How to Get Your Kids Excited About Their Heritage

Where do you come from? No, we’re not talking about the birds and the bees — we’re talking about your heritage. Your ancestors tell a magnificent tale about your family history, and that story is worth sharing with your kids. Here’s how you can get your kids excited about learning about your family history.

Take a Trip

Traveling to the place where your family namesake began is a great way to learn about your family heritage. And what kid isn’t excited about taking a vacation? From other continents to cities within the U.S., the Family Tree Tours company can take you back in time and show your family where your ancestors once lived. At the helm of Family Tree Tours are three experienced and well-traveled genealogists.

Of course, no vacation is complete without making stops at some of the most iconic sites in the area. Be sure to stop off at a handful of sites that your kids will be interested in, such as theme parks, children’s museums and parks.

Learn With Tech

This is the age of the tech takeover. It’s everywhere. Even young kids are using tablets, like the iPad, and the latest smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S7. And, sometimes, they’re more proficient than us. Take the time to sit down with your child and visit a genealogy website or the National Archives to learn about your family history. Spend a little time researching where your family came from.

Even with the amount of information on the Internet, there’s no better way for your child to learn about your family’s history than from older generations in your family. Remember to give grandma and grandpa a call every now and then. Learning about history is much more exciting when it comes from a person who experienced it than a book.

Create a Family Tree

You’ve probably got a box full of old family photos tucked away in the basement, attic or storage. Instead of letting them collect dust, bring them out, dust them off and create a photo family tree with your kids. Tell your children stories about the family members in the photographs and share your fondest memories of your aunts, uncles and cousins. This activity is great for young children, as there is no reading or writing involved. Once your child is a little older, you can add names and details to the tree. Update the tree when new additions are welcomed into the family, too. You can also use people tracing agents to help gather all the information about any past relatives that you may need to add to your tree.

Get Cookin’

Some of the best family traditions are passed down in the kitchen. Whether your favorite family dish has a cultural meaning or if it’s only prepared for the holidays, don’t miss out on the opportunity to teach it to your child. Let your child help by measuring or reading the directions — just be sure to keep him or her engaged and safely working away.

Once the meal is prepared, everyone can enjoy the dish at the dinner table with the entire family. If you’ve got your recipe memorized, write it down and save it so you can pass it down to your kids. Maybe one day they will pass it down to their own children.