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Carissa Spisak holds a doctorate in speech-language pathology.

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Conversation Cards for Reminiscing

Dementia conversation cards printable in large print: 60 question cards with follow-ups in six themes, 12 picture cards to talk about, and blank cards. Each card has one open question that invites a story, such as "Tell me about the street you grew up on", and a follow-up for when the story slows down ("Who lived next door?"). There are no right or wrong answers, and no card asks "Do you remember?".

$4.99printable PDF

Buy on Etsy
  • Instant download
  • 21 pages in each one-sided PDF
  • US Letter and A4
  • Fill-in fields need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader

You buy it in our Etsy shop and download the files right after checkout. Instant downloads on Etsy don’t accept returns, exchanges or cancellations; message us on Etsy about any problem with your order.

  • One whole page of conversation cards: six Childhood question cards in large print, such as Tell me about the street you grew up on, What games did you play outside as a child and Tell me about the school you went to, each with a short follow-up question.
  • Cover: Conversation Cards for Reminiscing, six printed cards with large-print questions such as Tell me about the street you grew up on, and picture cards for A friendly hello and Pets.
  • Illustrated scene: a page of Childhood question cards on a kitchen table, next to a teapot and a cup.
  • Illustrated scene: a page of picture cards on a living room coffee table, next to a cup of tea.
  • Illustrated scene: a page of Music and movies question cards on a garden table, next to a glass of lemonade.
  • One card from each of the six themes: Childhood, Home and family, Work, Holidays and seasons, Music and movies, Food and travel.
  • Close-up of one card: a Childhood tab, the question Tell me about the street you grew up on in large print, and the follow-up Who lived next door?
  • Two pages of picture cards, each with a picture, a topic such as Family, Music or Gardens, and one question.
  • The blank card page with example topics typed in, and one picture card shown in five skin tones.
  • A card page and the page of card backs that prints behind it in the two-sided file.
  • Four steps: download, print and cut, pick a few cards, talk together. A digital file; no physical item is shipped.

11 pictures: swipe to see them all, tap one to zoom.

What’s inside

21 pages in each one-sided PDF

  1. Start here: what to print and how1 page
  2. How to use the cards: a short guide for a 10-minute chat1 page
  3. 60 question cards in six color-coded themes, 10 per theme, 120 questions in all: Childhood; Home and family; Work; Holidays and seasons; Music and movies; Food and travel12 pages
  4. 2 blank cards in every theme, to type your own question
  5. 12 picture cards to talk about: family, friends, walks, home, cars, coffee, a good meal, TV, music, pets, gardens, travel2 pages
  6. 6 blank cards for your own topics and questions1 page
  7. The picture cards that show people in 4 more skin tones, 5 in all2 pages
  8. Personal-use license and a note about the cards2 pages

$4.99printable PDF

Buy on Etsy
  • Instant download
  • 21 pages in each one-sided PDF
  • US Letter and A4
  • Fill-in fields need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader

Card backs

The two-sided files put a card back behind every card page, with the theme name on it. Choose "Print on both sides" and "Flip on long edge". Or print the one-sided file and skip the backs.

Who it is for

An older adult, including someone living with dementia, and the family, friends and visitors who sit with them.

How it works

  1. Print on cardstock and cut along the dashed lines.
  2. Pick three or four cards from a theme the person enjoys.
  3. Read the large question aloud, wait, and listen. Share a story of your own, and follow the story wherever it goes.
  4. Type the person's own topics onto the blank cards: the farm, the navy years, the bowling league.

Sizes and format

  • 4 PDF files: US Letter (8.5 x 11 in) and A4, each one-sided (21 pages) and two-sided (38 pages)
  • Cards are 3.6 x 2.9 in (92 x 74 mm), 6 to a page, the same size on both papers
  • Questions are set in 20 to 24 point type, follow-ups in 18 point
  • The fill-in fields need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Instant download. No physical item is shipped.
  • The room scenes in the listing images are illustrations made with AI image tools; the printable is the page shown.

The files

  • US LetterPDF, 22 pages, 867 KB
  • A4PDF, 22 pages, 868 KB
  • US Letter, two-sidedPDF, 39 pages, 894 KB
  • A4, two-sidedPDF, 39 pages, 894 KB

Your license

For personal use in one household: print as many copies as you need, and please don't share or resell the file. The license covers one household. For a care home, day program or group, send us a message about a facility license.

Illustrations drafted with AI image tools, then chosen and checked by us. Layout and card sets designed by us. Wording drafted with AI writing tools and checked by us.

A closer look

  • Cover: Conversation Cards for Reminiscing, six printed cards with large-print questions such as Tell me about the street you grew up on, and picture cards for A friendly hello and Pets.
  • Illustrated scene: a page of Childhood question cards on a kitchen table, next to a teapot and a cup.
  • Illustrated scene: a page of picture cards on a living room coffee table, next to a cup of tea.
  • Illustrated scene: a page of Music and movies question cards on a garden table, next to a glass of lemonade.
  • One card from each of the six themes: Childhood, Home and family, Work, Holidays and seasons, Music and movies, Food and travel.
  • Close-up of one card: a Childhood tab, the question Tell me about the street you grew up on in large print, and the follow-up Who lived next door?
  • Two pages of picture cards, each with a picture, a topic such as Family, Music or Gardens, and one question.
  • The blank card page with example topics typed in, and one picture card shown in five skin tones.
  • A card page and the page of card backs that prints behind it in the two-sided file.
  • Four steps: download, print and cut, pick a few cards, talk together. A digital file; no physical item is shipped.

Free printables and guides

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Doctor Carissa is the shop of Carissa Spisak, who holds a doctorate in speech-language pathology.

An educational support tool. Not a substitute for evaluation or treatment by a licensed speech-language pathologist or physician. Read the full disclaimer.

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