Family Conversation Starter Game: 200 Story Prompts

Andrew Ronald

Simirity Founder | Father of two

14th May, 2025

Isn’t it amazing how families who’ve spent decades together still have undiscovered stories waiting to be told? Our Family Conversation Starter Game taps into this hidden treasure trove of memories that typical family chats simply don’t reveal. While the usual “How was your day?” conversations barely scratch the surface, these carefully crafted prompts unearth the stories you’ll be so glad you heard.

As I write this, I’m glancing at my collection of beach stones and shells from around the world—each holding a story I’ve rarely shared because, well, when does the topic of “interesting rocks I’ve collected” naturally arise? The same is true about the kids’ toys scattered around our house, the ornaments gathering dust, and that faded concert ticket from university days. Everyday objects in our lives contain rich histories that remain locked away until something triggers their telling. This game provides those triggers, challenging family members of all ages to recall meaningful stories about ordinary things—stories you might otherwise never hear.

In this article, you’ll discover the simple 3-2-1 game format, access 200 family-friendly object prompts via an interactive spinning wheel, and learn practical methods for preserving these precious family stories for future generations.

Jump to section:

• The Family Conversation Starter Game
• Your Family Conversation Starter Prompts
• How to Preserve the Best Stories
• Save Stories While Strengthening Bonds in Simirity
• Other Family Conversation Starter Ideas

The Family Conversation Starter Game

This Family Conversation Starter Game transforms everyday items like bicycles or bus passes into gateways to remarkable stories your family has never shared.

Originally featured in Matthew Dicks’ book Stories Sell, this conversation technique was designed to help professional teams connect through personal storytelling. It works even better for families, creating meaningful conversations that go far beyond typical dinner table chat.

The Simple 3-2-1 Format

• 3 random object prompts are selected from our spinning wheel.
• 2 minutes to choose one object and prepare a brief story.
• 1 minute to share the memory with family.

Take turns selecting prompts and sharing stories, giving everyone a chance to both speak and listen.

What makes this family conversation starter so effective is how it sidesteps traditional questions like “Tell me about your childhood” that often lead to rehearsed responses. Instead, specific objects unlock more random moments that rarely get asked about—a grandparent might end up describing a school dance when “record player” appears as a prompt, or a teenager might share an adventure no one ever knew about when “bicycle” comes up.

Your memory, when challenged with these unexpected prompts, will surprise you by surfacing long-forgotten moments. Some prompts might leave you momentarily stumped, but that’s part of the fun—simply choose another and continue.

You’ll be amazed at how many untold stories emerge, even from family members you thought had no secrets left to share.

Can we play remotely?

Connect with your family via video call and share your screen while spinning the wheel to select prompts. This game is perfect for video calls, even for those who are less tech-savvy.

How long does it last?

The choice is yours. You can play one round so everyone has shared a story, or play continuously throughout the night.

Your Family Conversation Starter Prompts

The following prompts are suitable for storytellers of all ages within your family.

Don’t give up before you’ve begun! Finding stories for random objects might seem challenging at first, but remember—your brain is filled with thousands of memories just waiting for the right trigger to unlock them. It takes a little practice and patience.

If the 2 minute preparation time isn’t enough, or the story needs more than 1 minute to be told, feel free to extend it. Your focus should be on meaningful family conversations, not rushing or scoring points.

Some of the most surprising and delightful stories emerge after a moment of initial “I’ve got nothing!” Once you start playing regularly, you’ll be amazed at how quickly memories begin to flow.

Wheel of Family Conversation Starter Prompts

Spin three times to select your three story prompts.

Share this game with other families.

List of Family Conversation Starter Prompts

If you would like to use your own list of prompts, simply paste them into the Wheelofnames to create your family’s own spinning wheel of prompts.

Simirity connects generations through the power of storytelling

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How to Preserve the Best Stories

Turn game moments into family treasures you can revisit.

As you will soon see, the Family Conversation Starter Game will uncover gems from your family’s history that shouldn’t be lost to time.

Consider creating a dedicated “Family Story Collection” using whatever format works best for your family—whether that’s a simple notebook, digital document, or audio recordings. After particularly rich storytelling sessions, take a few minutes to document the highlights: which prompt inspired the story, who shared it, and the key details that surprised everyone or made them laugh. These collections become incredibly valuable over time, especially as family members age or move away.

This very need to collect and preserve family stories in one accessible place is what inspired us to create Simirity…

Save Stories While Strengthening Bonds in Simirity

Simirity is a family business, offering all families a private space to share and preserve real-life stories.

Simirity is your family’s digital scrapbook of memories.

Beyond photos, videos and voice notes, Simirity app uses real-life stories from your family’s past and present to enrich family relationships while storing cherished memories for tomorrow.

Your stories blossom into rewarding conversations that take your family beyond everyday small talk—creating moments of genuine connection that you’ll treasure forever.

We built Simirity because we believe in the power of storytelling to create lasting bonds. If you’re enjoying the memories uncovered by the Family Conversation Starter Game, consider creating a free Simirity account where you’ll discover hundreds of additional story prompts designed to reveal even more of your family’s unique history.

Browse our demo account to see how families are turning conversations into lasting digital stories, and imagine your own family’s memories being captured and preserved.

Other Family Conversation Starter Ideas

We’re constantly exploring new ways to create fun and meaningful family discussions. These conversations are rewarding experiences in themselves, but their greatest value lies in how they strengthen the bonds between family members over time.

Here are a few additional family conversation starter ideas:

• 70 family story ideas—this handpicked selection reveals interesting stories worth sharing and preserving within your family.
• 350+ meaningful questions to ask your mom and dad—this is a great resource to step up from the ‘family conversation starter’ game and ask more traditional questions about your parents’ past.
• 190 thought-provoking ‘would you rather questions’—this is a fun and memorable game that can be played over a video call—guaranteed to result in a lively and laughter-filled conversation.

We hope you and your family find these family conversation starter ideas helpful.

This Family Conversation Starter Game is an excellent introduction to the power of family storytelling. When you’re ready to take family conversations further, consider exploring a free Simirity account, where you’ll discover hundreds of story prompts and have the ability to preserve your family’s memories for generations to come.

Not another chat app—Simirity is for deeper family connections.

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