20 Memorable Ways To Celebrate Your Family History Together

Whether it’s a family reunion, holiday weekend, or just visiting family for the day, getting together is an opportunity to discover more about our past and strengthen family ties. In this blog post, we’ll explore 20 ideas to make your next get-together one filled with exciting family history activities for both young and old. From crafting family trees to virtual ancestral tours, you will surely make your next gathering one to remember.

My dad’s side of the family had wonderful family reunions along the Delaware River. I was much younger then and didn’t appreciate the opportunity to question my older relatives. One regret many of us have.

So to keep you from making that same mistake, here are 20 ideas or activities to learn as much as you can from your family while you are together (and have fun doing it!)

Ideas 1-5

Family Tree Craft Station: Set up a table where family members can create family trees using craft supplies (paper, markers, stickers, and photos). Make it kid-friendly with colorful materials and simple templates.

Storytelling Circle: Create an inviting space where family members can share stories about their ancestors. Encourage children to listen and ask questions. Perhaps they can bring some questions with them so they don’t have to think of them on the spot.

Genealogy Scavenger Hunt: Develop a scavenger hunt that leads to discovering interesting facts related to your family history. You can make the hunt easy for kids by including things like finding specific names on gravestones or locating old family photos.

Photo Identification Game: Display a collection of old family photos and challenge family members, including children, to identify relatives and share memories associated with each photo.

Interview Station: Set up a recording station where family members can interview each other about their memories, traditions, and family history. Even children can participate in this activity. Make one person in charge of the recordings to provide copies once the event is over.

Ideas 6-10

Family Recipe Exchange: This is one of my favorites! Encourage everyone to bring and share traditional family recipes. Children can participate by helping to prepare simple dishes or by asking older relatives about the history of each recipe.

DNA Testing Information Session: Organize a session to educate family members about the basics of DNA testing for genealogy purposes. Someone could be in charge and come with extra DNA kits to get even more family members tested.

Heritage Crafts Workshop: Offer hands-on workshops where you can learn traditional crafts or skills passed down through the family. This could include activities like quilting, knitting, or woodworking.

Historical Timeline Display: Create a visual timeline highlighting significant events in your family’s history. Involve children by encouraging them to make drawings or captions representing key moments.

Virtual Family Reunion: For relatives unable to attend in person, organize a virtual gathering on Zoom. Include interactive activities like virtual tours of ancestral homes or online trivia games.

Ideas 11-15

Ancestor Dress-Up Corner: Set up a corner with costumes or props representing different periods in your family’s history. Children can dress up and take photos to create memorable keepsakes.

Family Trivia Contest: Organize a friendly trivia contest with questions about your family’s history, traditions, and famous relatives. Modify questions to different age groups to ensure everyone can join in.

Mapping Ancestral Homelands: Provide maps for family members to mark the locations of ancestral homelands or migration routes. This is a great way for children to learn geography.

Genealogy Bingo: Create bingo cards filled with family names or historical facts. This game can be played as individuals or as teams.

Family History Book Club: Choose a book related to family history and have family members read it in advance. Host a discussion where everyone can talk about the book and share their thoughts.

Ideas 16-20

Legacy Letter Writing: Set up a station with writing materials where family members can draft letters to future generations, sharing personal stories. The kids could also draw pictures of the family reunion here.

Virtual Reality Ancestral Tours: Use virtual reality to create tours of ancestral villages or landmarks. Children can experience their family history in a fun and interactive way.

Genealogy-themed Games: Develop games like “Guess the Ancestor” or “Family Fact or Fiction” to test knowledge about your family’s history. Make them accessible to children by including visual cues and simple questions.

Family History Art Project: Work together on a creative art project inspired by your family’s history. This could involve painting a family tree mural, creating a quilt with symbolic motifs, or designing a collage using old photos and documents.

Next Generation Time Capsule: Encourage children to add items or messages to a time capsule representing their generation. Seal it by the end of your time together to open at a future family gathering.

Finally

You are only limited by your imagination. What special traditions did your family participate in that have been lost to time? Bring them back and give them new life with the next generation.

As you can see there are so many ideas and activities to make your next family gathering a smashing success. All you need now is great food and wonderful conversation.

Genealogy tip: No family gathering is complete without a family tree. There are wonderful companies who specialize in this. Make sure to plan far enough ahead to include a complete family tree at your next gathering.

To make that family tree, you may need a professional. I’m taking clients and I’d be happy to help you prepare. Just click below to get started.