Childhood event cue cards sometimes appear in part two of the IELTS Speaking test. You may be asked to describe a happy childhood event.
Let’s look at how best to answer this question, including three nice example answers (go straight to the answers here).
Examples of Childhood Events
It’s best to talk about any childhood event that you can remember well. Then you can simply describe what happened and how you felt.
Before the test, prepare a few stories about interesting things that happened in your childhood. These stories can be used in many different kinds of part two questions.
- Here are some examples of happy childhood events:
- Learning to ride a bike
- Playing with friends at the park
- Building sandcastles at the beach
- Going to a carnival, fair, theme park, or water park
- Having a birthday party with friends and family
- Playing dress-up or make-believe games
- Going on a family vacation
- Swimming in a pool or lake
- Eating ice cream or other treats
- Watching a favorite movie or TV show
- Receiving a special gift
- Participating in a school play or talent show
- Making arts and crafts projects
- Visiting a zoo or aquarium
- Playing sports or games with friends
- Camping or hiking in nature
- Going to a museum or science center
- Reading a favorite book or having it read to them
- Celebrating holidays with family traditions
- Playing with pets or other animals
What You Can Say
When describing this event, it’s best to just go into your memories and describe all that you can remember.
This will keep giving you more ideas about what to say. Here are a few ideas. You can say:
- Why you were there
- Who was there with you
- What happened at that event, in detail
- Any surprising or interesting moments
- How you felt
- What you learned
- Why it was so special for you
- What you saw
- What you ate
- If you’d ever done it before
- How long it lasted
- How often you did that thing again later on
- Anything else that comes to mind
Prepare Many Stories for Part Two
Stories are a wonderful way to get a good score in part two of the test.
When you’re preparing for part two, practice telling lots of little stories. You will find that one story can be used in many different part-two questions.
For example, this story about a happy childhood event could also be used while you’re describing:
- A nice memory you have
- Something fun you did
- Something exciting you did
- An interesting place you’ve visited
- Something you did with your family
- Talking about your family
- Talking about your friends
- Things you enjoyed as a child
- And many more
Also, telling stories is a great way to practice your past tenses and show the examiner you can use the past tense really well.
Use Word Groups for Great Vocabulary
In part two, it’s best to focus on using really interesting vocabulary.
One way to help you think of many interesting words is to focus on using a word group: a collection of interesting words and phrases you’ve already prepared.
A word group describes a particular aspect of an event, person, or thing. For example, an ‘exciting event’ word group would have many interesting words related to excitement, such as ‘thrilling, exhilarating, mind-blowing, action-packed, I was buzzing with excitement, I was thrilled to bits…‘ and more.
You could then use this same word group to describe lots of different ‘exciting’ events you experienced.
Learn more about how to use word groups here. And you can also see some word groups used in the example answers below.
Example Answers
Read these three good example answers and see how interesting vocabulary is used. See if you can borrow a few ideas for your own answer.
Childhood Event Cue Card 1
Describe a happy childhood event.
You should say:
- What the event was
- When it was
- Who was there with you
And say why it was such a happy event for you.
I’m going to talk about my first trip to the zoo. You know, it’s strange but I can remember my first visit to the city zoo vividly. I was a child full of wonder and curiosity, and the idea of seeing exotic animals up close was absolutely fascinating to me.
I think most children find animals amazingly interesting for some reason. Before then, I had seen pictures of animals in books, but to see them in person was something entirely different.
As soon as I arrived at the zoo, I was captivated by the sights and sounds around me: the intriguing, absorbing atmosphere with all those strange animal noises and smells. I could suddenly see and hear these wild animals everywhere, and the sheer number of different species was mind-blowing. I was hungry to learn more and couldn’t wait to start exploring.
I think the first animal that really impressed me was the elephant. I had seen pictures of elephants before, but seeing one up close was spectacular. It was such a massive animal, and its trunk and tusks were fascinating to look at. I watched as the elephant used its trunk to pick up food and drink water. It really gave me food for thought about the amazing adaptations that animals have to survive in the wild.
The monkeys were also super intriguing to me. I watched as they swung from branch to branch, their movements so agile and graceful. I was amazed by their intelligence and the way they interacted with each other. It was a sight to behold. That was a treasured childhood memory for me and I’ve always loved animals since then.
Word Group Used: Interesting Event
While describing this event, we focused on saying how interesting it was. So we used lots of words and phrases from the ‘interesting event’ word group:
- Fascinating
- Intriguing
- Absorbing
- Captivating
- Riveting
- Spellbinding
- Spectacular
- Educational
- Provocative
- Informative
- Eye-opening
- Stimulating
- Enthralling
- Thought-provoking
- Mentally stimulating
- It held my attention
- A breath of fresh air
- A feast for the senses
- It aroused my curiosity
- It really gave me food for thought
- I couldn’t stop thinking about it
- I learned so much
- I was hungry to learn more
- Really blew my mind
- A once-in-a-lifetime experience
- A sight to behold
Learn more about how to use word groups here.
Childhood Event Cue Card 2
Describe a happy childhood event.
You should say:
- What the event was
- Where it was
- Why you were there
And say why you enjoyed this event so much.
I’d like to talk about one Halloween that I remember well. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, and I have many really fond memories of trick-or-treating as a child. There was one year in particular that stands out in my mind as an exhilarating adventure.
I remember getting dressed up in my costume, which was a superman outfit that I had been looking forward to wearing for weeks. It was such a thrilling experience for me to transform into a superhero and imagine all the exciting adventures I would have. You know how much kids love dressing up in costumes.
I was with my closest friends, and for the night we became a thrill-seeking group of trick-or-treaters. For an entire action-packed evening, we raced around from door to door, determined to collect as much candy as possible. I think it was mind-blowing to us that people would give away so much free candy. As we made our way around the neighborhood, I remember I was buzzing with excitement.
It was also quite scary at times because some people had really realistic, scary costumes on. That made it even more exciting and intense. It was a hair-raising experience at times, and my heart was beating out of my chest with each door we approached.
As the night wore on, I didn’t want it to end. It was a rip-roaring adventure, and I was thrilled to bits with every piece of candy we collected. When we finally arrived back at my house, we dumped our bags of candy onto the living room table and counted how much we had collected. It was a breathtaking sight to see so much candy in one place, and I felt like I had accomplished something amazing!
Word Group Used: Exciting Event
Here, we’re describing the event as very exciting. So we could use lots of words from the ‘exciting event’ word group. Here it is:
- Thrilling
- Exhilarating
- Stimulating
- Intense
- Adventure
- Mind-blowing
- Heart-thumping
- Action-packed
- Thrill-seeker
- A rip-roaring adventure
- Hair-raising
- Breathtaking
- Out of this world
- I couldn’t wait to begin
- I didn’t want it to end
- I was on the edge of my seat
- Gave me a real buzz
- I was buzzing with excitement
- Adrenaline was pumping through me
- I was thrilled to bits
- My heart was beating out of my chest
- I was bored out of my mind (boring)
- A big yawn-fest (boring)
- It was about as exciting as watching paint dry (boring)
- As dull as dishwater (boring)
Childhood Event Cue Card 3
Describe a happy childhood event.
You should say:
- When it was
- What happened
- Who you were with
And say why it was a happy event for you.
I’m going to talk about one of my strongest and happiest memories as a child, which was when I first attended the Boysun Spring Festival in a town called Boysun, which isn’t far from my hometown. This festival is a time-honored and culturally significant tradition that celebrates the arrival of spring and commemorates the rich historical heritage of Uzbekistan. The festival has been passed down through the generations and has remained relatively unchanged for centuries.
When I was a child and I first saw it, I was amazed by all the traditional clothing and costumes, which were so colorful and vibrant and fun. There was also so much traditional music, dancing, and storytelling, which all added to the festive atmosphere. The music was played on traditional instruments, and the dancing was lively and energetic.
Best of all, for me as a kid, there were many delicious sweet treats to enjoy, including a popular dessert called halva. Halva is a sweet, dense, nutty dessert made from ground sesame seeds and honey. I remember the sweet, nutty flavor of the halva vividly from my childhood, and it remains one of my favorite treats today.
I really like the Boysun Festival, and since that first experience, I have been back to enjoy it many more times. It is a festival steeped in ancestral traditions and customs that provide a unique insight into the way things once were. The festival is as old as the hills, and it’s an enduring legacy of our forefathers. To my mind, the Boysun Festival is a testament to the enduring spirit of the Uzbek people.
Word Group Used: Traditional Event
It’s a great idea to describe a festival or special holiday in your country. Then, you can use the ‘traditional event’ word group, which has many interesting words and phrases:
- Traditional
- Historical
- Ancient traditions
- Customs
- Ancestral traditions
- Time-honored
- Longstanding
- Ancestral
- Enduring
- Culturally significant
- Commemorative
- Legacy
- Steeped in history
- A rich historical heritage
- Rember our forefathers
- Hasn’t changed in centuries
- In remembrance of our ancestors / forefathers
- Passed down through the generations
- As old as the hills
- Old-fashioned
- Behind the times
- Gain a sense of how things once were
- Social convention
- Cultural heritage
- Something we’ve been doing since time immemorial
Your Turn To Answer
Now that you’ve read some examples, why don’t you try to answer this question yourself?
Think of a happy event from your childhood, then choose a word group, or prepare a new one.
When you’re ready to begin, set a timer for 60 seconds, and also set up your phone’s voice recorder.
Ask yourself to describe a happy childhood event, and start preparing your ideas. When 60 seconds have passed, start talking!
Keep talking for two whole minutes if you can.
When you’ve finished, listen to your recording and notice any mistakes you made.
Repeat this process again and try to improve a little each time.
This is an excellent way to prepare for part two of your IELTS Speaking test.
