Friendly to Senior
Care · Conversation
子供の頃、どんな遊びをしていましたか？ — What kinds of games did you play as a child? (Care · Conversation, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N4)
You
子供の頃、どんな遊びをしていましたか？
こどものころ、どんなあそびをしていましたか？
What kinds of games did you play as a child?
Romaji: Kodomo no koro, donna asobi wo shite imashita ka? / Reply Romaji: Menko ya koma, beigoma nanka de asobi mashita yo.
Reply
めんこやこま、べいごまなんかで遊びましたよ。
めんこやこま、べいごまなんかであそびましたよ。
We used to play menko, spinning tops, beigoma...
Gesture & etiquette
React with genuine curiosity even to unfamiliar games — 「それはどんな遊びですか？」(What kind of game is that?) invites them to teach you something, which is empowering for seniors who feel they have wisdom to share.
Childhood games are a powerful memory anchor across generations. Many Japanese seniors played traditional games no longer familiar to younger people — menko (card flipping), beigoma (spinning tops), hanetsuki (shuttlecock). Asking specifically about these shows cultural respect and sparks storytelling about an entire era.