Family history is very interesting to some people and quite the opposite for others, especially children. Getting the whole family involved with family history can be a chore in itself. One idea to get everybody involved (and maybe even excited) with family history is to turn it into a game and make it engaging. Family history activities that are engaging will not only get involvement from all of family members, but will also be an informative activity about your ancestry. Here are a few family history activities that will get the involvement you want from children, teenagers, and adults.

Excavations

Turn your home into a world of discovery. Place toys or artifacts from your parents, grandparents, or any older generations, around your house in visible locations. By having all of the artifacts in different locations in the house, this forces the family members to stay engaged because of all the moving they have to do. With each artifact, have a fact sheet or strips of paper with facts that describe what the artifact is, what it was used for, how old it is, and other pertinent information that is interesting. To add a little more authenticity to this excavation, put all of the artifacts in an old trunk, suitcase, in the attic, or any other aged place you can think of. This type of family history activity is engaging for young children, teenagers, and even adults. Have fun mixing informative and fun together!

Scavenger Hunts

This is an activity that is fun for all people at all ages, even grandpa will want to join! Scavenger hunts are a great family activity because of the excitement that comes with a little bit of friendly competition. A family history scavenger hunt can include artifacts and toys as did the excavation activity, but you can go even further. You can print pictures of multiple ancestors to give to each family member, provide information on them as a guide to know what to search for, and spread those items throughout your home, property, or even a park. This family history activity allows you to be creative and make any changes you think will be best suited for your family.

Cemetery Tour

Cemeteries are a great place to go with the whole family to build interest in family history, especially when visiting a deceased ancestor. On top of that, there are plenty of ways to make the experience educational and fun. You can make it a competition to see who can find the oldest grave. This will give the kids something fun to do as you make your way to your ancestor’s grave. You can mix this activity up by looking for names that you have never heard before instead of the age. While doing these activities, make sure you have your cemetery kit with you along with water and snacks for the children.

Make Family Heirlooms

Family heirlooms are very special to each family that has them. Heirlooms hold a lot of sentimental value that no one else can appreciate except for your family. Even if you already have some older family heirlooms, creating new family heirlooms with your family that can also be passed down from generation to generation will be a meaningful activity for your entire family. The children will have fun while you enjoy the time spent as a family creating something meaningful. You can be as creative as you want with this, but some popular heirloom suggestions that we have include creating a scrapbook, a MyCanvas family history book or family tree poster, putting together a family recipe book, or even compiling everybody’s favorite magazines and comic books together. See more great ideas for heirlooms you can create today. This is for your family, so make it as personal as you want.

Family heirlooms, even as simple as a picture, are sentimental belongings for families that are passed down generations.

These family history activities are just a few ideas of many that you can try out with your family to spark that interest in family history within each family member. If you have any other ideas for other engaging family history activities, please let us know in the comments section. Also, if you do try one of these activities, let us know how your experience is!