Questions to ask Grandma about her childhood
Good questions about her childhood are specific and easy to picture, and they ask for a story rather than a fact. Start with: What was your favorite toy when you were my age? What games did you play outside? Did you have a best friend? What did you do together? Then let Grandma's answers lead to the next question.
How to ask so the stories keep coming
Ask one question per call, not ten. Follow up with "what happened next?" Write down the answers or record them (with permission): they're the start of a family story bank.
For grandkids ages 4 to 7
- What was your favorite toy when you were my age?
- What games did you play outside?
- Did you have a best friend? What did you do together?
- What were you scared of when you were little?
For grandkids ages 8 to 12
- What was your favorite toy when you were my age?
- What games did you play outside?
- Did you have a best friend? What did you do together?
- What were you scared of when you were little?
- What chores did you have to do?
- What did you get in trouble for?
- What did your bedroom look like?
For grandkids ages 13+
- What was your favorite toy when you were my age?
- What games did you play outside?
- Did you have a best friend? What did you do together?
- What were you scared of when you were little?
- What chores did you have to do?
- What did you get in trouble for?
- What did your bedroom look like?
- What's something kids did then that kids don't do now?
- What did you want to be when you grew up, and did it change?