Family History Activities for Children: 3-11

Children love to learn about the world they live in as well as the family they belong to. The following links, charts, and exercises will provide some helpful ways to help teach your children all about their current and extended family.

Your Place in History     

Create fun and interesting timelines:

• Important dates in your life or your ancestor's life!
• Discover interesting facts and events that happened during your own lifetime or in an ancestors' lifetime.
• Visit and learn about the places where you and your ancestors lived.
• Create a timeline either for you or an ancestor. This can be done either online or print one to fill in and put in your memory book.

Your Genealogy  

Gather together family information and record it on the following forms:

• An online fill-in 3 Generation Pedigree Chart that can be printed and framed.
• A fill-in 4 Generation Pedigree Chart that can be printed and framed.
• The Tigger Movie FamilyTree - Choose from 3 different designs.
• A Fun Childrens' fill-in Family Group Record that can be printed for personal Book of Remembrance.
• A simple pedigree chart with circles in which children can draw pictures of their family members.
• Learn what your family surname means.
• Locate an ancestor in the 1880 US Census, 1890 US Census, 1900 US Census, 1930 US Census, or 1940 U.S. Census
  

  Memories and Completing Youth Projects

Family History provides the opportunity to learn about family members who are living and those who have passed away. Photos, letters, awards and newspaper articles are often items left behind that tell the story of your ancestor. Sharing and organizing this information can be a lot of fun!

• A printable "My Journal" provides places to talk about your favorite things to do, your goals, and so much more!
• "My Baptism" page (boy)
• "My Baptism" page (girl)
• A printable "LifeStory" to enjoy and add to over time.
• Create slideshows, e-greetings, scrapbooks, invitations and collages with Smilebox.
• Create a photo book using scanned photos at Picaboo, Artifact Uprising, Shutterfly, Snapfish, ArtsCow, or Lulu with your parents help.
• Work on your "Faith in God" program requirements for Girls or Boys.
• Cub Scout Requirements: Bobcat Rank, Tiger Cub Program, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, Arrow of Light Badge, Venturing
• Cub Scout Academics:Heritages (Family History)
• Bear:Family History Requirements for Family History
• Conduct a Family Interview with an older family member
• Create a Family Website together

Fun and Games

There are many different interesting and unique activities to help with learning about your ancestors.

• Print out this Fun Activity Book ;and explore the library while learning about your ancestors.
• Create a puzzle with a scanned photo of your ancestors with Jigsaw Lite. Download and install this software to your computer, then upload a photo and watch it break it into pieces you can put together! Note the link brings you to a number of downloads, look for Jigsaw Lite. It is about the 10th item.
• Ever wonder what day you were born on or what day your ancestors were born on? Using this perpetual calendar you can find it!
• Learn interesting facts about the 50 states in the United States
• Print out a map of the United States and color in the various states

Online Games and Websites

 

• American Girl
• Great Sites for Boys
• Great Websites for Kids
• Nickjr
• Sesame Street
• BigFish Games
• Coloring Book Fun
• Make a Snow Flake
• Peep and the Big Wide World
• PBS Kids
• Disney Playhouse

Additional Activities in this Wiki:

• Have older children? Check out our 12-? Fun and Games Section here!
• Family History for Youth
• Involve Children and Youth in Family History
• FamilySearch Kids Camp