What To Do

• Create a photo album together. Make sure the names of everyone in the photograph are written under or on the back of the photo. Don't forget to write the year the picture was taken.
• Make a family history book, complete with photos and articles written about weddings, reunions, and other celebrations. Each family member can take a different section.
• Hold a family reunion. Ask everyone to bring photos and fact sheets about their immediate family, including important dates and brief summaries of their own personal histories. This information can be used for the family history book or just passed around for everyone to see. Family reunions are a great way for the generations to mix and spend time together.
• Make a cookbook of favorite family recipes through the years. Bring the recipes alive by taking turns hosting potlucks and cooking or baking dishes from the book.
• Have an afternoon of storytelling from the older generations to the younger ones. It helps the youngsters see the grandparents, aunts, and uncles as "real people" with a history. It also can help them understand what life was like before e-mails and cell phones!

What To Know

Knowing your family history also can be useful for medical reasons, such as genetic disorders or hereditary conditions. For example, risk for developing addictive behaviors like alcoholism and substance abuse has been found to be related to genetics. Consider learning about and documenting your family's medical history.