Remembering and forgetting- Childhood memories

Ask questions to test your partner’s memory of their preteen days. Example topics:

Teachers (e.g. your first primary school teacher)

Head teachers

Your kindergarten’s/ primary school’s gym/ playground/ classroom/ assembly hall

Typical kindergarten/ primary school lunches

The appearance of your kindergarten/ primary school

How you started the day

Daily routines (bedtimes etc)

Uniforms and other clothes

Clubs

Friend, e.g. your best friend

Classmates

Your family car

School plays

Times you were punished (lines, detention etc.)

Falling out with friends

Art work

Accidents

The first time you saw certain people

Your babysitters

Household jobs

Your home

Your bedroom

Posters

Music

Family friends

Things you were good and bad at

Toys

Likes and dislikes

What you wanted to be when you woke up

Holidays

Sweets and other foods

Listen to your teacher and say whether each phrase means that they can’t recall anything (“Forgetting”) or can bring to mind at least something (“Remembering”)

Label the phrases below with F/ R, then test each other in pairs.

Sorry, I’ve forgotten.

I don’t have a clue

I have no idea

I knew that once but…

I can’t remember exactly but…

It’s something like…

Wait a second, it’s coming back to me now…

It’s on the tip of my tongue. No, it’s gone.

It’s on the tip of my tongue. Got it!

I’m pretty sure it’s…

It’ll come back to me later, but…

I think it begins with… but that’s all I can remember.

I have no recollection of that at all.

I’ve drawn a blank.

I can picture it/ him/ her, but…

I tried to memorize that but…

I used to know that by heart but…

I should know this but…

As far as I remember…

The only thing that comes to mind is…

I remember that we studied that at school, but…

I’m sure it’s in there somewhere, but…

I really can’t recall

It’ll come back to me later, I’m sure

You’ve got me there

No, it’s gone

I’m drawing a blank

I don’t remember precisely, but…

The way I remember it,…

Test each other with other questions about difficult to remember things, and use the phrases above to answer

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PDF version for easy printing: RememberForgetChildhoodMemories