50 Questions for Kids to Ask Their Grandparents

So you want to interview your grandparents… Or your parents want you to interview your grandparents… Or you want your kids to want to interview their grandparents. What questions should you/they ask?

Interviewing an older relative strengthens bonds and helps you build a lasting family legacy, but it can be daunting to come up with the questions on your own. 

We’ve got you covered.

Top Tips for Interviewing Your Grandparents

When interviewing a grandparent or older relative, start with a list of questions. It can be helpful to let your grandparents know in advance that you plan to interview them, and maybe even share some of the questions you plan to ask. This will help give their memories time to recall the stories they want to share. 

You can also ask them to bring pictures or keepsakes that are special to them. Or, you can bring pictures of your grandparents that you like and ask them to tell you the story of that photo (this can be a great opener).

Or, you can spark creativity by asking your grandparents to draw parts of their story with you—like a line drawing showing the floor plan of their childhood home or stick figures showing you what their kitchen looked like growing up.  

Make sure to have a plan to keep a record of their answers. You can use an audio recorder (with permission) or take notes.

How to Get Your Kids Interested in Family History and Family Stories

Make interviewing grandparents fun and engaging for kids by turning it into a special project. Let them help choose questions, focusing on topics they’ll find exciting—like favorite childhood games, holiday traditions, or funny family moments. Provide tools kids love, such as a journal with space for drawing and coloring, an instant camera, or a voice recorder app. 

Encourage them to share their own stories, making it a two-way exchange. Set the scene with snacks or a cozy setting so it feels more like a hangout than homework. Celebrate their efforts by sharing the finished interview with the family, reinforcing the value of their curiosity.

Questions About Family Life

1. What did you typically do after school and before dinner?
2. Did you have any chores as a kid? If so, what was your favorite chore? What was your least favorite chore?
3. What did your family do to mark special occasions?
4. What is your earliest memory?
5. What was your favorite thing to do with your parents or caregiver?
6. What were weekday mornings like in your house?
7. What were the weekends like? 
8. Were there any special traditions your family kept?
9. What did your childhood home look like?

Questions About Childhood

1. Who was your best friend in (elementary school, middle school, high school)?
2. What was your favorite game to play with your sibling or best friend?
3. What did you get most excited about as a kid?
4. What were you most afraid of? (And are you still afraid of it now?)
5. What was a hobby or activity you wished you could have tried, but didn’t?
6. What is a hobby or activity you loved to do as a kid?
7. Who did you look up to?
8. What was the most meaningful gift you gave or received?
9. How did you learn to tie your shoes?
10. What was your favorite thing to do in summer?

Questions About Distant Ancestors

1. Were there family members that your parents or grandparents often told stories about? Who were they and what did they do?
2. Were there any family secrets you were told about?
3. Did your parents ever share funny stories from their childhoods? What were they?
4. Were you ever told any stories about our family surname?
5. When you were a kid, who was your oldest relative? What were they like?
6. Do you know where our family lived before they came here?
7. Are there any family stories that have been told for many generations?
8. Did our ancestors have any special traditions, foods, or holidays?
9. Were there any family members who became famous or well-known in their town?
10. Did anyone in our family live through a big historical event?

Silly Questions for Kids to Ask Their Grandparents

1. What’s the funniest face you can make?
2. If you could eat only one food for a whole year, what would it be?
3. Did you ever wear something so weird that you look back and laugh?
4. What was your favorite candy as a kid, and could you eat a whole bag?
5. Did you ever get in trouble for something funny?
6. What’s the strangest food you’ve ever tried?
7. If you could have any animal as a pet—even a dinosaur—what would it be?
8. Did you ever have a funny nickname?
9. What’s the goofiest dance you can remember doing?
10. Did you ever pull a prank on someone? What was it, and did they like it?

Unexpected Questions for Kids to Ask Their Grandparents

1. What’s something you’ve done that you never told your parents about?
2. If you could instantly learn any skill, what would it be?
3. What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
4. Did you ever meet someone famous by accident?
5. If you could time-travel to any year in your life, which one would you visit?
6. What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever heard of?
7. Did you ever get completely lost somewhere?
8. If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be?
9. If you could give your younger self one silly piece of advice, what would it be?
10. If you had to go in the rain without an umbrella, what would you use to stay dry?

Go from Memory to Legacy

We love an oral history. When stories are told, they become family lore. When they’re written down, they become legacy. Ensure that future generations can enjoy your stories with our creativity-boosting guided memoir journals. 

FAQs

What are good questions for kids to ask their grandparents?

Good questions mix personal memories, family history, and fun topics, like childhood traditions, favorite games, and surprising life events.

How can I help my child prepare to interview their grandparents?

Help them create a short list of open-ended questions, gather photos or keepsakes for inspiration, print shared “drawing on memory” pages, and set up a relaxed, quiet space for talking.

Why is it important for kids to ask grandparents about family history?

It helps preserve family stories, strengthens intergenerational bonds, and gives children a more profound sense of identity and heritage.

How can kids make interviews with grandparents more fun?

Include silly or lighthearted questions, use props like old photos, creativity-boosting activities like drawing, and turn the conversation into a shared activity, like baking or looking through scrapbooks.

What are some silly or funny questions kids can ask grandparents?

Questions about funny nicknames, goofy hairstyles, childhood pranks, or the weirdest food they’ve tried often spark laughter and memorable stories.

How do grandparents’ stories help kids connect with their heritage?

These stories give kids real-life connections to history, culture, and values passed down through generations.

Should kids record interviews with their grandparents?

Yes. Recordings preserve voices, emotions, and details that may be lost over time, making the memories easy to revisit and share. If you don’t want to do an audio or video recording, you can use a guided memoir journal to preserve their answers in one place.

What’s the best age for kids to start interviewing grandparents?

Kids as young as five can participate with simple questions, while older children can handle deeper, more detailed conversations.