Questions to Ask Your Grandad

100 questions to ask your grandad
before it's too late

Your grandad has lived through things you'll never fully know. These 100 questions help you draw out the stories, the memories, and the wisdom he's carried his whole life.

Capture his story free → See an example

Why these questions matter

Grandads rarely volunteer their stories

Most grandads are from a generation that didn't talk about themselves much. They got on with things. They didn't complain. And they certainly didn't sit around telling stories about their feelings. But ask the right question at the right moment — and something extraordinary happens.

The stories are in there. They just need to be asked for.

100 questions to ask elderly parents →·Father's Day gift for Grandad →

100 questions

Questions to ask your grandad about his life

🌱Childhood & growing up

Where were you born and what was it like?

What is your earliest memory?

What was your childhood home like?

What did your parents do for work?

Did you have brothers and sisters?

What did you get up to as a boy?

What was school like for you?

Who was your best friend growing up?

What world events do you remember from your childhood?

What did you want to be when you grew up?

💼Work & career

What was your first job?

What did you spend most of your working life doing?

What was the hardest job you ever had?

What work are you most proud of?

Did you ever have a boss who really influenced you?

What did your job involve day to day?

Did you ever work away from home?

What did you learn from your working life?

Was there a job you always wanted but never had?

How did the world of work change over your lifetime?

⚽Hobbies & passions

What did you do in your spare time when you were young?

Did you play any sports?

What music did you love?

Did you have any hobbies that surprised people?

What were your favourite films or TV shows?

Did you ever build or make anything you were proud of?

What sport or team did you follow?

Did you ever win anything?

What did you do to relax?

Is there something you were really good at that nobody knew about?

❤️Love & family

How did you meet Grandma?

What was it like when you first fell in love?

What do you think makes a marriage last?

What was it like becoming a dad for the first time?

What are your proudest moments as a father?

What do you most want your grandchildren to know about you?

What family traditions matter most to you?

What was a typical Sunday like when the kids were young?

Is there anything you wish you had said to someone you loved?

What does family mean to you?

🌍Adventures & experiences

What is the most adventurous thing you ever did?

Where is the furthest you ever travelled?

Did you ever do something that surprised even yourself?

What is the most beautiful place you ever saw?

Is there anywhere you always wanted to go but never did?

Did you ever live somewhere unexpected?

What is the most spontaneous thing you ever did?

What experience changed the way you see the world?

Did you ever serve in the military or know people who did?

What is your most treasured memory from outside home?

💪Hard times & resilience

What is the hardest thing you have ever been through?

How did you get through the toughest times?

Was there a time when everything seemed to fall apart?

What gave you strength when things were hard?

Have you ever felt truly lost?

What has grief taught you?

Is there something you have had to forgive?

What would you tell your younger self about hard times?

What is something you regret, and what did it teach you?

What are you most proud of surviving?

🤍Wisdom & legacy

What do you believe in most deeply?

What values do you most want to pass on?

What do you think the secret to a happy life is?

What has life taught you about what matters?

What do you wish you had spent more time on?

What do you wish you had worried less about?

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

What do you want to be remembered for?

Is there anything you want to say to the people you love?

What story do you most want to make sure is never forgotten?

How to ask

Getting grandad to open up

🎣

Ask during an activity

Grandads often open up more easily when they're doing something — fishing, gardening, watching the match. Side-by-side conversation is less confronting than face-to-face.

🎯

Start with one question

Don't present a list. Just ask one question and follow where it leads. "What was your first job?" can unlock hours of stories.

🤐

Let the silence sit

Grandads from older generations sometimes take a moment to retrieve memories. Don't rush to fill the silence — the story is usually worth the wait.

📱

Record if you can

Ask if you can record on your phone. His voice telling the story — the accent, the pauses, the laugh — is worth more than any transcript.

"He told me about a motorbike he saved up for two years to buy. I never knew that about him."

— From a Tell Me Your Story keepsake

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A printable PDF of 50 questions to ask your parents or grandparents about their life. Use it over Sunday lunch, or keep it for when the moment's right.

Tell Me Your Story

50 Questions
to Ask Your Parents

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Tell Me Your Story guides your grandad through 100 questions and turns his answers into a beautiful keepsake book — in his own words, with his own voice.

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100 questions to ask your grandadbefore it's too late