Fun Autobiography Projects for Kids

Personal stories are the perfect place to begin exploring the world.

Even the greatest thinkers use the same person over and over in many of their studies. That person? Themselves. Teach kids how to think about themselves and their place in the world in an exploratory way with fun autobiography projects. The medium isn't important--photos, writing, drawing and acting all do the trick. What's important is helping the kids learn to think in new ways. Autobiography projects may even bolster their self-esteem as well.

Timeline

Timelines help kids visually orient themselves in time.

Help kids make visual timelines of their lives. Fist, tape long pieces of butcher paper to the wall in the hallway. Number the timeline in even increments with years, beginning with the years the kids were born. Then, allow the kids to draw and write information about their lives at the appropriate years. They can include their first years at school, their favorite birthday parties, the day they moved to a new town or momentous trips. Timelines can also teach about number units and the relationship between age and date.

Third Person

Encourage creativity in writing projects.

Bring creative writing into an autobiography by having kids write about their lives in the third person. Have them imagine they are a dog, squirrel, fairy or other nonhuman creature telling about the child's life. If the kids imagine themselves from an outside perspective, they may notice things about themselves they hadn't noticed before. This type of autobiography also teaches writing skills. It can be as long or short as desired, making it a great classroom project.

Photo Montage

Autobiographical photo montages are a fun visual arts project.

Kids can learn about visual art whether on or off the computer while making a photo montage about their lives. Let the kids decide if they want to do a chronological or interest-organized montage, and then give them the tools to make it happen. Remember that autobiographical photo montages don't have to be limited to photos of the children themselves; pictures of favorite foods, places or activities cut from magazines work just as well.

Family History Play

Have the older generation teach the younger one about the family.

Set up a time for the children to interview older members of the family using a tape recorder. Have them think of poignant questions ahead of time, and remind them to add relevant questions to the interview while it is going on. After the interview, have the kids make up a play about their family background, and present it to the family. Family history informs who we are, and is an important part of any autobiography.

References

• Creative-Writing-Ideas-and-Activities.com: How to Write an Autobiography
• Scholastic; Writing an Autobiography; Sandra Blair
• Family History Products.com: Sample Autobiography Project