Genealogy can be fun with children if you involve them in your family tree scrapbooking.
This is just the kind of activity that children can really get into and learn a lot about your family's unique history.
It's a way for them to learn without getting bombarded with names and dates which can result in them losing interest altogether.
Scrapbooking is also a great way to present your family tree because it can be passed around or giving, given as a gift or left on the coffee table to share with interested guests.
The scrapbook serves the dual purpose of both protecting your important pieces and presenting them in a handy way.
Personally, I would make copies of very important documents so that they can be cut and pasted without too much concern.
With your copies and all the usual scrapbooking material in hand, you'll be ready to get started.
If not, then a quick trip to the craft store will provide lots of great paper and accents that you can use to make your scrapbook more decorative.
If you are selecting your scrapbook, try to choose one that can hold a large amount of information and that allows pages to be added with ease.
Remember, your family tree will be growing over the years and whoever inherits it, will want to be able to keep it updated.
Experienced scrapbookers know that you will want to give some thought to the layout before you actually commit yourself to one.
Start with the oldest pictures and documents and the names and important dates for all the members of your family that you will include in the scrapbook.
You will probably want to do just a few individuals at a time if the kids are younger because their attention span will be more limited.
Another thing to consider is if your scrapbook will be for just one side of the family or both.
If your family is very large, it will be best to break it up into at least two scrapbooks.
Next decide how far back you will go.
Will you include great grandparents or only go as far back as your grandparents? Have on hand colorful markers and help the children label everything properly.
Craft stores have a lot of fun things to help decorate each page.
Kids will really enjoy all the colorful stickers and helping them choose ones that seem to fit the personality of family members that they know will help them see the unique personalities that they all have.
There may be family members that you have limited information about, but don't let that stop you.
Is there an old family story about that person that can be transformed into a page with a combination of the kid's drawings or colorful stickers?The types of hobbies they had can be shown on the scrapbook page with many stickers from the craft store.
Did they have a recipe that was "famous" within your family?Did they write poems or make interesting things that can be added to your scrapbook?How do your kids remember them?Any special memories that the children have of them that would make a touching addition? It's easiest to make a single page dedicated to a particular individual or couple.
Encourage the kids to call their favorite relatives and ask them a bit about their past so they can come up with ideas on how to best portray them.
Kids can add their touch by adding their own comments about each person - perhaps their favorite memory of a particular person.
A family tree scrapbook can be a great way to pass the time during the winter months or on rainy days.
It is time well spent because of all the memories your kids will have of putting it together and later showing it off!