1. What are your earliest memories?

2. Where did you live during your childhood and who lived with you?

3. Where did you play? Describe one of your favourite things to play with. What kinds of make-believe do you remember playing?

4. What did you find amazing as a child? What were your daydreams?

5. Tell about any animals that you loved as a child.

6. What nicknames did you have?

7. When did you begin school? Recall your earliest memories of school. What do you remember feeling about your first few years in school? What was difficult or frightening? Which school memories stay with you?

8. Who were your childhood friends and what did you most like to do together?

9. What did you do when you came home from school? Who would be there?

10. Picture yourself during a typical mealtime. What do you see going on around you? What would you be eating?

11. Describe a usual evening in the summertime?

12. What was a regular Saturday like? Sunday?

13. What types of reading material do you remember having in your home? Which books or stories were your favourites? Where did you like to read yourself?

14. Were there movies or television shows that made an impression on you as a child?

15. Were you ever in a school community performance?

16. In your family, what were your holiday celebrations like? What holiday traditions did you have?

17. Describe a time when you remember your family having a get-together.

18. Tell about some gifts that you received that you loved.

19. What did being "good" mean in your family?

20. What work was expected of you as a child? What else seemed to be expected of you?

21. What do you remember about your childhood illnesses? Who took care of you and what did they for you?

22. What did you like about growing up?

23. Who were your neighbours? How do you remember them being a part of your family's life?

24. In what ways did your parents or other adults in your life give to the community?

25. What were the historical events taking place during your youth and how were you aware of them?

26. Tell about a time that was exciting or adventurous for you.

27. Describe a time you were in danger.

28. What fanned feelings of envy?

29. Tell a time when you gained confidence in yourself.

30. What did you make that you are proud of?

31. Reminisce about summertime. Create a summer evening, filling it with the things you liked to do before it was time for bed.

32. Autumn, winter, spring - recall some sounds, sites and sensations from each season. Now choose a memory from each of these seasons to write about.

33. What are some nights sounds you remember?

34. Describe the loveliest place you knew. What was really pleasing to you as a child?

35. What did you do for fun as a child that you still do, or still would like to do?

36. Who were your childhood heroes?

37. What did you believe about yourself as a child? What do you think you had faith in as a child? What did you take the granted?

38. What were some are your views? How did you hide your views?

39. Tell about the spiritual life of your family. Did you go to services? Who in your family went?

40. Reminisce about some family get-togethers - what is the event, what are the adults doing? The children? Describe some scenes that stand out in your memory.

41. What were some of the rules your family had?

42. What were some of the things you wanted to do as a child but could not? Which of them were unavailable or unaffordable?

43. During your childhood, what were the things that you were aware of that your mother did in a usual day?

44. During your childhood, what were the things that you were aware of that your father did in a usual day? How do you remember him being a father to you as a child?

45. Other than family, what were your parents' main interests?

46. What do you think were the dreams your parents had for their children?

47. What are some of the childhood scenes that made indelible impressions on you?

48. As you look back on your childhood, tell of something you learnt that you still value today. How did you learn it?

49. Do you have something you've saved from the childhood?

50. Picture yourself as a child. Now imagine this child standing in front of you. What would you like to say to this child who is now gazing at you?

Questions from Legacy - A step-by-step guide to writing personal history by Linda Spence.