Family Tree Making for Kids
Family trees use the image of a tree and its branches to create a miniature visual family history. Making a family tree can create an image of your family that can help your children learn the names of extended family members. Family trees can be a lot of work, but they can be an excellent craft to make with your child.
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Research
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Take your child to his grandparents. The grandparents can give the names of all their children as well as any grandchildren. Let your child write these names down. Make sure they get date of birth, death and a few facts. Repeat this process with aunts and uncles, as they will have more updated and more accurate information. The research will be the longest part of your family tree. Write information down for your child if she grows weary of writing. Help her analyze the information and pick a few facts about the person that represents his life.
Time Lines
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Help your child make family time lines using the information you have gathered. Give her a piece of paper and draw a line on the bottom. The left end will be the relative's birth and the ending line will be his death. If he is not dead, it will represent his current living situation. Divide the line up into years and write significant events in his life. Time lines can help your child focus on the family and learn a lot about what your family has accomplished. It can also help arrange her thoughts on the family tree.
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Supplies
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Let your child help you pick out the supplies for your family tree. The supplies should be simple so that your child can work with them easily. Start by getting pictures of each family member. Make sure they are wallet size or smaller. Let your child pick out the pictures, if possible. It will make the family tree feel more like his. Drawing supplies will be needed. Let him pick the supplies he wants to use. Cardboard, white paper and colored paper will also be necessary.
Building
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She should glue the white paper to the cardboard and draw a tree on the paper. He can use the scissors to cut out leaves. Use safety scissors to prevent any accidental cutting. Let her color and design the tree however she likes. But she should always have the grandparents at the roots and the children arranged from the bottom to the top as oldest to youngest. Encourage her to be as creative as possible. Drawing birds in the tree can add decoration, as can a sun and other natural objects.
Display Ideas
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The last step in family tree crafts is the display. Go to a store with photo frames so your child can pick out the frame. Put the family tree in the frame. However, he can add items to the frame to personalize its look. For example, he can glue small colored stones to the frame. He can also frame family information cards, as well as the time line. Hanging these up next to the family tree will help broaden the scope of the family tree and offer a more comprehensive family history.
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References
- Photo Credit family tree image by Judy Ben Joud from Fotolia.com
