I’ve been in Toastmasters for almost 6 year now and I’ve seen all sorts of table topics questions. I’ve been posting these questions over the last year. However, some of the best table topic ideas I’ve seen happened before I started blogging so I thought I would share them with you here. If you are in dire need of some ideas for an upcoming Toastmasters meeting, check these out.
Pennies
Grab a handful of pennies and have whoever is answering your table topics question randomly pick one from your hand. Tell them to read the date on the penny out loud and their table topic response is to tell us something memorable that happened in their lives that year.
This one is great but it can be tough to recall an event on the spot like that. It’s best to scope out the pennies before hand and keep the dates within the last ten years. The first time this was done at our club meeting one of the Toastmasters got 1976 which was the year she was conceived. This also works as a great icebreaker for any group meetings or presentations.
Fortune Cookies
Get some fortune cookies and have your table topics victim read a random fortune out loud. Their response is to discuss how that fortune relates to them and their lives.
This one can be tough too especially if you get a random fortune that makes no sense. It might be a good idea to pick out a few good fortunes beforehand.
Book of Ifs
I once saw a coffee book called The Book of Ifs. It was filled with random questions designed to stimulate conversation in a group setting. Most were annoying or controversial, but one of them was fantastic and I’ve used it several times before:
If you could be responsible for writing any one song over the last 100 years what would it be and why?
I love these kind of questions where a person’s response can offer some insight into their personality. This style of questioning can be applied in a bunch of ways. Here were a few I came up with:
If you could be the CEO of any one company what company would it be and why?
If you could have starred in any one movie over the last 50 years what would it be and why?
If you could be responsible for writing any one book throughout history, what would it be and why?
If you could hold any one athletic record in any sport, what would it be and why?
If you end up using any of these at an upcoming Toastmasters meeting, I’d love to know how it goes! Good luck.
Thanks alot your ideas are awesome. I will use them for my club’s next chapter meeting
By: stormwhistle on August 17, 2009
at 4:48 pm
To be fair, these aren’t my original ideas or anything. Just posting some creative stuff I’ve seen over the years so others can try them out. Good luck!
By: mrpeatie on August 18, 2009
at 1:18 pm
Thanks for the great ideas. Ill keep them in mind for tomorrow nights meating.
By: Zayne on February 16, 2010
at 12:46 pm
Great idea for using the fortune cookie! As i already bought them from Toronto and will be able to use that in Beijing’s toastmaster, just one thing, after a week the fortune cookie is not that crispy to eat~
By: Anonymous on September 7, 2011
at 3:40 pm
Wonderful ideas – thanks!
By: Anonymous on October 26, 2011
at 9:22 pm
I am preparing for the next Toastmasters meeting and my table topics master duty. Thank you for the useful ideas! Here are some more suggestions:
Describe the best 2012 you can imagine.
Why tourists should visit our country?
If you could develop any talents of yours to the professional level what would they be?
If everything was paid for you and all the expences covered for the rest of your life what would you do?
Best wishes, Irina
By: Irina Valentino on January 6, 2012
at 6:24 pm