👪️ Fun Ways to Engage Youth in Family History During the Christmas Season ⛄️

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Although Christmas is a busy time of year, it's an optimal time to incorporate some family history activities for children and youth into traditions that your family already is doing, or consider trying a couple new ones. The key is to see what you're already doing, and then consider a family history twist. See below for some examples:

• Advent calendars: Include ancestral photos and stories, maybe even small toys, like a wooden truck or Slinky that you or your ancestors might have enjoyed.
• Christmas trees: Consider assembling an ancestor tree. Choose a Christmas tree of any size, and then add photo ornaments, framed ancestral photos, and popcorn or cranberries on a string. Check out great ideas here.
• Villages: Many families have a small (or large) Christmas village collection. Consider adding some figurines or elements that represent your ancestors' or relatives' occupations, favorite things, or even fun family stories. For the creative kiddos, consider creating ancestral homes or log cabins, using what you have around the house (cardboard, paper, paint, markers, wooden craft sticks, etc.). Find cute ideas here.
• 12 Days of Christmas: Consider doing your own 12 Days of Christmas activities with a Family History theme. They can be as simple as uploading an ancestor's photo to FamilySearch, sharing a family memory at Christmas dinner, or even playing some family history games. Find many ideas here.
• Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner: For one of these special occasions, or even a night in December, invite family (and even friends) over requesting that everyone bring a dish from a country where their ancestors are from or a family favorite. Share the stories behind the food, and then enjoy together, creating new family memories.

See many other fun, simple, creative, and joyful ways to enhance your Christmas season here by including your ancestors, or at least the memory of who they are and how they impact your family. Consider ways to remember them in your current holiday festivities. Thanks to Revealing Roots and Branches blog article for many of the inspiring ideas!