How should you start the conversation?

To collect your grandparents’ life stories, pick five questions about a place, a person, or a specific moment. Let them tell the story, note their own words, and ask what they are comfortable sharing. The 25 prompts below are a menu, not an interview you need to finish in one visit.

Start with an object or photograph they recognize. Ask what happened just before or afterward. A quiet conversation with one person gives them room to answer without relatives filling in the story for them. Stop or take a break when they want one; there is no deadline for remembering.

25 prompts to choose from

Look through the subjects together. One prompt may produce a whole story, while another gets no answer. Move on without pressing.

  • 1. Which room in your childhood home can you picture best?
  • 2. What sound reminds you of your old neighborhood?
  • 3. What did you do right after school?
  • 4. Who played your favorite games with you?
  • 5. Which route did you know by heart?
  • 6. Which grown-up let you try things for yourself?
  • 7. What childhood mishap still makes you smile?
  • 8. Which meal did you look forward to all week?
  • 9. What song did someone sing around the house?
  • 10. What object did you always keep nearby?
  • 11. What happened on your first day of work?
  • 12. What practical skill did a coworker teach you?
  • 13. What purchase did you save or plan for?
  • 14. What outing did you organize yourself?
  • 15. What place did a friend introduce you to?
  • 16. What meeting changed your everyday routine?
  • 17. What family tradition did you start?
  • 18. Which meal brought everyone together?
  • 19. What phrase did you repeat to the kids?
  • 20. Which photograph needs a little explanation?
  • 21. What ordinary day would you like to describe?
  • 22. What can you repair, cook, or make?
  • 23. Who taught you that skill?
  • 24. What place would you like to show us?
  • 25. What story should we ask about next time?

A note sheet that keeps the useful details

Make a note sheet with six fields: topic; exact words; people present; place; confirmed or approximate date; permission to use it in the newspaper. Ask before recording. Keep brief notes as well, so you can find a scene without playing the entire conversation again.

A useful follow-up can be short: “What happened next?” or “Who else was there?” Do not turn an uncertain memory into a precise date by guessing. Mark it for checking in your working notes. Use a broader period in the newspaper if nobody can confirm the year.

Turn the conversation into a newspaper story

Choose one scene, then write a headline, one paragraph, and a photo caption. Read the text back to the person before sharing it. StoryCorps also offers conversation topics for grandparents; that resource can help continue a conversation, but it cannot verify your family’s memories.

For an English layout, view the 22routes “The 80th birthday newspaper” template. It starts as an 80th birthday design, so replace occasion and age references when your project is different. The grandparents template starts in French. Both are editable digital products for Canva; arrange printing separately.

Frequently asked questions

01Should we ask all 25 questions in one visit?

No. Pick five prompts and let the person’s memories guide the conversation. Save the others for another visit without requiring answers.

02What if nobody remembers the date?

Mark the date as uncertain in your working notes. In the newspaper, use a broader confirmed period if you know one. Otherwise, leave out the date rather than inventing a year or season.

Have another newspaper in mind?

Suggest the title. We’ll email you if a template becomes available.

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