Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in cincinnati, OH

Genealogy for Preschoolers

by Amy Mumper

July 05, 2009

As you may know, I teach preschool.  Specifically, 2 ½ year olds.  It's amazing fun to teach this age level because absolutely everything is new to them:  the seasonal projects, various art supplies - everything.  And, you've got to be careful about them taking things too literally.  For instance, this year, we did a keepsake project that is a "family tree".  Whew!  They could NOT figure out why it was a tree of all things.  So, we went for a really concrete look for the project.  You might enjoy trying it at home; it's a great start for talking about the family relationships that are so precious to you and your child.

First, start with some green and brown tempera paint.  Then, ‘paint' you child's hand green (they LOVE this - we talk about how tickly it is).  Then, print their green hand on a piece of paper, toward the top.  Wash your hands - and your child's - and then one or both of you paint the trunk of the tree with a paintbrush and brown paint.  Once your tree dries, you're ready to add on the family.  Use a quarter sized circle for each person in the family - pink for girls and blue for boys.  Then, find a picture of each person and glue it in the circle.  Write the family member's name on it and voila!  Your child's family tree!

If you're really ambitious, I think a butcher paper-sized family tree would really be fun.  I say this because my husband is one of six children.  Needless to say, my children have MANY cousins on that side of the family.  They know we're all Mumpers, but visualizing each individual family takes a lot of explaining.  Seeing each nuclear family on a different branch on paper, sharing Grandma and Grandpa, would make SO much sense to them!

More genealogy for preschoolers can be simply talking about your surname.  For instance, find on a map where your ancestors came from.  Tell about what language your name was originally from and whether or not it has changed.  Try out the kids' first names with an O' or a ‘Mac' in front of your surname.

 If you're like me, you've named your children after elder people in your family.  My kids LOVE this connection.  We tell specific stories about the person whose name they have.  We've given them special keepsakes "from" their namesake, showed pictures of Mommy and Daddy with this special person.  It's a great connection and gives them great pride in not only their family name, but their first name as well.

Need a book as a starting point for knitting family yarns?  Try Todd Parr's The Family Book.  Or, for little ones, simply insert pictures in this cutie book!  And, for a fun look at family vacationing to one another's homes, check out The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant.