This weekend we’re getting ready for our family reunion. Every other summer the descendants of my great-grandparents get together—no small feat since there were twelve children in the family! Here are some great resources for learning about families.
- Family Reunions Unit from Homeschool Share: This free unit study includes printables and focuses on the books When Lightning Comes in a Jar, The Relatives Came, and Emma Jo’s Song.
- Who’s Who in My Family?: This book by Loreen Leedy is a great way for kids to learn some of those technical genealogy terms that are even tricky for adults. (Confession: I usually can’t remember the terms and just tell my kids everyone is a cousin. I should probably just get a copy of this book and bring it with me.)
- They Were Strong and Good: This is a classic story that shows a young child’s family tree. We used this book a couple of years ago and really had a good time with it!
- Homeplace: This story tells how a home changes over time. If you have the chance to visit an old family home, this would be a great go-along. We had the opportunity to visit the home where my grandma grew up and it was so neat to hear her stories and see how things had changed.
- Ancestor Printable Notebook Page: If your kids are learning about their ancestors, this is a great way to keep track of the information. A family reunion would be a wonderful time to fill some of these out, especially if you have older family members attending.
- Peek-A-Boo Family Tree: This is the most creative family tree I’ve seen! This would be great for little ones who don’t see some family members often and would also be good reading practice for those who are just learning.
Don’t forget that literature is a great way to make connections in kids’ minds, and any time you’re reading a book, whether it’s directly related to family trees or not, any personal or family history you can tie in with it will make the story more meaningful. We had such a great experience with All Those Secrets of the World a couple of years ago and I can wait to use it again in a few years with my daughter!
Enjoy your family!
