Parents and grandparents who get to spend a lot of time with children know that there are often spaces between scheduled events that need time-fillers. For those of us who like to encourage our posterity to know and love their ancestors, these random “waiting moments” are perfect for a bit of family history fun! Check out these ideas from The Family History Guide on the “Activities For Families” page in the  Anytime Activities and Games category:

*F1-12:  Quick and Easy Time-Fillers
Make a list, perhaps on your phone, to have handy for the odd moments when you could use a family history time filler! Some ideas are:

• “I am thinking of an ancestor who (lived in this place … did this … was this age when … had this many children … etc.)”. Everyone guesses who it is as more clues are given.
• 20 Questions, to discover who you are thinking of (everyone asks you yes-or-no questions).
• Tell family stories with a twist, such as each person telling a part of the story and the next person starting when the previous person stops).
• “Matthew Mark Luke John” played with names of ancestors (see instructions here).
• Family History Drawing Game (can also be played like Pictionary) where you draw pictures about your family history, and everyone guesses what story it is.
• Write a letter of gratitude to a deceased ancestor.

As you browse through more games and activities listed in the Activities Section (or the new Activities Index), look for the ideas marked with an asterisk in the title. These are those that qualify as “no-prep” or “low-prep.”  Many of these would make great time-fillers. Taking advantage of opportunities to squeeze in a little family history can reap big rewards!