Family Tree Games
- family tree image by Judy Ben Joud from Fotolia.com
When family members connect their history with aunts, uncles, grandparents and generations of cousins, they develop bonds that enrich their lives in infinite ways. Family gatherings provide opportune times for generations to play together. Family history games enable young and old to play and learn about themselves, within the context of family and its place in history. Family history games often take place over weeks or even months to allow players to locate family information. - Families who turn research and story gathering into games not only enjoy the recreational aspects of it, but they learn valuable information about their family history. Write down important questions you need answered for every relative, such as birth, marriage, death and other important dates. You'll want complete names of all wives, children, siblings and as many sets of grandparents as you can think of. Divide team members---called information detectives---into two or three groups. Allow several weeks for members to collect the information. Have them compete to see which team can come up with the most information as they ask questions of people who know the answers, consult records or figure out other ways to collect the family history. Assign bonus credit for those who come up with baby photos, wedding pictures or actual stories connected with individual family members. Ideally, this game may stretch out over several days, weeks or months, or until the next family gathering.
- You'll need at least a day or weekend to play this game. It's ideal for lengthier family get-togethers or parties so members can devote time to locating answers. Have teams go on real-life camera scavenger hunts, where they collect images of houses where parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were born, grew up and lived throughout their lives. Include any people in the photo who are associated with the house in any way. Other categories to collect are schools, churches, gravestones, places of work and businesses owned. Stories and reminiscences will work their way into the conversations. Write up the most interesting ones to include in final presentations of scavenged treasure.
- Bingo-type card-making software is readily available on the Internet. Use a free program to create cards ahead of time containing tidbits of information about various family members, dead or alive. Write "CLUES" across the top of each card and have the software generate cards containing clues or questions you have collected. Pull out finished cards at your next family gathering and play for as long as you have time. Just like in a Bingo game, players cover their spaces as they locate the correct answers to questions asked by a caller. Use tiny family tree leaves or shucked corn kernels, as in yesteryear, as card markers.
- Matching games work well for young children as they associate faces, pictures, names and words. Make two sets of index-sized family cards by hand or with a computer graphics program. Each card should bear a small photo of a single ancestor and various facts or questions about that person. A matching card might contain a different photo of the same ancestor and answers or elaboration upon the matching card. While younger children may use an identical set, older kids will appreciate more challenge in their matching game. Place all cards face down on the table and let each player draw two cards, trying to find a match. If they find a match, they can keep playing. If not, the next person has a turn. Designate players who end up with the largest number of paired cards as winners. The true winners of family tree games are those who learn their family's history.
