1. About Family History
2. My Family Tree
Kids Corner
Have fun with family history!
1. Learn about Family History
In his book, The Secrets of a Happy Family (quoted here), Bruce Feiler records a conversation he had with Marshall Duke, a professor at Emory University who researched American families. According to Professor Duke, "The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger the sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem, and the more successfully they believed their families functioned." The Kids Corner of The Family History Guide is a place where children can go to discover and experience the joys of family history.
Read more in this blog post: How to Help Children Enjoy (And Benefit From) Family History Activities
More helpful links:
- Obituaries Help: Ways to Get Kids Interested in Genealogy
- Youth Genealogists' Association
- Archives.com article
- Independent Study Course from BYU (helping children love family history; free registration)
- Genwriters: Genealogy for Children
- Genealogy Gems Podcast 162
- Family Tree Magazine for Kids—Teachers and Parents
- Kid Genealogists: Inspiring the Next Generation
- The Genealogy Kids
- Family Genealogy
- Engaging Kids in Genealogy
Here are some additional coaching and motivation tips:
- Know the interests and limitations of the children you are working with.
- Choose age-appropriate activities for learning. If you have mixed ages in a group, design different levels for the activity if needed.
- Keep the activity time brief so the attention doesn't wander. Activities can be continued in a later session.
- Be flexible. If a particular activity isn't working well, change the approach or switch to another one.
- Be attentive. Stay involved, to answer questions and watch for potential issues.
- Be positive and encouraging. Children need to know their efforts are appreciated and valued.
This is your place for family history fun!
* Learn about your family tree, your parents' and grandparents' lives, and about other ancestors.
* Play cool games and discover some great activities for family history.
* Try this page out, and share the ideas and activities with your siblings, cousins, and friends!
* You can find more activities in the Family, Individuals, and Youth pages of The Family History Guide. When you need help, be sure to ask your parents, a leader, or a family member you know.
1. About Family History
Parents and LeadersGames and activities can work miracles in getting children interested in family history. Young learners love to play, and they will most likely participate in a game or activity with enthusiasm and willingness. The Family history Guide makes it a snap to create relevant, captivating, fun family history moments for family time, cousin get-togethers, mealtime, bedtime, or anytime!
Access games online and be inspired to make family history a part of your children’s (and grandchildren's) everyday lives. Today's children can easily learn how to use devices such as smartphones and tablets. Online games and apps help family history come alive in a fun, engaging way. For more ideas, browse any of the Activities sections in The Family History Guide.
Activities marked by an asterisk (*) take little or no prep time.
*K1-01: What Is Family History to You?Watch the video above, and then share with others what genealogy and family history is to you. Check out all the fun activities here on the Kids Corner, and learn from The Family History Guide.
*K1-02: Fun with Family History WordsLearn family history words and then give this word search puzzle a try. Or have fun with this printable word search puzzle. See how fast you can unscramble family history words in this game created by American Ancestors.
*K1-03: Family History Is Everywhere!Have a scavenger hunt in your house (or at a relative's home) to see how many things you can find that are about your family history. You can look for birth certificates, a family bible, old pictures and scrapbooks, or anything that reminds you of the past. If the items are moveable you can make a display, and if not, you can take and print pictures. Create a name for your "family history museum," and have your mom and dad (or grandpa and grandma) tell you stories about the items. Remember to have someone record the stories as they are told.
*K1-04: Create A Family TreeFamily history is about you, your family, and how you all fit together on your family tree. To create your tree, look for ideas under the tab "2. My Family Tree" on this page and choose what looks fun to do. Be sure to ask your parents or leaders for help to create a tree online when you are old enough. If you choose to fill in a family tree on FamilySearch, you can begin by clicking here. As you learn more about the people on the FamilySearch tree, you will feel closer to them!
*K1-05: How Are You Related?Your family history includes so many relatives it is hard to even imagine! Do you sometimes find it a challenge to figure out just what to say about how you are related to your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins? You can read about how to discover this information in Are Your Cousins Removed? Ask for help to read about and understand how the chart works, and then try it yourself!
K1-06: Make Family History Part of Your LifeDo you think family history is just for grandmas? Of course it isn’t! You are part of family history and you can have fun making it a part of you and your life. Check out the many ideas listed on this page and have fun discovering where you fit in your family, getting to know your ancestors, and making a difference in your family. One idea is to decide right now how to have more family history fun—so make a commitment, get it on your calendar, and make it happen!
P.S.—If you have younger siblings, be sure to help them have fun, too!
Find more activities here: 2. My Family Tree 3. Group Fun and Games 4. My Memories 5. Family History Stories 6. Service 7. For Latter-day Saints