Growing Your Family Tree: Exploring Genealogy With Your Kids

Children can engage with their heritage by interviewing older relatives or cooking traditional family foods.

Making a family tree with kids connects them to their roots. first vector trend/Shutterstock

Digging into your family’s roots together is a fun and fascinating way to strengthen your relationships—the process helps nurture your kids’ sense of contentment and boost their self-esteem and confidence. Stefan Walters, a London-based family therapist, said: “We all feel stronger if we are a part of a tapestry. One thread alone is weak, but, woven into something larger, surrounded by other threads, it is more difficult to unravel.”

Ira Wolfman’s book “Do People Grow on Family Trees?” is an excellent introductory resource to help acquaint you and your kids with commonly used terms and guide you in your genealogical research. Also, three invaluable free online resources are the Family Tree Magazine website, Cyndi’s List, and the Library of Congress family history page.

Root Everything in Storytelling

Every culture tells stories as a way to pass down family history and traditions to younger generations. The indigenous Wampanoags’ stories, for example, often focused on legends, creation and spiritual beliefs, morals, ancestral successes and challenges, and their belief that all living things are connected.