The primary intention was to explore the nature and content of preschoolers' conversations during lunchtime in their classroom. Secondary goals included discovering how eating at school framed the children's conversation and play, and the influence of gender on children's conversations and forms of play. Participants were 65 primarily European-American, middle-income children (25 boys, 40 girls). Ages ranged from 36 to 71 months. Multiple observers recorded table conversations using a time sampling unit of five minutes. Simultaneous play and non-verbal behaviour were also recorded. Findings revealed that children primarily conversed with peers and not with adults. Major conversation topics were food, family, and daily events. Child to teacher speech frequently involved requests for assistance. Girls conversed more than boys in almost all instances except in asking the teacher questions. Boys played with their food, told jokes and engaged in taboo humour and language play more than the girls did. Findings partially support the existing literature. (Contains 1 table, 4 figures and 1 note.)