-
Keep a diary.
-
Keep a family photo
album (scrapbooking).
-
Create a Family
Organization.
-
Have Family Reunions.
-
Publish an Annual
Family Newsletter.
-
Collect Family
Histories from the extended Family and publish in a bound Family
History volume.
-
Create a Personal
Family Crest.
-
Create a Personal
Family Flag.
-
Read your ancestor's
journals to your children.
-
Collect antiques from
your ancestors or relatives
-
Video tape your
Parent's life stories before they die.
-
Play a family
remembrance game:
-
Every member of the
Family must relate a story or anecdote before continuing to the next
member in a circle. The member with the best story wins.
-
Tell the kids
something about their early lives they may not remember. If they
don't remember, they are "it" and have to relate something they
think another member of the family doesn't remember.
-
Have family members
tell a story about themselves that really happened, but put it in a
very different setting, such as on the moon or in Medieval times.
-
Visit the cemetery an
ancestor was buried in and make a charcoal sketch of the gravestone.
-
Write to distant
relatives and ask them what they know about the family.
-
Hold a Family History
Fun Night with fun activities for all ages, labeled for a
genealogical theme.
-
Visit websites that
offer advice for beginning genealogists, such as
www.LeeSysInfo.com.
-
Solve Family History
puzzles, such as those found awww.leesysinfo.com/fun/index.html#fun_puzzler.
-
Use Family History
search engines
-
Collect information on
your ancestors into a Pedigree Chart.
-
Collect information on
the descendants of a common Ancestor into a Descendant Chart.
-
Keep in touch with the
extended family through e-mails and chat rooms.
-
Put together a Website
of Family History items and digitized pictures.
-
Put together a virtual
Website of Family History items on a CD and give a copy to each
member of the family.
-
Hire a professional
genealogist.
-
Join a Family History
Mailing list for people interested in research in specific
geographical area of the world.
-
Join a Genealogical
Society.
-
Become a certified
genealogist.
-
Collect letters of
importance to a relationship.
-
Earn the Family
History merit badge (for those in scouts).
-
Visit a Family History
Library and ask for a tour.
-
Study the history of
an area in the world your ancestor lived in. It will help to answer
why he or she did what they did during their lives. For example,
many people migrated to the United States in groups and settled in
the same cities as the other members of the group.
-
Use internet portals
to search for your ancestor. Family Organizations post their
genealogy on the internet in hopes that others having done research
will see what they have and contribute to their knowledge. For
example, by using a search engine from one of the portals such as
Yahoo or Dogpile, I found that there are five different major lines
in the US having my last name. Of these, I believe all can be found
on a Family organization's website.
-
Let others know you
are interested in Family History. Other members of the extended
family which are not interested may give you information and old
books of interest because they know you'll take care of them, while
others may not.
-
Visit your State
library and/or county recorders office. Records such as birth,
death, marriage, wills, deeds, business partnerships and etc. can
offer glimpses of information you might not find elsewhere. For
example a birth certificate may contain the names of the parents and
their birth States.
Hopefully this sample list of Family History activities has perked
your interest. Family History can be fun as well as informative.
About the author
Dale Lee is a computer consultant who has been involved in Genealogy
for over 12 years. For information on how to publish your own Family
History or book manuscript, visit
www.LeeSysInfo.com
