Creative Tips That Encourage Dinner Party Conversation
Hosting a dinner party is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with family and friends. In fact, it is so important it should be done as often as possible. Making the decision to plan a nice dinner party is a gracious gesture. The last thing you want is for your dinner party to fall flat.
There are endless reasons table talk might be less than ideal. It could be anything from family tension, differences of opinion, or pesky cell phones. This focus is to address the pesky cell phone. It’s no secret technology, if you let it, creates barriers.
It’s an all too familiar scene. One person reaches for their cell phone to take a quick peek at social media. Then another grabs their cell to sneak a peek. Before you know it everyone is engrossed on their phones. The cell phone checking is sending a message, boredom. This isn’t what you planned. You had visions of laughter and conversation. Smart phones aren’t as smart as they should be. If they were, they would tell you “I’ll be here later to answer your questions and fill you in on the latest news. Talk to real people.”
How do you distract people from their phones and get them involved in meal time conversation? It’s not as hard as you think, all it takes is some creativity and planning.
Follow the tips below and it’s very likely your guests will engage in spirited conversation, with the added bonus of creating happy new memories.
Set the Stage
From the moment you extend the invitation, make your guests aware the theme is an “old-fashioned dinner.” This will help prevent moments of shock when you ask guests to place their cell phone in a basket, strategically placed by the front door. Be sure to mention it’s alright to check the phone if necessary but, please place it back in the basket when finished. This will ease the nerves of anyone that might have to check on important obligations.
Get Them Talking
-
Be prepared with a few interactive games. A good game to play is a version of the parlor game twenty questions. Create a list of random questions about dream jobs or lottery dreams, anything that will spark a fun atmosphere. Make the questions fun yet personal. Your guests will have fun learning how well they know each other. As a bonus, this game creates laughter.
-
Another fun way to encourage conversation is to use baby pictures as place cards. Guests will have fun guessing who’s who. There is a secret when it comes to making small talk that works like a charm. People love to talk about themselves. Displaying baby pictures creates a golden opportunity for people to talk about their favorite topic.
Get Them Moving
Consider an interactive meal. Provide a sit down entrée but incorporate a salad and dessert station. Have these stations set up on a well dressed table. Arrange these tables away from the main table. This is a great way to get people moving around, talking, and actively participating in the meal.
Today’s electronically connected world distracts and deprives us of the opportunity to connect face to face. We need to be creative and find ways around intrusive technology. Having a strategy and playing some games encourages interaction.
The end result, strengthened bonds between friends and family. Mission accomplished.
