The stories we wish we'd asked about are rarely the big ones. They're the small, ordinary details — what Grandad spent his first wage packet on, how Nan knew Grandpa was "the one", what Grandma's kitchen smelled like on a Sunday. This list of 75 questions to ask your grandparents is designed to get those stories out, written down, and kept.
Use them over a cup of tea, on a long car journey, at Christmas when everyone's round the table, or one question at a time on a weekly phone call. There's no wrong order and no need to get through them all. Pick the ones that make you curious — and listen for the follow-up question hiding in every answer.
Before you start: how to get the best stories
- Ask open questions, then wait. The best answers often come after a pause. Resist the urge to fill the silence.
- Follow the detail. If Grandad mentions "the old Ford", ask what colour it was and where he drove it. Small details unlock big memories.
- Bring a photo. An old photograph is the easiest way to start a story — "Who's this?" does a lot of work.
- Record or write it down. A voice note on your phone is fine. Better still, keep the answers somewhere the whole family can read them in twenty years' time.
- Let them skip. Some memories are painful. "We can come back to that one" keeps the conversation warm.
Childhood and growing up (1–10)
- Where and when were you born, and what have you been told about the day you arrived?
- If you could walk back into your childhood home for five minutes, what would you notice first?
- What did your house smell like when you were little?
- Who were the people who raised you, and what were they like?
- What was the naughtiest thing you ever did as a child — and did you get caught?
- What games did you play outside, and where did you play them?
- What was your favourite meal growing up, and who made it?
- Did you have a nickname? Who gave it to you?
- Which relative did everyone in the family have a story about?
- What did you want to be when you grew up?
School days and friendships (11–19)
- What do you remember most about your first school?
- Which teacher do you still remember, and why?
- Which subject did you love, and which did you dread?
- Who was your best friend, and what did you get up to together?
- Are you still in touch with anyone you grew up with?
- How did you get to school each day?
- What did you and your friends do at the weekend?
- What was the first record or song you ever bought?
- What was considered a real treat when you were a teenager?
First jobs and working life (20–28)
- What was your very first job, and how did you get it?
- How much was your first wage packet — and what did you spend it on?
- What do you remember about your first day at work?
- Who was the best boss you ever had? And the worst?
- Which job, project or achievement are you most proud of?
- What was your first car, motorbike or bicycle?
- Was there ever a job you nearly took, and wonder about now?
- What skill did work teach you that you still use?
- If you could have done any job at all, what would it have been?
Love, family and becoming a grandparent (29–38)
- How did you meet Grandma / Grandad? Where were you, and what were you wearing?
- Were you nervous? What happened next?
- What was your first date — and would you recommend it?
- What did your wedding day look like, and what do you remember most?
- What surprised you most about becoming a parent?
- What were my parents like as children?
- What's a family tradition you started that you hope we keep going?
- How did you feel when you found out you were going to be a grandparent?
- Who chose your grandparent name — Nan, Grandma, Grandad, Grandpa?
- What's the secret to a long, happy relationship?
Homes, places and adventures (39–46)
- What was the first place that truly felt like your own home?
- How many houses have you lived in? Which was your favourite?
- Where did you go on holiday as a child?
- When did you first go abroad, and where?
- What's the greatest adventure you've ever had?
- Is there a place you'd love to visit again, just once more?
- What was your town or street like when you were young — and how has it changed?
- Where would you go tomorrow if you could go anywhere?
The world they lived through (47–55)
- What's the biggest change you've seen in your lifetime?
- What did a loaf of bread, a pint or a cinema ticket cost when you were young?
- Do you remember where you were when you heard big news — a coronation, the moon landing, a famous match?
- When did your family get its first television, telephone or car?
- How did you get the news when you were growing up?
- What did "going out" mean when you were in your twenties?
- What invention do you think has made the biggest difference to everyday life?
- What's something from your youth you wish had never gone away?
- What's something from today you wish you'd had back then?
Life lessons and wisdom (56–65)
- What do you know now that you wish someone had told you at 20?
- What's the hardest thing you've been through, and what did it teach you?
- What are three moments in your life you'll always be proud of?
- Who had the biggest influence on the person you became?
- What's the best piece of advice you were ever given?
- What do you think makes a good life?
- Is there anything you'd do differently if you had the chance?
- What values do you hope our family carries forward?
- What do you hope your grandchildren remember about you?
- If you could leave one message for great-grandchildren you haven't met yet, what would it say?
Quick-fire fun questions (66–75)
Perfect for lightening the mood, or for younger grandchildren to ask.
- Tea or coffee?
- Your favourite film of all time?
- The song that always takes you back?
- Worst fashion choice you ever made?
- Best meal you've ever eaten?
- Your signature saying — the one the family always quotes?
- Dog person or cat person?
- The funniest thing that ever happened to you?
- Something you can still do that would surprise us?
- What always makes you laugh, without fail?
Don't let the answers disappear
Here's the part most families miss: the conversation is wonderful, but memory fades. A story told once at the dinner table is gone in a few years. Written down — in their own words, ideally in their own handwriting — it becomes something your children and grandchildren can hold.
That's exactly why we made our memory books. Each one is a beautifully designed, printable keepsake with questions like these laid out over 44 pages, with generous space to write, photo pages, and lighter fill-in pages so it never feels like a form.
- For Grandad: Tell Me Your Story, Grandad — 44-page memory book
- For Grandma: Tell Me Your Story, Grandma — 44-page memory book
- For Nan: Tell Me Your Story, Nan — memory book
- For both of them: The Grandparents Collection — matching Grandma & Grandad bundle
Want the full set — conversation cards, a family tree, a letter page and more? Browse the complete collections for Grandad, for Grandma and for Nan, or see all our keepsake bundle collections.
Every book comes as an instant digital download in two versions: a print edition to fill in by hand, and an interactive edition you can type into on a computer or tablet. Print at home or at a local print shop and it's ready to give the same day — no waiting for the post.
A perfect Christmas conversation starter
Christmas is often the one time the whole family is in the same room. Leave a memory book on the table, or take turns asking a question each over pudding. If you want something to fill in together year after year, take a look at Christmas At Ours — a family Christmas book for ten Christmases. And if a grandparent's birthday is coming up, Here's To You is the birthday book everyone fills in.
Frequently asked questions
What are good questions to ask grandparents?
The best questions are open and specific: "What did your house smell like when you were little?" gets a better story than "What was your childhood like?" Mix big reflective questions (life lessons, proudest moments) with light, fun ones (favourite song, worst fashion choice) so the conversation keeps flowing.
How do I get my grandparents to talk about their past?
Start with an old photograph, a familiar place or a favourite song. Ask one question at a time, let them wander off-topic, and show genuine interest in the small details. Many grandparents find it easier to write their answers down in a memory book in their own time.
What's the best way to record grandparents' stories?
A voice recording captures their voice; a written memory book captures their handwriting and gives the family something to keep and pass down. Many families do both — record the conversation, then fill in the book together.
Is a memory book a good gift for a grandparent?
Yes — it's one of the most meaningful gifts you can give, because it says "your story matters to us". It suits birthdays, Christmas, Father's Day, Mother's Day, anniversaries or just because, and becomes more precious to the family every year.
Ask them now, while they can tell it their way. — The Memory Store Co