Back to basics. Before you can start introducing the children in your life to family history, first they need to acquire a basic understanding of family relationships AND be able identify present family members. You can start teaching children who their family members are at a very young age, and, with enough repetition, that fundamental knowledge of people and relationships will stay with them as they grow.
My four-year-old daughter and I made family member flash cards this past week. Here are the supplies you will need:
Thicker card stock or sample paint cards from the hardware store
Glue
Scissors or a paper cutter
Hole punch
Book rings
Digital headshot photos of family members
Names of family members, either printed from a computer or written by hand
Laminating machine or clear peel-and-stick film (optional)
Last Spring, we made Family Easter Eggs, and that activity required that I compile and crop family member headshot photos. I had saved that file, so I just printed out a new set, along with a list of family names that I just created in Word.
We used sample paint cards that I had accumulated over time, but you can use colorful card stock paper, too. (If you do plan on laminating or covering the cards in a clear plastic film, construction paper will work just fine, but it may not hold up well if not laminated, whereas a thicker card stock does.)
My four-year-old daughter and I made family member flash cards this past week. Here are the supplies you will need:
Thicker card stock or sample paint cards from the hardware store
Glue
Scissors or a paper cutter
Hole punch
Book rings
Digital headshot photos of family members
Names of family members, either printed from a computer or written by hand
Laminating machine or clear peel-and-stick film (optional)
Last Spring, we made Family Easter Eggs, and that activity required that I compile and crop family member headshot photos. I had saved that file, so I just printed out a new set, along with a list of family names that I just created in Word.
We used sample paint cards that I had accumulated over time, but you can use colorful card stock paper, too. (If you do plan on laminating or covering the cards in a clear plastic film, construction paper will work just fine, but it may not hold up well if not laminated, whereas a thicker card stock does.)
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I let my daughter pick out a color for each person's card. We did not really 'color code' by family unit or by relationship, but that is something that you can do, if desired. Then, we glued on names and photos. I kept the names simple, and used mostly first names only, with the exception of grandparents, because my kids use surnames to distinguish between their two sets of grandparents. If your kids call their grandparents words like Nana or Papaw, feel free to use those words for labeling the photos. I also included important family relationship words like aunt, uncle, and cousin. My daughter is starting to recognize some words, so I figure it can't hurt to have her look at these family relationship words over and over again.
After a little trimming, I sent the cards through my home laminating machine and then used a hole punch to make a hole in the upper-left corner of each card. I put the cards through a book ring, which you can find at most office supple stores. Some office supply stores provide laminating services, or you can buy a roll of the clear peel-and-stick plastic film and cover the cards that way, too. Obviously, this step is optional but it will keep the cards more durable, and it will make them washable, too!
After a little trimming, I sent the cards through my home laminating machine and then used a hole punch to make a hole in the upper-left corner of each card. I put the cards through a book ring, which you can find at most office supple stores. Some office supply stores provide laminating services, or you can buy a roll of the clear peel-and-stick plastic film and cover the cards that way, too. Obviously, this step is optional but it will keep the cards more durable, and it will make them washable, too!
Family Flash Cards on a Book Ring
We arranged the cards on three book rings: one for mom's side of the family, one for dad's side, and then one with just our little nuclear family. A fun activity for slightly older children would be to re-arrange the rings into various family units; for example, Mom is a part of our family, but she's also part of Grandma and Grandpa K's family along with her brothers and sister (aunt and uncles).
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For toddlers and preschoolers, I recommend making cards for the people in their families who they have met and see fairly regularly. For elementary-aged children, you can go a step further and make cards for ancestors who they haven't met. I made a few cards with some of my children's great-grandparents who passed away before they were born. I simply explained to my daughter that these were Grandma and Grandpa K's parents. Obviously, the older the child, the more information you can include on each card. For example, on the back of each card, you could list each person's full name, birth/death dates, occupation, and other simple facts like that.
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My daughter had fun flipping through each set of cards and identifying people and colors. It's a great little 'toy' to keep in your purse, in the car, or to keep them occupied at church or at the doctor's office.
As always, let me know if you have any questions! Don't forget that this and all of my other family and genealogy activities can be found at the new website, http://www.growinglittleleaves.com
©2015, Emily Kowalski Schroeder
As always, let me know if you have any questions! Don't forget that this and all of my other family and genealogy activities can be found at the new website, http://www.growinglittleleaves.com
©2015, Emily Kowalski Schroeder
