Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Grandad's Seaside Days: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 1
- ForYear 1
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Grandad's Seaside Days is a free printable history worksheet for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Children ask an older person about their seaside days and write down what they hear. They then compare a seaside day long ago with a seaside day of their own. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children act as little reporters. The sheet has numbered questions about a seaside trip, such as where the person went, how they travelled, where they got changed, and what they ate, drank and did. There is space to write each answer. At the end, two boxes headed THEN and NOW let children draw a seaside day long ago and a seaside day of their own.
- Where did you go to the seaside?
- How did you get there? Was it by car, coach or train?
- Where did you get changed?
- What did you eat or drink?
- Did you watch Punch and Judy? What else did you do?
- THEN: a seaside day long ago
- NOW: my seaside day
Why ask someone about the past?
Seaside trips have been part of British family life for a very long time. Many people remember buses, coaches, trains and cars taking them to the coast for a day out. Each person remembers it a little differently. That is what makes a family member's story so useful. It is history that a five or six year old can hear first hand, from someone they know and trust.
In Key Stage 1, children begin to see that the past was different from the present, and that we learn about it from many sources. People are one of those sources. When a child asks a question and listens to the reply, they practise careful listening, polite talk and early writing. Then they compare what they heard with their own life, which is the heart of early history.
Fun seaside facts
- Many British seaside towns have a pier, which is a long platform built out over the water.
- Most British coasts have two high tides and two low tides each day.
- Wet sand sticks together better than dry sand, which is why it is good for sandcastles.
- Seagulls are common at the coast, and they often look out for chips and sandwiches.
- Photographs from long ago were often black and white, so they can look very different from pictures taken today.
Skills and curriculum link
- Asking questions
- Listening carefully
- Comparing then and now
- Drawing from memory
- Early writing
Talking about the past with a young child
- Use time wordsWords like then, now, long ago, when I was little and today help children place events in order. Use them often in your talk.
- Ask open questionsQuestions starting with what, how or who give fuller replies than ones that can be answered yes or no.
- Listen before writingLet the older person finish a memory first. Then the child can pick out the part they most want to write down.
- Compare gentlyPoint out one thing that is the same and one thing that is different. Small comparisons are enough at this age.
Key words
- PastTime that has already happened, such as yesterday or long ago.
- MemorySomething you remember from earlier in your life.
- InterviewAsking someone questions to find out what they know.
- ThenA word for the past. It means at that time.
- NowThe time that is happening today.
- CompareLook at two things and say how they are the same and how they are different.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Choose someone to ask. A grandparent is ideal, but any older relative, neighbour or friend will do.
- Read each question aloud. Let your child ask it and listen to the reply before writing.
- Write the answers together, or let your child write a few words. Then draw the THEN and NOW pictures side by side.
- Talk about what is the same and what is different. Come back another day to ask a new question.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let an adult write the answers while your child draws. Pick just three questions to ask rather than all of them. Ask the older person to tell the story slowly, and say each answer back to your child in one short sentence before writing it.
To stretch confident children
Add a question of your own, such as what the weather was like or what you wore. Then write a full sentence to say how the two days are the same or different. Start it with the word Both or the word But.
Make it a game
Act out the interview in pairs. One child is the grandparent and tells a seaside story from memory, real or made up. The other child asks the questions and listens. Then swap roles. Finish by saying one thing you learned.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes only one word for each answer and the story is lost.
Try thisAsk, "Can you tell me more?" Write one extra detail together, such as who was there or how it felt.
Watch forA child forgets what the older person said by the time they pick up the pencil.
Try thisWrite key words while the person speaks, or let the child draw a quick picture. Use these to jog their memory.
Watch forA child draws their own day in the THEN box.
Try thisSay that THEN is the older person's day and NOW is the child's own day. Point to each box as you say it.
Talk about it
- Who could we ask about their seaside days?
- What do you think a seaside day was like when your grandparent was small?
- What would you most like to know about their trip?
- What is the same about their day and yours?
- What is different about their day and yours?
- What would you tell your own grandchild about a day you enjoyed?
Take it off the page
Memory photo hunt
Look through old family photos together. Find one from a day out. Ask who is in it and what was happening. Talk about how the picture looks different from one taken today.
Seaside picture strip
Fold a piece of paper into three. Draw the start, middle and end of a day at the seaside. Talk about the order using first, next and last.
Family question jar
Write questions about the past on small slips of paper and put them in a jar. At meal times, pick one and ask someone in the family to answer.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. Short bursts work best. If the older person lives far away, ask them over the phone or by letter and let your child write down the reply.
Teachers
Use it as a homework task, a starter for a unit on changes within living memory, or a table activity. Pupils bring back answers, then draw both pictures. Display the pairs side by side on a gallery wall.
Home educators
Use it as part of a wider history plan. It pairs well with picture books about the seaside, old family photos and a trip to the coast. Younger brothers and sisters can draw while older ones write.
Where this fits in history
Before this sheet, children learn to talk about their own lives and use words like yesterday, today and long ago. They also begin to notice that things change as people grow older. Talking with family at home is a good way to build this.
After this sheet, children can go on to compare other parts of life now and in the past, such as toys, homes and travel. Across Key Stage 1, the National Curriculum covers changes within living memory, events beyond living memory and the lives of significant people.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Grandad's Seaside Days for?
It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. Children in Reception or Year 2 can also use it with a little more or less support from an adult.
- What will children practise?
Children practise asking questions and comparing life now with life in the past in History. They use a family member's memories, and they also practise listening, early writing and drawing from memory.
- Who should my child ask?
Any older person your child knows well can answer. A grandparent is a lovely choice, but an older neighbour, relative or family friend works too. You can also ask by phone or letter.
- What if the person has never been to the seaside?
The sheet still works. Ask them about a day out they do remember, such as a trip to a park, a market or the countryside. The skill of asking questions and comparing is the same.
- What if it feels too hard?
Let an adult write the answers while your child draws. Pick just three questions to ask. Come back to the others another day, because repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No, you do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and children can add colour with pencils if they wish.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, homework task or table activity with no preparation beyond printing. Home educators can use it alone or as part of a wider history plan, and print it again for brothers and sisters.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.