'Best thing you've eaten this week. And the worst. Everyone has to answer, you can't say I don't know.' Go around the table. The 'worst' answer is what makes it interesting. Children say things that reveal their actual food relationship. Works as a pure 3-5 minute conversation starter that can open into longer discussion.
How to do it
- 1"Best thing you've eaten this week. And the worst. Everyone answers — no 'I don't know.' I'll start: best was the pizza on Tuesday, worst was Brussels sprouts."
- 2Go around the table. The worst answer is always more interesting than the best.
- 3Follow anything surprising: why was that the worst?
Variations
- If they refuse to answer: answer both categories yourself, in detail, twice — curiosity usually pulls them in once they hear how specific your 'worst' answer gets.
- How it ends: close on 'and now the best thing this week is about to happen' right as the food comes, turning the meal itself into the payoff.
💡 Parent tip
Answer honestly. If you hated something you ate this week, say so. Authenticity models the kind of answer you want to hear. A pure Q&A game like this needs a child willing to talk, so it's a prevention card, not something to reach for mid-meltdown. In the moment, use The Napkin Character instead: zero setup, entry is touching and folding, not talking.
What your child develops
- Preference articulation — naming best and worst requires accessing genuine sensory memory
- Honest evaluation — the no-editing rule encourages authentic responses rather than socially acceptable ones
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