Getting kids involved with genealogy can be a tough sell. My kids humor me when I want to hang out in a cemetery, but I don't think they'd ever suggest going to one on their own. For our local Family History Fair I made a display with some ideas of activities you could do your kids to get them more with family history. I hope you like some of the ideas.
• Share stories from your family history, or your own history
• Learn what your names and surnames mean
• Make or color a family tree
• Learn a few words and phrases in your ancestral language
• Create a timeline for either your family or an ancestor’s life
• Record family stories
• Fill out a family group sheet or detailed pedigree
• Fill out a “My Family” booklet
• Interview and older family member
• Visit ancestral places, live or virtually
• Watch the Tigger Movie
• “Guess Who” game with old family photos
• Genealogy Bingo
• Make photo ornaments to hang on a “Family Tree”
• Turn a family photo into a puzzle (DIY or through an online service)
• Make a family cookbook. Make the foods and take photos for your book.
• Map your family history, use a paper map or online
• Cemetery Scavenger Hunt
• Illustrate a family history story (comic book style works too)
• Fill out notebooking pages about family history (examples Here and Here)
Activities for older kids and teens
• Learn to use FamilySearch (or Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast...):
o Add sources to someone on your tree
o Search for records or use the record hints
o Add a photo in FamilySearch
• Use Puzzilla.org to find cousins
• Use social media to find living relatives
• Earn the scout badge for genealogy
• Photograph headstones in a cemetery, or transcribe photographs of others
• Give indexing a try
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