By unanimous consent in September 2001, the US Senate approved legislation to designate October as “Family History Month.” Introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (D-UT), the legislation declared that October will be a time to “encourage family history research, education, and the sharing of knowledge” as a way to “renew the commitment to the concept of home and family.” (S.Res 160) Since then, genealogists and family historians have endeavored to keep the October celebration alive. So, if you have been thinking about learning about your family’s history, here are four activities that you and your family can do together.
Create a Family Tree
One of the easiest ways to get started when trying to learn about your family is to create a family tree or ancestral chart. A family tree allows you to start with yourself and identify your direct line of ancestors through any number of previous generations. It can be handwritten on paper or made on a computer or tablet. You can find tons of examples online and you can download some of the basic formats for free from the National Archives or the National Genealogy Society. If you are looking for something more kid-friendly, check out the National Archives, FamilySearch, or the Family Tree Template websites for some great printable trees.
Search for Ancestors in Historical Newspapers
Historical newspapers can be a great source for time-specific tidbits of information about your family. You can find obituaries, birth announcements and news about special celebrations. But be prepared, you may find news that will shock you. Not sure where to start? Visit the Genealogy page on The Library website. With your DCLS library card, you get free access to more than 400 historical Pennsylvania newspapers at Newspapers.com and Patriot-News articles back to 1986.
If your family is not native to Pennsylvania, you may want to visit the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America. They have historical newspapers from across the country. And if you want to check out international newspapers, try the Google News Archive or Elephind.
Learn about Your Ancestors Native Country
Unless your ancestry is 100 percent indigenous, your ancestors came to the United States from another country. Take some time this month to learn about that country’s history, culture, and traditions. The Library has some great books that can make learning about another county fun including the All Around the World and the Enchantment of the World series. If videos are more your thing, maybe one of DVDs in the Travelogues series will be right up your alley.
If you are looking for something a little more scholarly, check out the Countries, Peoples & Cultures series from Salem Press. It is available through The Library’s online databases and provides a multi-page profile for nearly every country around the globe. In addition to maps, flags, and photographs, you will find a wide range of information about the history and culture of the country.
Turn Family History into a Game
If you are looking for a fun way to get the whole family involved, try turning family history into a game. The Family History Guide and Inspire Family History websites have some great unique activities as well as suggestions for turning well known games like Charades into family history fun.
If you have a family tree created on FamilySearch.org, visit the BYU Family History Technology Lab for some fun games that use the information from your tree. Choose from the Jeopardy inspired Geneopardy, Wheel of Fortune, the puzzle activities of Ancestor Games, or the adventure game, Record Quest.
These are just a few ways that you can get your family involved in learning more about its history. You can find more great ideas at Inspire Family History, American Ancestors, and FamilySearch.