older?
17. Do you think you would like to have your own kids one day?
18. What is one thing you are most afraid of?
19. Do you think it’s important to take breaks from social media? Why?
20. What is something you want to know about my life?
21. What are some effective ways to look after your mental health?
22. What do you think is important for a healthy relationship?
23. What is the worst thing you have ever experienced?
24. When was the last time you felt scared and why?
25. What advice would you want to give your 7-year-old self if you could go back in time?
26. What do you think is the best thing about your teenage years?
27. What would be your dream job?
28. Have you ever had an experience with a bad friend situation? 
29. What is more important – wealth or love?
30. How do you think your own experience so far will shape your future?

This Or That Questions For Teens

Sometimes you need to keep things lighthearted and if your goal is to simply maintain regular communication, it’s okay if not every topic results in meaningful conversation. 

In fact, sometimes you get surprising insight into a person even when you’re just having fun with some ice-breakers. The goal of these this or that questions is to simply keep the conversation habit going. 

1. Pizza or pasta?
2. Music or movies?
3. Skiing or surfing?
4. Beach or mountains?
5. Overseas trip or local road trip?
6. Rock music or rap music?
7. Sweet or savoury?
8. Summer or winter
9. Board games or video games
10. Theme park or water park?
11. Video games or chatting on the phone with a good friend?
12. Text message or phone call?

These ‘Would you rather’ questions are also good fun!

Conversation starters are a great way to engage in meaningful conversations with teens and encourage ongoing communication between you both. By asking the right questions, you can encourage your teen to share their thoughts and feelings, open up and develop a stronger connection with you long-term.

 It also sets your teen up for positive interactions with others by developing their communication skills and being better at expressing themselves! I hope these teen conversation starters help you have more meaningful conversations with your big kids!

Just remember, the teenage years aren’t forever! You will be glad you invested the time now for your future relationship.