Creating a Family Tree as a Family Project
A guest blog by Suzie Kolber, ObituariesHelp.org
A fun activity that you can do together as a family is a
family tree project. Tracing your history ancestry is an educational experience
and one that helps your kids develop a sense of roots and belonging. By
visiting the past, you can prepare them for the future. While this may seem
like a big challenge to tackle, it can be quite easy if you follow a few
pointers.
Consider Your Kids’ Ages
First, think about how old your kids are to determine how
in-depth you want to go with your research. The older your kids are, the
farther back in your history you can go. For kids around preschool or early
elementary age, you will want to limit the information to only the past two or
three generations and keep things simple.
For example, if your child’s grandparents are living, you
may want to include the names of their parents. Any farther back and your
little one won’t understand the relationships.
As your kids get older, you can trace your lineage farther
back. In fact, if your kids are into history, they may enjoy learning about
family members who were alive during the Civil War and before. It can bring
these stories to life for them.
Consider Visual Aids
While you may want to scan old newspapers and court
documents to find out names and dates of your ancestors, kids often learn
better with visual aids. Consider using a family tree template to record your
information.
You can find a variety of styles to fit the ages of your
kids and your individual needs. For example, some templates use actual trees
with the branches listing family member names. Young kids will enjoy this
option and help them understand the concept of “family tree.” (Editor's note: The printable chart example shown here is from the website mentioned at the end of this article.) Older kids may
prefer an elegant design that can be framed when the project is complete.
These templates provide choices for how many generations you
want to include. Something simple like the three-generational or
four-generational family tree is ideal for the younger kids. Older kids will
enjoy the ten- and twelve-generational charts if they want to find a lot of
information about their history.
Begin with History
While it is common to begin with present family members and
work your way back, you don’t have to follow this method. If you have a famous
(or infamous) ancestor in your lineage, begin with that person. Work your way
backward or forward based on how much information you can find. For kids, it
can be a lot more interesting to study about people they have read about than
someone obscure from history.
Don’t get stuck trying to find a person with little to no
information. Kids gets bored easily, so skip over great-great-great grandfather
John if you can’t find anything about him. It is okay to leave a few blanks on
your family tree template. The focus should be on helping your kids learn about
their past and making it fun. Tracing family history can be a wonderful
learning and bonding experience for parents and their kids.
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