Questions About Childhood

Favorite game, worst punishment, first trip to the movies: the small details of a childhood say a lot about a person. These cards bring the memories back and work well across generations.

Good for: Couples, friends and families, including with grandparents at the table.

Play 80 cards

Tips for playing

Get out some old photos while you play.
Compare answers across the generations.
Let the kids ask the grown-ups the questions.

Depth: lightLight questions

Easy to start with. Good for warming up.

What was your favorite toy as a kid?
What did you dream of becoming when you grew up?
What did you and your best friend do together after school?
Which cartoon or movie did you watch most as a kid?
What's the funniest thing you remember from your childhood?
What food did you hate as a kid but love now?
What posters did you have on your bedroom wall as a kid?
What make-believe game did you play the most?
What was your favorite book as a kid?
What was the best birthday party you had as a kid?
What was the name of your childhood pet, if you had one?
What's something you believed as a kid that turned out not to be true?
What was your favorite candy or snack?
What's a family tradition from your childhood?
What was your nickname as a kid?
What did you do during summer break as a kid?
What was the first movie you saw in a theater?
Where was your favorite place to play?
What was the first CD, cassette or album you owned?
What did you do when you were bored as a kid?
What game did you play most with your friends?
What made the holidays special when you were a kid?
What was your favorite bedtime story?
What did you most like doing in your free time?
What was your favorite dessert as a kid?
What smell or taste takes you straight back to childhood?
What candy did you buy with your allowance?
What was your favorite playground game?
Which cartoon did you watch over and over?
What was your favorite stuffed animal called?
Which birthday wish do you remember best?
Where did you build forts as a kid?
What was your favorite meal at home?
Which summer vacation do you remember best?
What did you collect as a kid?
What songs did you sing in preschool?
What was the funniest rule in your house?
Who was your first best friend?

Depth: mediumA bit more personal

For when the conversation is flowing.

What's your earliest memory?
What were you most afraid of as a kid?
What's the wildest thing you did behind your parents' backs as a kid?
What's the most embarrassing thing you remember from your school days?
What's something your parents used to say that you now catch yourself saying?
What rule did your parents have that you thought was unfair?
Did you have an imaginary friend?
What's the bravest thing you did as a kid?
What's a memory with a grandparent that you treasure?
What do you miss about being a kid?
What was the worst punishment you got as a kid?
Who was your favorite teacher, and why?
What's something you learned as a kid that you still use?
What's the sweetest thing you remember doing for someone?
What did you love as a kid that you're a little embarrassed about now?
What's the first thing you remember learning?
What vacation memory still feels vivid?
How would you describe yourself as a kid in three words?
What made you feel safe when it got dark?
Which grown-up really saw you when you were little?
What did you get scolded for most often?
Who did you look up to as a kid, and why?
When did you first feel grown up?
What do you remember from your first day of school?
What promise did you make to yourself as a kid?
What were you never allowed to do that you really wanted to?
What was the mood like at the dinner table when you were a kid?
What felt unfair as a kid that you still remember?

Depth: deepDeep questions

Take your time. These are the ones people remember.

What was your biggest secret as a kid?
What did your parents do that made you feel loved?
What would you tell yourself as a child?
What was the hardest part about being a kid?
What's something you learned the hard way as a kid?
What moment from your childhood would you give anything to live again?
What would you say to your ten-year-old self?
What did you miss out on as a kid that you've since given yourself?
When did you have to grow up too soon?
Which childhood memory did you only understand as an adult?
What did you carry with you from childhood that you'd like to let go of?
Who comforted you when you were sad?
What did you hope the grown-ups would notice?
What part of your inner kid would you like to bring back?

80 cards in this deck.