How to Make Your Family Tree Together with Your Kids

Making a family tree with your kids is not just a craft—it’s a chance to explore family history, spark creativity, and create lasting memories together. It’s a fun and meaningful activity that connects your children with their roots. It also provides a creative outlet, strengthens family bonds, and encourages kids to learn more about their relatives.

In this article, we’ll walk you through two ways to make a family tree: one using traditional paper and another using online tools. We’ll also sprinkle in some useful tips, like how to add a modern twist by colorizing old family photos. Let’s dive in!

Why It’s Important for Kids to Make a Family Tree

Creating a family tree can have a lasting impact on your children. Here’s why this activity is so valuable:

• Know Their Family History: Learning about ancestors and living relatives helps kids understand where they come from. It makes the past more relatable and can help kids feel grounded in their heritage.
• Strengthen Family Bonds: This project often involves asking questions and gathering stories from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives. It’s a great way for kids to get closer to their family members.
• Develop Creative Skills: Making a family tree, whether on paper or digitally, involves artistic skills like drawing, arranging, and decorating. It’s a fantastic way for kids to express themselves.
• Spend Quality Time Together: Let’s face it, between work, school, and chores, it’s sometimes tough to find time to bond. Building a family tree is a perfect opportunity for parents and kids to sit down and enjoy a creative project together.

Now that you know the benefits, let’s look at two different ways you can make a family tree with your little ones.

1. Create a Family Tree on Paper

The classic method of making a family tree is to get out some paper, markers, and glue, and let the creativity flow. This hands-on approach is great for younger children who love crafts.

What You’ll Need:

• Large sheet of paper or poster board
• Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
• Glue or tape
• Photos of family members (copies, if possible)
• Decorative elements like stickers or glitter

Steps:

1. Draw the Tree: Start by drawing the trunk and branches of the tree on the paper. You can keep it simple or go all out with details like leaves and flowers.
2. Label the Family Members: Write your child’s name at the base of the tree. Then, add their siblings, parents, grandparents, and other relatives on the branches.
3. Attach Photos: Glue a small photo of each family member next to their name. If you don’t have enough photos, your kids can draw portraits instead.
4. Decorate: Let your child’s creativity run wild! They can color in the tree, add stickers, or use glitter to make it sparkle.
5. Talk About Each Relative: As you add each person to the tree, share a story or memory about them. This helps kids make a personal connection with their family.

Extra Tip: Colorize Old Family Photos

Here’s a fun way to bring history to life: colorize black and white family photos. Many families have old photos that are only in black and white. You can breathe new life into these treasured images by colorizing them with a photo restoration program like PhotoGlory.

What’s great about PhotoGlory is that it’s so easy to use—even kids can get the hang of it quickly. Just scan or upload your old black and white photos, and the software will guide you step by step to add colors. Your kids will have a blast turning these old pictures into vibrant, colorful pieces of family history. And once you’ve colorized them, you can print the photos and add them to your family tree!

2. Make a Family Tree Online

For older kids or those who love tech, creating a digital family tree can be a super engaging activity. There are lots of free tools and websites that make this easy and fun. The benefit of going digital is that it’s less messy, and you can easily share the final result with relatives.

What You’ll Need:

• A computer or tablet
• Internet access
• Digital photos of family members (optional)
• A free family tree builder website or app (Ancestry, MyHeritage, or Canva are great options)

Steps:

1. Choose a Family Tree Builder: Websites like Ancestry.com or MyHeritage offer easy-to-use templates where you can fill in your family’s details. If you prefer a creative design, you can use Canva to build a custom family tree.
2. Start with Your Child’s Name: Just like with the paper tree, start by placing your child’s name at the bottom of the tree, then work your way up with parents, grandparents, and beyond.
3. Add Photos: Many online family tree builders allow you to upload photos. You can use scanned family photos or digital images you already have. If you’ve used PhotoGlory to colorize black and white photos, you can add those here too!
4. Fill in Family Details: Include dates of birth, places of residence, or even fun facts about each person. This adds depth to your family tree and makes it more interesting for your kids.
5. Share the Finished Tree: Once your family tree is complete, share it with relatives! It’s easy to send a digital copy to grandparents, aunts, and uncles so they can see your child’s work.

Bonus Tip: Explore Your Family’s History

If your kids are especially curious about family history, some online tools like Ancestry or MyHeritage let you explore public records to find long-lost relatives or discover interesting details about your ancestors. It’s like a detective adventure that helps them dive even deeper into their roots!

Fun Tips to Enhance Your Family Tree Project

• Turn It Into a Story: Add little stories or interesting facts next to each person’s name. Did Grandma grow up on a farm? Was Grandpa in the navy? These tidbits make the tree more than just names and dates.
• Get Creative with the Design: For paper trees, you can experiment with different layouts. Make it look like a real tree, a circular chart, or even a heart shape. For digital trees, play around with colors and fonts to make it visually appealing.
• Add Pets: Don’t forget your family pets! They’re part of the family, too, and kids will love including them in the tree.

Making a family tree is more than just a craft project—it’s a journey through your family’s history. Whether you choose to go the traditional paper route or take advantage of online tools, this project is bound to be a rewarding and fun activity for the whole family. Plus, with creative touches like colorizing old photos, it becomes an even more memorable experience.

So gather your kids, dig out those old photos, and start building your family tree today! You’ll be creating not just a beautiful work of art but also a cherished family memory.