How to make a family tree with your kids

Families come in all shapes and sizes and but whatever the make-up of your family, creating a family tree will help your children to understand their family connections.  

A family tree usually starts with the oldest generation at the top and the youngest generation at the bottom (although you could reverse this and have the youngest at the top. It’s your family tree, it’s up to you!).

If your kids are younger, start with going back as far as grandparents. If your kids are older, you could go further back, depending on the information you have.  

• Children feel secure and stable knowing that they are a tiny part of a bigger whole.
• Experts have reported that children who know their family story have higher self-esteem and are happier.
• Talking about family members can be a great way to celebrate the differences within families.

While looking through photos, remember to take some time to tell your children the stories behind them. Include as much detail as you can such as who the people, and when and where the photo was taken. You could also explain how photos were taken before the invention of mobile phones!

Family tree format ideas

• Make a drawing of an actual tree. Add photos to it with names underneath.  
• On a large piece of paper, get your kids to make colourful handprints and use each handprint to write the details of a family member – with or without a photo.
• Put photos in a large frame and write the names of the family underneath. Visual clues help with remembering who is who.
• Create a family tree photo wall. Gather photos of your family – and put each in matching frames (or different frames if you prefer a more eclectic look) then choose a wall in your home and hang them in generation order.
• For a more informal family tree – get hold of a cork board and some colourful push pins. Pin family photos and add their names underneath.  
• Create a circular family tree. Start with your children’s names in the middle of a circle and then each draw a circle around that with parent’s names – then grandparents, great grandparents etc. with each additional circle.  

There are also lots of free templates available to download online.