Fun Things to Talk About With a 7-Year-Old

Most 7-year-old children are extremely inquisitive and want to know how things work. Fun conversations often center on their recent accomplishments and personal interests. As a parent, engage your 7-year-old in friendly and informative conversations that help her learn the basics of life 1. Plus, you want her to know that you're deeply interested in her hobbies, talents, friendships and school experiences.

Personal Accomplishments

You can't be around a 7-year-old very long before you hear the phrases "Watch me" or "See what I can do." Kids this age like to show off their skill sets and talk about their accomplishments, however small they might seem. Fun things to talk about might include new athletic skills, academic milestones and recent accomplishments, such as learning to do somersaults, swim or ride a bicycle. Once you start talking about one accomplishment, your 7-year-old will likely jump from one topic to another to discuss her interests and abilities 1.

Pop Culture

Seven-year-olds have some awareness of pop culture and like to talk about age-appropriate movies, TV shows, cartoons, video games and trendy toys. Most have a superhero or a cartoon character that they like or identify with. To better understand how your child thinks, ask him why he likes a particular show or character. After all, your 7-year-old is mature enough to form his own opinions, according to the Baby Center website 1. Help him with his storytelling skills by asking him to tell you the plot of a specific show, movie or video game. You might also discuss character traits in cartoons or movies that are admirable and those that aren't. Talking about pop culture is fun, and it opens doors to discuss deeper issues, such as honesty, respect and kindness.

How Things Work

"Sevens" tend to ask lots of questions because they're keen observers, according to Baby Center. Conversations often revolve around topics such as why airplanes don't fall from the sky, how a microwave cooks food and where the water from a toilet goes. These conversations are not only fun and interesting, they're also informative and educational. Let your 7-year-old initiate these types of discussions, so you can talk about subjects that interest her 1. Don't worry if you don't know the answers -- part of the fun is finding them together on the Internet or at the library.

Right and Wrong

Make a fun discussion out of serious topics your 7-year-old has likely pondered: human emotions, feelings and why people respond to situations in certain ways 1. It's an ideal age to Initiate discussions about right and wrong, suggests educators and researchers Joyce Destefanis and Nancy Firchow on the Great Schools website. Keep things friendly and lighthearted by posing fun "what-if" scenarios, such as, "How do you think Mario would feel if he didn't try to save Princess Peach?" or "What would Woody do if he couldn't trust his friend Buzz Lightyear?"

Fictional and Nonfictional Stories

Reading aloud to your 7-year-old is an important part of her maturity process, so discussions about themes, story characters, settings, plots, moods and morals are enjoyable and educational 1. Adopt character voices during your discussion to add some hilarity. As your child learns to read, take turns reading to each other. Seven-year-olds are still learning to distinguish between reality and fantasy, according to Education.com, so ask questions such as "Do you think this story could happen in real life?" or "Do you think there's such a thing as monsters?"