The Family History Fun Basket – It’s Ready when You Are!
Circle up the family for a fun, easy to create family history game that will have you all laughing, learning, and making memories at a moment’s notice! It might be a small, last minute family get-together, or a planned evening with loads of cousins ready to party – whatever the occasion, you will have it covered! You will not only have the situation under control, your family or group will be having a blast with family history – and the end-result may be even better than you could have imagined! You will find this magical solution (the Family history fun basket) to the question, “what should we do?” on the Family Activities Page of The Family History Guide in the “Anytime Activities and Games” category. Check it out!
Note: this activity is also fun for a group (any size). Just select the questions that fit the group best. For a large presentation or gathering–select a few to “come to the front” to select a paper from the basket and share their answer with the group.
F1-01: The Family History Fun Basket
Steps
1. Find a basket, jar, or hat to use.
2. Look for “no-prep” activities and games…and select the ones that your family will enjoy.
3. Write down the activities on slips of paper and put them in the container.
4. When it’s time for a family history activity, have a family member draw an activity slip for the family to do.
5. Have the container ready for use at any given time and enjoy spontaneous or planned family history time.
2. Look for “no-prep” activities and games…and select the ones that your family will enjoy.
3. Write down the activities on slips of paper and put them in the container.
4. When it’s time for a family history activity, have a family member draw an activity slip for the family to do.
5. Have the container ready for use at any given time and enjoy spontaneous or planned family history time.
Easy enough, right? You can be ready with a basket full of family history fun for the next impromptu or planned get-together in a matter of minutes! Enjoy!
The Family History Fun Basket
Select activities you would like to do, type or write them on a list, cut it into strips and place them in a basket. Take turns drawing out one at a time, and follow the instructions. Use these ideas (copy and paste) or write your own. Mix and match! If a question isn’t a good one – choose a different one from the basket. Play for any amount of time. Have fun! |
| Internet App Ideas (FamilySearch) |
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All The Stories – open in FS app gallery (home page at end), follow instructions, see how many stories are on your tree (You can click the stories on the left to start reading them, or click the “synchronize” button to re-sync with FamilySearch) Share a story with the group (and share how you are related to that person – it’s on the story page), “Compare-A-Face” is a new way to find out where you got your good looks! It uses your picture, the portraits of your ancestors on FamilySearch.org, and facial recognition software to tell you how much you look like your ancestors.Try it out by clicking this link (or put it in your browser): https://www.familysearch.org/discovery/compare. If you have time, others can try it, too! If you are playing “The Family history Fun Basket” with a group of people who are not related to each other, you can try the “Relatives Around Me” app for fun! This provides an easy way to find relatives within minutes! Long-lost cousins are no longer lost – if they happen to be within 100 feet of each other, and logged into the Family Tree app at the same time. O You can find more directions if you need them here: https://www. |
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Geneopardy – open in the FamilySearch app gallery (found at the bottom of your homepage), follow instructions, divide into teams, Open this blog post Who’s Who in Your Family History and follow the instructions. This FamilySearch game offers ten photos of your ancestors and asks you to identify who it is that you are viewing in the picture. Have fun by trying to guess a few of your ancestors. |
play the game! For more ideas about this game and more inspiration see this
| Activity Ideas (without Internet) |
| Play “Ancestor Basket” instead of “Fruit Basket” by assigning everyone in the group the name of an ancestor (use three or four names only then repeat by giving that name to more than one person). Place chairs in a circle. Have enough places for everyone to sit except one person. The person in the middle calls out one of the ancestor’s names and everyone with that name changes places while he tries to get a chair that they left open. Whoever is left without a place to sit is now the “person in the middle.” You can add the option to tell a story or memory about the ancestor whose name you were given when you are in the middle.** |
| If you could ask a dead ancestor a question, who would you ask and what would your question be?
Tell everyone why you would ask that question. |
| Ask all members of the group if any of them are named for (have the same name as) an ancestor.
If so, ask them to share the name and something about that ancestor, or have a parent tell why he or she selected that name for their child. |
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Ask the oldest person in the room to do charades (actions with no words) about a way life has become easier in our modern world (cell phones, washing machines, computers, etc.) and have everyone guess what it is. |
| Find something in the house from your family’s history and tell the group about it (if you are playing the game in your home) –
if not, then tell about a family history item you have in your home |
| Share what your favorite family food is that your grandmother cooks (or cooked)?
Ask three more people to also share. |
| Tell an ancestor story or ask someone else in your family
or group to share one. |
| Select an ancestor and have the group guess who you are describing (without giving the name).
Can anyone guess in “one” clue? Two? The winner is next (repeat). |
| Alphabet game – start with the letter “A” and see if the group can go through the alphabet with each person in the group saying something about their family
or their family history beginning with that letter. |
| Have each member of the group (or select a few members) share a character trait of an
ancestor they hope to emulate. |
| Divide into groups and separate to plan a charade about a favorite family tradition or family history story —
act it out using no words and have everyone guess the answer |
| Share a favorite family memory,
and ask two more people to do the same. |
| Ask each member of the group to say something nice about the person sitting to the right of them (or ask a few people to say something about another member).
This is now in the memories of these people – so it is part of their own history! |
| Lead the group in a favorite song of an ancestor, or share a poem from the past.
If you can’t think of a song or poem from an ancestor, share one of your own favorites. |
| Have everyone (or some group members) do the “Human Knot” – stand in a circle facing “in” with eyes closed, put hands out and hold each other’s hands – unravel the “knot” without letting go of each other’s hands. How is this like researching family history? If the group does not want to do the activity, just tell them about it and talk about unraveling the past, and staying connected as families. |
| Have everyone (or a few members of the group) share one thing they would put in a time capsule (to be opened in ten years)
and why they would select it. |
| What do you hope you will be remembered for?
Ask a few more how they would answer this question. |
For small children – write simple activities on several slips of paper
(and keep separately in the basket) such as “give your mom or dad a hug!” “tell us why you love your grandma or grandpa.”
**Note: A variation of “Family History Fruit Basket” is called “If, Then.” To play this game prepare questions and answers from your family history. As a leader, have some “actions” in mind (jumping jacks, run in place, arm circles, etc.) and select one for a “true” and answer, and a different one for a “false” answer. Everyone stands in a circle and the leader calls out the ancestor’s information and each person decides if the statement is true or false and does that action. For example, a statement could be, “Great-grandpa Clark crossed the ocean when he was 17 years old.” Then the choices could be “turn in a circle 10 times if he did” or do “6 jumping jacks” if he didn’t. Everyone learns what really happened as the leader gives the correct answer. |
