Do you know your family history? Discover, preserve and celebrate your family history with these 10 Family History Activities the entire family – from grandparents to grandchildren – can enjoy together!
These Family History Activities are ideal for Thanksgiving and family reunions and will help to ensure your family story stays alive for generations to come.
Family History Activities
1. Start a Family Journal
Pick a family member to record the stories that are shared during the activities. Later, transfer this priceless information to a keepsake book or post to a family website for all to enjoy and add to later.
2. Draw A Family Tree
Ask the family artist to sketch the family tree on a large poster board. Encourage the grandparents to share stories about generations past. Have the children trace the connections between generations on the tree. Later, make smaller, more decorative copies to give as holiday gifts.
3. Put Names to Faces
It’s time to blow the dust off the box of old family photos and get to know your ancestors! Here too, grandparents will be the most knowledgeable. Be sure to label photos with names, dates and any other relevant information. Use a #2 pencil on pre-1950s photos and a felt tip marker on post. Never use a ball point pen as it can damage a photo..
4. Generation Preservation
Your old family photos are fragile and cannot be replaced if lost or damaged. Ask the most tech savvy person to scan these priceless images so they can be digitally preserved and easily shared. Or send them to a scanning service and give everyone a copy of the image files.
5. Spotlight Grandparents
It’s time to shine the spotlight on the grandparents. Encourage each to share stories from their childhood, memories of their parents, grandparents and so on. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as a little probing can often reveal priceless information. Capture their stories in an audio or video recording for future generations to have.
6. Where in the World
Looking at a map, discuss from where, when, why and how your family arrived at their present location/s. What were some of the challenges they may have faced in their journey? A quick internet search can often reveal the historical context of your ancestor’s immigration. Have the younger children trace the routes and to think about the types of transportation their ancestors may have used.
7. Generation Transformation
With the family tree in mind, discuss what life may have been like for each generation; their living conditions, work conditions and opportunities, education, life expectancies, etc. How did these experiences effect their outlook and impact on their children?
8. We are Family
Identify any traditions, talents, traits, values and heirlooms that have been passed down through the years. How did they originate? What is their significance? Are a number of family members musically inclined? Is there a ‘secret’ family recipe? This is the perfect time to pass on and record the stories behind the family heirlooms!
9 Family Legacy
Discuss a decision an ancestor made that impacted on who the family is today. What is that ancestor’s legacy? Is there a Family Legacy? If so, what is it and how is the family carrying it forward? Brainstorm ways you can celebrate the Family Legacy.
10. Family Portrait
As the family history activities come to a close, be sure to take a family photo to include in this year’s journal. Don’t forget to label it with names, the event and the date so one day your great-great-grandchildren will know their ancestors and family history.
Discover, celebrate and preserve your family story every year with these Family History Activities.
~ Legacy Videos ~
Give your parent or grandparent the gift of a lifetime by capturing their life story in a Legacy Video!
Here at Family TreeVideo we produce Legacy Videos, modern-day memoirs that weave a filmed interview with a parent or grandparent together with family photos, documents, maps and other memorabilia. The result is a beautiful “moving” portrait capturing your loved one as they recount their life story, family history and memories – a gift your family will treasure for generations to come.
To learn more about Legacy Videos by Family Tree Video, visit FamilyTreeVideo.com.
Family Tree Video LLC
Legacy Video Production
Since 2008
Susan Saunders
(312) 402-6406
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Family History Activities
“There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children.
One is roots, and the other, wings.” — H. S. Carter