Memories & childhood — speaking questions
35 everyday questions about memories & childhood, each with a natural answer and the key phrases to use.
A25
What's one meal or dish from your childhood that still feels like a warm hug? Who made it?
What did you wear as a kid? Tell me about a favourite outfit, an embarrassing one, or hand-me-downs you got stuck with.
Did you have a favourite hiding place or secret spot as a child? Describe it for me.
How were your weekends as a child compared to your weekends now?
What did your bedtime usually look like when you were small? Walk me through it.
B112
Was there a relative everyone in the family had stories about? What made them so memorable?
What TV shows, cartoons, or films did you watch obsessively as a kid? Why were you so hooked?
What were your top three favourite treats or rewards as a child? Rank them for me.
Forget smells for a second — is there a particular SOUND that instantly takes you back to childhood? What is it?
Tell me about learning to do something tricky for the first time as a kid — riding a bike, swimming, tying your laces. How did it go?
Did you collect anything as a child — stickers, cards, shells, anything? What was the thrill of it?
Describe the kids you grew up around and the street or area where you all played. What was the scene?
What were you scared of as a child that seems funny to you now?
Was there a treat or toy you really wanted as a kid and had to wait or save up for? Tell me about it.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would you say?
Did you and your friends or siblings ever make up your own game with your own rules? How did it work?
Did you have a nickname as a kid? Where did it come from, and did you love it or hate it?
B211
What made the summer holidays feel endless when you were a child? Do you think kids today feel the same?
Tell me about a time you got into trouble as a kid. What happened, and was it worth it?
A child today tells you they're bored and reaches for a screen. Drawing on your own childhood, what would you suggest instead?
Did you have an imaginary friend, a made-up world, or a secret game you played alone? Tell me all about it.
Every school playground had its own unwritten rules and games. What were the rituals where you grew up?
What's a moment from childhood when you suddenly felt grown-up — even if you really weren't?
Rank the things that genuinely terrified you as a child, from mildly spooky to absolutely petrifying.
Tell me about a family trip or day out that didn't go to plan when you were a kid. What happened?
In your opinion, what's the best thing about being a child that adults lose?
If you could relive one ordinary day from your childhood, exactly as it was, which would you choose?
Close your eyes and picture the kitchen from your childhood. What do you see, hear, and smell?
C15
If your childhood home were on fire and you could grab one object from your room, what would it be and why?
What's something a grandparent or older relative taught you that has stuck with you into adulthood?
Compare two places you spent time in as a child, perhaps two homes, two schools, or a town and the countryside. How did each one shape you?
Was there a teacher who made a real difference to you when you were young? What did they do?
Is there a story your family loves to tell about something you did as a kid — one that gets retold at every gathering?