Tell Us About Your Family!
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Create a simple family tree and interview relatives to collect photos, names, and fun facts. Share your family story with others.

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Step-by-step guide to Tell Us About Your Family

What you need
Adult supervision required, colouring materials such as crayons markers or coloured pencils, family photos or printed photo copies, glue or tape, paper or poster board, pencil, scissors, sticky notes or index cards

Step 1

Collect all Materials and put them on your table.

Step 2

Make a list of family members you want to include on your tree.

Step 3

Write five simple interview questions on sticky notes or index cards.

Step 4

Ask an adult to help you contact one family member from your list.

Step 5

Ask that family member to bring or send a photo for your family tree.

Step 6

Interview the family member using your questions and listen carefully.

Step 7

Write the family member’s name and one fun fact on a separate index card.

Step 8

Repeat Steps 4 to 7 until you have photos and cards for everyone on your list.

Step 9

Draw the outline of your family tree on the paper with you at the bottom and branches above for parents and grandparents.

Step 10

Cut out the photos neatly so they fit on your tree.

Step 11

Glue or tape each photo into the correct spot on the tree.

Step 12

Attach the name card and fun fact next to each photo on the tree.

Step 13

Decorate your tree with colors symbols or small drawings that show something special about each person.

Step 14

Share your finished family tree and story on DIY.org.

Final steps

You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!

Complete & Share
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Help!?

What can we use if we don't have sticky notes, index cards, or a printer for photos?

Cut scrap paper, cereal-box cardboard, or the back of old greeting cards into small cards for the name/fun-fact cards (step 9), and if you can't print photos ask family to send phone photos you can glue/tape as-is or draw portraits to use in step 11.

What should we do if a family member won't answer or we get no photo when following steps 4–7?

Ask your adult helper to contact another person from your list or use a home photo, a screenshot from a video call, or a drawn picture and note that on the index card so you can continue through steps 8–11.

How can we change the activity for different ages while doing the tree (steps 2–13)?

For younger kids, have an adult pre-cut photos and ask one simple question while the child glues and decorates (steps 4–13), and for older kids, write more detailed interview questions, add dates or short stories to each card, and create a digital version to share (steps 3, 6, 9, 14).

How can we make the finished family tree more special or extend the project before sharing on DIY.org?

Add personalized symbols or small drawings that show hobbies for each person (step 13), attach a QR code or brief audio clip of the interview next to their photo, and draw a family timeline on the page margin before posting (steps 12–14).

Watch videos on how to Tell Us About Your Family

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Vocabulary about FAMILY for children - Family tree for kids

4 Videos

Facts about family history and genealogy for kids

🗣️ Before written records, families preserved history by storytelling and interviews—just like this activity!

🌳 Family trees grow fast: 10 generations back could include up to 1,024 ancestors if none of them overlap.

🧭 Genealogy is a popular hobby—millions of people use archives and family interviews to discover surprising relatives and stories.

📸 The oldest surviving photograph was made in 1826 by Nicéphore Niépce, and photos have helped families remember faces for nearly 200 years.

🧬 You inherit about 50% of your DNA from each parent and roughly 25% from each grandparent — DNA helps explain family similarities!

How do you create a simple family tree and interview relatives for the 'Tell Us About Your Family!' activity?

Start by drawing a simple tree on a poster or large paper and put the child’s name at the base. Add parents, siblings, and grandparents on branching lines. Prepare a short interview list (name, favorite memory, hobbies, a funny fact). Ask relatives in person, by phone, or video; jot notes and collect photos or scan them. Label each photo with the person’s name and a fun fact, glue them on, and practice telling the family story aloud.

What materials do I need for the family tree and interview activity?

You’ll need a large sheet of paper or poster board, markers or colored pencils, scissors and glue or tape, printed photos or family snapshots, index cards or sticky notes for names and facts, a pen for notes, a camera or smartphone to take or scan pictures, and a short interview question list. Optional extras include stickers, patterned paper, a laminator, and an audio recorder for preserving interviews. Use safe child scissors and supervise younger children.

What ages is the 'Tell Us About Your Family!' activity suitable for?

This activity suits ages 4 to 14 with adjustments. Preschoolers (4 to 6) can match photos to family members and answer simple questions with adult help. Elementary children (7 to 10) can conduct brief interviews, write names and fun facts, and glue photos. Tweens and teens (11 to 14+) can research extended relatives, design more detailed trees, and digitize records. Always supervise younger kids during interviews and explain online privacy if sharing photos.

What are the benefits of making a family tree and interviewing relatives?

Creating a family tree and interviewing relatives strengthens family bonds, boosts a child’s sense of identity, and improves listening and communication skills. It builds research and organizational abilities, fine motor skills through crafting, and confidence when presenting the story. Collecting photos and stories preserves family memory across generations and encourages empathy by learning relatives’ experiences. It’s also a gentle way to practice digital skills if photos are scanned or share
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