Delve back in time, embark on a journey of self-exploration and be as creative as you like ... simply grab a pen and some paper (and perhaps your granddad), then read on to find out how to create your own family tree.
Researching your family
Why are grandparents such compelling storytellers? Perhaps it's a result of all the experiences and wisdom they accumulate over the years, or perhaps they all just sneak off to take a course in advanced storytelling while you're busy giving birth to their legacy.Whatever it is, since the beginning of time - or at least two generations after the beginning of time - children all over the world have been left wide-eyed and awe struck by war stories, memories of a world before technology, and legendary family tales which have been handed down from generation to generation.
Listening to an elderly family member reminisce can offer a young child incredible insight into their own history, enabling them to envisage periods of time and culture they will never have the opportunity to witness first hand.
What is Genealogy and why is it important?
Genealogy takes the concept a step further. To an expert it is the study and tracing of family pedigrees, collecting the names of relatives and establishing the relationships among them using primary, secondary and circumstantial evidence in order to build a cohesive family tree (thanks Wikipedia). But essentially and most importantly for the children, genealogy is the chance to go behind the scenes, to delve deeper into all those classic stories and even unearth a few new ones.Genealogy has become far more accessible for kids of late since moving out of the dusty basements of local libraries onto computer screens, and companies like findtree.co.uk are embracing their new-found popularity by offering a tailored service for the little ones.
How can I start a family history project?
Findtree have developed a special area to help kids get started on a family history project, with forms to fill in, advice on what to ask your relatives and space to download photos. According to research director Sarah Halton, ‘A project like this can really capture children's imaginations and it gives them an opportunity to delve into old photo albums and really get to know other members of the family in a different way. It's an easy and fun project and best of all it's free!'More than just a history lesson, genealogy offers kids the chance to get closer to their living relatives and may even have a strong influence on the way they view themselves as they learn more about their origins and family heritage.
