Our printable family tree and list of questions your children can ask their grandparents will be a fun activity for your family this Grandparents Day (or any day).
Your Guide To Creating A Family Tree with Your Child
There’s an old saying that goes, “You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” Exploring family history is a fun way to teach kids about your family’s roots. It helps them understand the many things that go into making them who they are. This month you have a wonderful opportunity to do that as part of the celebration of Grandparents Day on Sunday, Sept. 9. It’s a great time to honor the matriarchs and patriarchs that you hold dear in your family.
Have Your Children Interview Their Grandparents
Children love stories about what life was like for the generations that came before them. If you have school-aged children, take this opportunity to have your little ones “interview” their grandparents, aunts and uncles to learn more about their heritage—what country(s) they came from, when they first came to America, and what their ancestors did.
Relatives who are originally from other parts of the world can offer a wealth of information about their native country that can be valuable and enriching. You can then invite younger children to ask about what activities they enjoyed when they were younger, what were their favorite foods, etc. This conversation can open up to everything from traditions practiced and games played to the holidays they celebrate as a culture. Challenge your little ones to think about what practices may fit into their own lifestyle.
Build a Family Tree
This provides an opportunity to tell your children about family members who may be living far away, and to discuss and honor those who have passed away. Sharing and organizing family trees can also be a lot of fun! You can start simply by populating the tree with family members your child knows and spends time with, and eventually build out the rest with relatives that you know or have to research. Consider making this an official family craft project that can be framed when it’s completed. There are online tools like FamilyEcho.com that can be valuable as well.
More Grandparents Day Activities
Start a Photo Project
The adage “A picture says a thousand words” is very true, but can be even more impactful in a world where most images are only captured on smartphones. A fun activity you can do with your children is to create an album together that features photographs, letters, awards and newspaper articles that tell the story of your ancestry. Find memorable trinkets, programs and information tucked away in your attic, and compile them in an album or shadowbox. Including your child in this process can be meaningful as well as a source of pride!
Create a Family Recipe Book
Some of our favorite family traditions come from the kitchen. Teach your children about these traditions by creating a recipe book together that features your family favorites. Be sure to include brief stories about grandmother’s secret recipe for her special pie alongside photos of your child making it with her. Finding ways to connect old and storied traditions with their everyday life will help young children come to appreciate the history.
For centuries, family history has been passed from generation to generation through storytelling. Activities like these keep this tradition alive and help develop a sense of self in your children and pride about who they are.
To learn more about Grandparents Day, visit here.
Thank you for reading along, as we work together in raising the next generation of amazing kids!
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