GENEALOGY FOR KIDS LINKS – Us Older Kids Too
(This page of links was suggested to us by a young Girl Scout named Payton, who was working on her genealogy badge. It is from the website of an outdoor playground products company–AAA State of Play–in Indianapolis, and was compiled by their employee Kim Hart. Find the original Here.)
Genealogy is the study of family history. It includes details about how people are descended from an ancestor, how people are related to each other, where families are from, how they may have traveled from country to country, where they lived, what kind of work they did, and what sorts of lives they led. A family tree is a visual representation of a family’s lines of descent. Some family trees include photos and other vital information. Researching a family’s genealogy and making a family tree is a great way for kids and adults to learn more about who they are. It also brings history to life in a new way, making it possible to see how historical events impacted one family: the researcher’s own. Genealogy is also a great way to sharpen research skills.
How to Make a Family Tree With Kids
The entire family can work together to create a family tree and chart their extended family history.
5 Genealogical Charts and Forms
A family tree can get very complicated! There are other types of ways to display information about who is related to who that can help when researching for more information about an ancestor.
How to Build a Family Tree: Tracing Your Ancestors
When tracing ancestors, it’s important to start by listing out what is already known, like the names and birthplaces of grandparents.
What Is a First Cousin Once Removed?
One particularly tricky area when studying family relationships is understanding how all the different cousins fit together in the family.
Who Counts as Family in a Family Tree? Who to Add and Who to Leave Out
A family tree is a way to visually show the relationships between various family members.
Ten Basic Steps to Researching Your Family Tree
The easiest way to discover the past is by recording information about the family in the present day.
Using Local and Family History Photographs to Tell the Stories of Your Ancestors
Photos are full of valuable information. The type of photo, what’s in the background, the clothes people are wearing, and any handwritten caption on the back all provide an opportunity to learn more about the people that came before!
Unusual Sources for Finding Old Family Photos
Families are the best sources for old photos, but other places to check include old newspaper databases and websites that host images of old yearbooks.
2020 Census: What is the Census?
The United States government conducts a census every ten years.
The ’72-Year Rule’ Governs Release of Census Records
Census data is confidential for 72 years after the census was recorded.
Research Your Family and Nation’s History with 1950 Census Records
The 1950 census is the latest one available to researchers. It was released in 2022.
Digging Deeper into Local and Family History with Census Data
Researching the census gives information about where an ancestor lived, who they lived with, and who were their neighbors.
Free Online Census Records and Indexes – USA
The census is available to search for free on various websites.
Genealogy Tips: Searching the Census by Address
Most researchers search the census databases using the names of their family members, but searching by address can help them find new information.
The Archive Lady: Deciphering Old Handwriting
Tricks to understanding old handwriting include enlarging the document and reading through the whole thing to understand how the writer formed various letters.
6 Must-Follow Steps for Genealogy Research in Cemeteries
Cemeteries are full of information about ancestors!
Genealogy Research: How Visiting Old Cemeteries Can Expand Your Family Tree
A cemetery survey is a like a census for everyone buried in a graveyard. Some older ones are available as books in local libraries, but now many websites have them available as well.
One of the largest online databases of cemetery surveys has information about cemeteries and the people buried inside.
Genealogy Activities For Kids!
The National Archives hosts a page with many different templates for kids to build their own family trees. Templates include a photo family tree and a tree for blended families.
This free template is easily customizable so that the family tree can be both accurate and artistic!
Genealogy Forms for School Projects and Research
One big part of genealogy is organizing information. These forms help track biographical information, cemetery information, and other family data.
Getting Started with Genealogy Research
The first step in building a family tree is organizing the information already on hand.
Genealogy for Kids: Interview Your Relatives (Video)
Family members are a wonderful source of information. Knowing what questions to ask and how to take an oral history will help kid genealogists make sure they get all the good stories their family members have to share!
Conducting a Family Interview (PDF)
It’s important to interview family members, but it’s also important to remember the information gathered in interviews is just a starting point. Anything learned in an interview should be researched to see if it’s correct.
Genealogy for Kids (PDF)
Genealogy is the study of a family’s history. It often involves talking to family members and doing research through primary source documents like the census.
20 Family History Activities for Your Family Reunion
Family reunions are a great time to conduct interviews. It’s also a great place to both collect and share information about the family’s history.
One way to display the family photographs and documents gathered while doing a family tree is to make a digital family museum!
Genealogy 101: Understanding Family Tree Relationships
It’s important to understand how family relationships work before trying to record them on any type of family tree.