Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, China, has transformed dramatically over the past three generations, reshaping the ways that children navigate its urban spaces. Yet, little research has explored how childhood itself has changed in this rapidly evolving city. This study fills that gap, offering a vital look at how China’s rapid economic development has impacted children’s experiences of play, mobility, and neighbourhood space. In Fall 2024, I conducted fieldwork in Kunming, employing an innovative methodology combining semi-structured interviews with three generations of family members, mental mapping, Photovoice, and multi-generational family focus groups to capture participant’s experiences of and reflections on childhood. My findings reveal striking contrasts: while Kunming’s residents have enjoyed substantial improvements in material living conditions over three generations, children’s independent play has dwindled, while their freedom to move independently around neighbourhood spaces has been severely curtailed. Most urban residents of the grandparents’ and parents’ generation grew up in shenghuoqu (lit. “living area”), while almost all children today live in xiaoqu (lit. “small area”). In addition, increased social pressures and reliance on technologies like mobile phones have further contributed to a sense of diminished freedom and independence compared to previous generations. By tracing these, and other dramatic shifts across generations, this study sheds light on the changing meanings and experiences of childhood in Kunming, offering a critical lens on the impact of urban transformations and societal change.