Whether you have a passing interest in family history or are a full-fledged genealogy addict, I am confident you’ll find something here to inspire you to celebrate Family History Month in a way that brings joy—and that doesn’t create a whole to-do list of follow-up items!
1 - Start a low-pressure memory journal.
So many people fall off the journaling bandwagon because they feel pressed for time. It’s one of the reasons gratitude journals have become so popular in recent years—because there is a straightforward writing prompt that invites just a few sentences of reflection. Why not commit to a memory-keeping journal that you know you can handle? On the opening page, write the title “I Remember,” and then start every entry with those words. You don’t even have to date your entries if you don’t want to—that way there’s no guilt if you skip a day here or there. Read more about how such a journal can serve as the basis for delving into your family history even more (or not!).
2 - Use social media to crowdsource family history photos.
Most of us don’t have a complete set of family photos—some are housed at our parents’ or siblings’ homes, some appear to be “lost,” and others are in photo albums but not yet digitized. It’s a great goal to work towards a fully organized digital family archive, and one of the best ways to discover new pictures is to create a shared digital hub. If you’re a Facebook fan, create a family group just for posting old family photos and invite members to add stories. Other great platforms for privately sharing photos and soliciting captions are Forever.com, Google Photos (use shared albums), and SmugMug. Each type of technology has different benefits and privacy policies, so be sure to check those out before committing to one (if you’re unsure, find a professional photo manager to guide you). Take note, though: These should not be your primary place for storing your high-resolution digital photos, just a useful tool for sharing with family members.
3 - Photograph your family heirlooms.
Since this post is all about do-able activities as opposed to creating long-term projects for yourself, consider taking just the first step this month in creating a catalog of your family heirlooms. For now, make a cursory list of the heirlooms and mementos that hold the most meaning to you—and think broadly, as “heirloom” does not necessarily mean expensive: crocheted blankets, passed-down cast-iron pans, and nostalgic Christmas ornaments may all fit the bill. Enlist the help of your family members to designate what they each consider meaningful (you might be surprised by what they identify!). Then photograph the items individually. Make 4x6 prints that you can store in a standard recipe box, and jot down a few lines about the items on the back of each—who gave you the item, why it holds meaning. Someday you may want to create a book from these images.
4 - Document family recipes.
Again, this isn’t about creating a huge project for yourself; while it’s admirable to strive for a published family heritage cookbook, this month we’re all about achievable undertakings. So pick one or two dishes that hold meaning for you, then cook them. Take photos along the way, from prep to enjoying the meal around the table. And write down ingredients (measure things you normally eyeball so someone else can prepare the dish successfully!). Then store what you’ve recorded in a place you will remember. Who knows, maybe you’ll catch the cooking bug and document even more recipes down the road, but for now you can have peace of mind that one or two special recipes are preserved.
5 - Get the kids to interview their grandparents.
Maybe this is a predictable suggestion for a family history activity, but it’s an essential one that often gets put off: Invite your parents to share their stories—even better, get your KIDS to interview them. Something special happens when the youngsters in the family connect with their grandparents! Grandchildren who come to their grandparents with genuine curiosity will inevitably tap a rich well of stories from their elders. Download a free guide with suggested interview questions, a history timeline, and bonus post-interview activities designed especially for grandkids and grandparents. This can make a great project for scouts or youth groups, too.
6 - Print a beautifully designed family tree chart.
It’s one thing to build out your family tree online and another to hang a framed graphic family chart in your home. Elegant, affordable options abound. So download a gedcomm file from Ancestry or Family Search (both sites have free versions) and get a professional designer on the case. Two of my favorites are Family Tree Chart for modern, bold designs and Branches Art for more traditional options. Oh, and don’t wait until your tree is “finished,” as it’s pretty much always a work in progress; instead, highlight the roots that you have researched—you can always update your wallhanging again in the future.
7 - Write yourself a letter (and make it an annual tradition).
Handwritten letters are becoming a thing of the past, yet no one can deny their power or emotional resonance. Set aside an hour or so to write yourself a letter that you plan to save in a keepsake box or family file: Reflect on the past year (How have you/your family grown and changed? What nourishes you? What do you want to remember about this particular season of your life?). Be thoughtful. If writing to yourself feels too weird, address the letter to your child(ren) or even a parent who has passed away. Make sure you date and sign the letter (that magic of handwriting thing again!). And after you stash it somewhere for safekeeping, put a notation in your calendar to do the same exercise again next year.
8 - Spend one day at the library.
That’s it, just one day. You might go with a specific goal in mind (using the library’s ancestry.com membership to research a particular family member, for instance) or rather go in the spirit of adventurous discovery (look up newspaper headlines from your parents’ birthdays over the years, say). Perhaps you ask the librarian for help sourcing some books that will shed light on an aspect of an ancestor’s life (on the Korean War if your grandfather served, or what it was like to be a nurse in the fifties if that’s what you mom did, for example). You may want to get the whole family involved, or go on a day when special programming for the kids will keep them busy while you hit the books. Don’t forget to make photocopies of relevant findings, or to bring a disk to download digital files for your records!
9 - Pull out an old photo album after dinner.
When’s the last time you went through a box of old photos or an album you've had stashed away, out of sight, for a long time? Consider this your friendly reminder to pull those out every now and then to visit with the memories within. Gather the whole family around and revel in the nostalgia!
10 - Call a family elder.
This just might be the easiest AND most rewarding idea on this list. Pick up the phone and call or FaceTime one of your parents, grandparents, great-aunts or uncles, or any other family elder. Maybe you spoke to them last week or last decade—no matter. Get a conversation going that invites reminiscing. Ask for stories. Share a family history discovery you made. This isn’t about sleuthing out the answer to some genealogy mystery or even conducting a personal history interview—instead, it’s about fostering connection, plain and simple. Sometimes it can be too easy for family history enthusiasts to get lost in the past; take this time to be intentional about honoring your family relationships in the present.
Dawn Roode, a personal historian based in northern New Jersey, helps individuals, families, and family-run businesses preserve their legacies in bespoke coffee table books.