It’s amazing to think about the long lines of ancestors we have that we don’t even know about—these are the people we have to thank for us being here on Earth. We’ve all seen popular companies that promise to tell us about our genes using small samples of our DNA. These companies can provide pretty accurate assessments of our genes, but they can’t tell us much about the actual people who got us here.
Thankfully, that’s where the study of genealogy comes in handy. If you want to cure your curiosity and learn more about your family’s genealogy, this is how to start. The best part is that your kids will love this activity and feel excited to learn about where they came from.
Start Your Family Tree
You can easily include your kids in this part. Start with a large piece of construction paper and markers, and have the kids make the tree as you fill it out. This part is to help you get a better understanding of what you already know and what you still need to learn about your family. Start with yourself, and go as far back as you can. Before long, your family tree will look like a puzzle you can’t wait to solve.
Gather Everything
The next step in learning about your family’s genealogy is to gather every family document you can find. No piece of information is too small, so gather diaries, photographs, letters, baby books, and newspaper clippings. These bits of data will help you connect emotionally with your ancestors and give you a great starting place to delve into your research.
Request Records
You can actually request family records from the government. This is a great option if you know or believe your more recent ancestors immigrated to the United States. Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, you can obtain their immigration records and learn all about when and where your ancestors arrived.
