Family History

Are you ready to unravel the mystery of your family history? These genealogy activities are great to do with your kids, and they make a wonderful gift for relatives — a family history package!

Our Family History Kids love stories, especially ones that star their relatives! Here are the words you need to kick off a conversation about your past. Family Tree Activity Kids' natural interest in their family's roots will flourish with this fun "genealogy" activity. Family Almanac Have your child make books about your family to include in your home library. Video Biography Kids' interest in the family will grow as they interview family members for their video biographies. In Your Child's Own Words Keep recordings of your children talking about experiences and events in their lives, and save them for the future. Beginning Your Genealogical Search Here's the first step to becoming an "Ancestor Detector." You will be collecting data and looking for clues. Eventually, the clues will lead you to exciting discoveries. Family Name History How much do you really know about your family name? Discover the meaning and origin of your surname, and share comments with those who share your name. Get started searching - and prepare to be surprised! A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Genealogical Treasure Hunt Here's where the real fun begins! Look for information, past or present, that reveals something about your family. Thirteen Steps to a Successful Interview Keep these points in mind when interviewing your family members. How to Find — and Use — Documents About Your Family Facts about your family are just sitting on shelves waiting for you to find them. As a genealogist, one of your jobs will be to figure out how to get to those facts. The Sources: The Best Places to Check for Ancestors' Records After you've asked your family for any ancestor records, you're ready to look for the most important documents. How to Help Others Enjoy Your Genealogical Discoveries Share your research! Here are some ways to let your relatives in on all the wonderful things you've learned.   Activities 3 through 8 are excerpted from the book, Do People Grow on Family Trees? Brought to you in association with The Ellis Island Foundation.