1. About Family History
2. My Family Tree
3. Group Fun and Games
4. My Memories
5. Family History Stories
6. Service
7. For Latter-day Saints
Family
Individuals
Youth |
Index
Kids Corner
Have fun with family history!
4. My Memories
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: Six Tips for Involving Children In Family History And Helping Them To Love It
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
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.
4. My Memories
Parents and LeadersIn the blog post "Remember Who You Are," Rachel Jackson Trotter writes, "Remember who you are…and where you came from. Remembering is powerful. But now, helping youth remember is more. It is vital. Youth are getting sucked into a cycle of instant gratification and messages of 'you’re not enough' every time they log on to social media. How can we help? We can tell them to remember who they are. Reminding them of their past is a sure-fire way for them to overcome the hardships life throws at them. Why? Because their ancestors did. I realize it's not the cure-all for happiness, but it's a meaningful step in the right direction." That is what this section is all about! See more helpful links:
- The Power of Family Recipes
- Family Field Trips
- Involving Children in Family History and Helping Them to Love It
Activities marked by an asterisk (*) take little or no prep time.
*K4-01: Write About YourselfCreate your own profile so others can get to know you. You can also add it to FamilySearch. You can help younger brothers and sisters fill out the All About Me Booklet online or on paper (see K5-02). Think about illustrating your story! You could also create a family history binder for keeping stories, pictures, charts, your journal, and more.
*K4-02: Record Your StoriesShare your family history stories with others by creating an audio recording (See K6-01 for instructions on how to use the FamilySearch audio app). You can learn how to create a video from Lisa Louise Cooke: How to Create Captivating Family History Videos, or get help (like Claribel did) from those who know how to create a beautiful video of your story. If you can’t make a video at this time, create a family history binder for your stories and photos.
*K4-03: Keep a Family JournalYou can write a little about what you have learned or what has happened to you and your family. Be sure to write about your feelings, too. Ask your parents or family members if they have things they would like to share. Watch the video on the left to see more.
K4-04: Personal JournalWrite about the funniest thing that ever happened to you, the saddest, the happiest, and the scariest, and document your amazing life. (See K7-03 for ways to serve by writing for others)
*K4-05: Making Baking MemoriesBaking family recipes can help you feel close to your ancestors who are no longer with you. Here are more fun videos about making memories with food:
- Create, Share, and Record Family Recipes
- Share Your Family’s Food Story
- Family History Recipe Book Ideas
K4-06: Family History Field TripBring joy to your grandparents by visiting them if they live close. Remember that there are many ways to communicate if you can’t make a visit. One idea is to ask them family history questions. Compile their answers in a book, or learn how to upload stories to FamilySearch with step-by-step instructions found in The Family History Guide.
K4-07: Family History Wall TalkHave fun with your family creating family history pictures, collages, wall hangings, generation photos, and other ideas to remember your ancestors—just like 12-year-old Miguel did in the movie "CoCo."
K4-08: Moments in HistoryIf you are curious about what was happening in the world on the day you were born or the date an ancestor was born, you can just enter the appropriate dates into this site, and you will learn just that! Check out marriage and death dates, and baptism dates along with pretty much any other life event.
K4-09: Create a TimelineHere is where you can really get creative in telling your story! Have a grown-up or older family member help you with the steps (if needed) for creating a history timeline on a long roll of paper, a family history timeline (accordion-style) or a timeline for yourself on sheets of paper. Try the free MooseRoots site or check out timelines on the FamilySearch person page. For timelines on other sites, click here. Learn how to use timelines to find and preserve memories of an ancestor's life or to write down your own. Use your creativity to help younger children create a simple timeline.
K4-10: What Was Happening The Year I Was Born?The "All About Me" activity found on the FamilySearch Family History Activities page tells you what was going on the year you were born, such as the top news stories, how much a gallon of gas cost, and what the population of the world was that year. You can also view events for different years. You might want to add some of this information to a timeline, with facts about you and other events. See K4:09 above for timeline tips.
K4-11: Family Heirloom Treasure HuntGet help from your parents with this activity. Look around your home, ask questions, and discover if you have any treasures that belonged to your grandparents or great-grandparents. Then ask your grandparents if they have a favorite heirloom whose history they could share with you. See Family Heirloom Scavenger Hunt for more ideas.
Find more activities here: 1. About Family History 2. My Family Tree 3. Group Fun and Games 5. Family History Stories 6. Service 7. For Latter-day Saints