Here are some ideas and questions to get you talking. Try chatting together as a family at meal times or in quiet moments together.

It is often useful for a parent to have their turn to speak first so that you can model how to justify your ideas and use appropriate vocabulary.

*What is special about you? (Here is a clue: there are lots of things!) Think of as many as you can!

*Think back to before you started Reception. What couldn't you do then that you can do now? How many things can you think of?

* Think about all the characters you know from stories, television and films. If you could choose one of them to come to life and be your friend in real life who would you choose? Why? What do you think would make them a good friend?

*If you could be any age which age would you chose and why?

*Can you think of changes that have happened in your life? What changes do you think there will be in the future?

*Instead of two hands and two feet would you rather have 4 feet or 4 hands? Why?

*Can you think of 3 words that describe you?

*What is your favourite word and why?

*If you could teleport for a day where would you go?

*Would you rather:

live on the moon

or

live inside a space rocket?

Why?

*Here is another talking picture. If you struggle to think of your own questions to ask then try talking about the possible answers to these questions:

Who is it?

Why is there a costume hiding under its fur?

Where will it go?

Who will it help?

What kinds of super powers do you think it has?

*If you could go into space where would you like to visit and why? Would you go to the moon, a different planet, to see the stars or a black hole, or perhaps somewhere else?

*How would you help a friend who was feeling lonely? What kinds of things would you do or say?

* Would you rather...

• have beautiful shiny scales and nobody to play with...

OR...

• plain scales and lots of friends to play with?

WHY?

*Have you ever felt lonely? Can you remember why and how it felt? What made you stop feeling lonely?

*List as many sea creatures as you can think of. What is special about each one?

* Have you ever been swimming in a pool or in the sea? What did it feel like? Talk about all 5 of your senses; what did you see, hear, feel, smell and taste?

* If you could have one of the following animal talents for a day which would you choose and why?

- A kangeroo's jump

- A lion's roar

- A monkey's tail

* What do you think are the largest and smallest animals in the zoo?

*Which would you rather have as a friend – a lion or an elephant? Why?

*What kinds of things do you think a zoo keeper's job involves? Would you like to be a zoo keeper when you're bigger?

* How many different animals can you think of that might live in a zoo? Can you discuss this with someone at home and try to think of one beginning with each letter of the alphabet?

* What kinds of jobs do you think a farmer does from day to day? Would you like to be a farmer when you’re bigger? Why?/ why not?

* How many farm animals can you think of that have 2 legs? How many can you think of that have 4 legs? Do more farm animals have 2 or 4 legs?

* Can you guess which animal makes each of these products? How do you know?

milk

sausages

eggs

bacon

wool

chicken

* Ladybirds have spots. How many other things can you think of that have spots? Think about objects as well as other animals!

* What does teamwork mean to you? Can you think of a time when you have been part of a team?

*What is your favourite type of music? How does it make you feel? Think about music you hear on the radio, nursery rhymes and theme tunes to your favourite TV shows!

*What does it mean to be a good friend to the people you love?

*How are you feeling today? How many different feelings do you have right now? Do a feelings check in with the people in your home by asking them how they are feeling today and why.

*If you could have any animal as a pet what would you choose? Which types of animals do you think would be easy to look after? Which ones would be difficult to look after?

*Would you rather live in the desert or the North Pole? Why?

*Which do you think is best, pasta or pizza? Can you explain why.

* If you had a magic potion, would you rather turn into a giant, towering over everyone for a week...or shrink to be no bigger than a blade of grass for a week?

*Think about a date in the future, think about the year 2040. How old will you be then? What do you think you will be like and what will the world look like then? Do you think anything will have changed?

*You need food, water and shelter to keep you alive. What do you think a plant needs to stay alive?

* If you climbed to the top of a beanstalk, what would you really like to find at the top and why?

* How many minibeasts can you think of that have patterns? What types of patterns do they have? Are any of them similar?

* How many similarities can you think of between humans and ladybirds?

* How do you think bees get their stripes and ladybirds get their spots?

*If you could transform into any minibeast for a day, which would you like to be?

* Why is the weather windy? Where do you think it comes from?

*Would it be better to have hands as feet, or feet as hands?

*Why do you think birds sing?

*Is it kind to keep an animal as a pet?

* Which would you rather be, a caterpillar or a butterfly? Think about what you know about them and explain why you made this choice.

* How many different ways can you think of to take care of our environment? Why is this important?

*How could the story of The Gingerbread Man have been different so there could have been a happy ending for him?

* What does it mean to be a 'grown up?'

* Do you think chocolate would be a good material to use to make a teapot? Why?/ why not?
 

* Imagine you could find the end of a rainbow. What do you think you would find there?
 

* Think about the shape of things you can see in your home. Why do you think they are that shape? Could they be a different shape? For example why is a cup rounded? What would happen if it were squared with corners?

Could a shoe be square?

* Which is your favourite season in the year and why?

* Can you see any plants when you look out of your window? Are plants alive? How do you know if something is living?

* How do plants and animals know when it is spring? Do you know any animals that sleep during the winter and wake up when it is spring (this is called hibernation).

*What can you see when you look out of your window? Is this always the same or does it change at different times of the year?

*Which animals might we see in Spring that we didn't see in Winter? Why?

*Have you ever felt like something wasn't fair? How did you overcome it?

*What is your idea of a perfect day? How would you spend the day? Who with? Would you visit somewhere or stay close to home and have fun there?
 

*How do you think plants grow? Do you think a plant could grow without any soil? How could you find out if there are any plants that grow without soil?

* Winter has gone and spring is arriving! How do you know?

* Which festival do you enjoy celebrating most and why? (Christmas, Divali, Hannukah, Easter, Eid, new Year...)

*What do you think came first, a chicken or an egg?

* How are you feeling today? Why do you think you are feeling like this? What about the other people in your family, how are they feeling today?

* If you could turn into any animal for a day, which animal would you choose?

*If you could travel to into space what would you pack in your suitcase and why?

*If you could invite a story character round for tea, who would you choose and why?

* Who is the oldest person you can think of and who is the youngest?

*What would you like to be when you are older? Why?

*What is the biggest/smallest thing you can think of?

* If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

*What is the best thing that has ever happened to you? 

*If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? Why?

*Why is the sky so blue today? How does this make you feel?

*What makes you happy?