Tracking Your Ancestors

Too often, history--especially from a child's perspective--is about as interesting as a dusty, old text book. The secret to making it more palatable is to make it more real. The Family History Map project does just that because it requires you to seek out the real-life adventures of your ancestors, and then record their migrations on a map (complete with props). Most important, the stories you and your children gather make people out of ancestors, who otherwise would be only names. What your kids will remember until they are much older will be the bowl of banana slices and cornflakes that Great Grandpa Dave ate for his first breakfast in America, or the 200 lollipops their Nonno bought one day in Canada when he found a dollar.

AGES: 4 to 10

PROJECT: The creation of a tabletop map, decorated with icons, that represents the history of your family

GOAL: To get to know ancestors by collecting stories about their lives and re-creating their migrations

ON HAND: Medium-sized table
X-acto knife and scissors
Tape and white glue
Atlas or world map
Pencil, eraser, black permanent marker and correction fluid (such as Wite-Out)
Fine-point markers for writing out the stories
Playmobil, Lego, and other miniature people and babies (try novelty or cake-decorating shops)
Miniature houses, boats, cars, trains, airplanes, trees, flowers

FROM AN ART SUPPLY STORE: Foam core and white poster board to cover the table, plus enough extra poster board to cut into strips for inserts
Sanford's Mr. Sketch scented markers
Six to eight different designs of small stickers
Two or three packets of Plasti-Tak

PREPARATION: Before the kids get involved, try your hand at digging up information about the family tree. If you know your family will be gathering for holiday celebrations, spread word of your project ahead of time so relatives will have the chance to think of stories and look for photographs. Otherwise, some time on the phone will go a long way; your relatives may be able to supply you with much of the information you need. Many organizations also trace family trees (see Resources). You will want to know how your family came to America (unless your family is Native American), where they came from, where they first settled, where and why they moved. You are in search of the most vivid stories, the funniest, scariest, most unusual things family members did or experienced over the years, because those stories are your admission ticket to your children's imagination.

Maggie Megaw is a frequent contributor to FamilyFun.