Family reunions, gatherings, and potlucks are here, with summertime in full swing. Here is a fun book and activity to do with your kids this summer as you get ready for those family reunions and gatherings. Hope and her family arrive at Aunt Poogee’s farm, which is five hours from the city she lives in. She’s there to spend the summer with all her aunts, uncles and cousins on her mother’s side. When she arrives, she finds her aunts and uncles, catfish, corn pudding, a trumpet, cousins, homemade ice cream, special family recipes, crab cakes, and fun. They have a...
For our Kid’s Book club this month, we are reading The Wall by Eve Bunting. As a history teacher, I loved talking with my students about the origination and history behind the holidays we celebrate. Although for many of us, Memorial Day is just a day off and a time for vacationing, it can be a valuable tool for teaching children to honor and remember those who died in our country’s service. I’m still planning exactly how we’ll celebrate, but one of my favorite activities was participating in the Honor Roll project. Our family visited the war memorials in Tucson and transcribed the...
Last week I taught a cub scouts group (ages 8-9) about genealogy. I wanted to connect with their interests, so I decided to talk about science. I brought this book with me: The One and Only Me: A Book About Genes by Ariana Killoran, a 23andMe Book. Preschool – Grade 3 (ages 4-8). It’s a fantastic introduction to inheritance and variation of traits for children. Poppy has red hair, freckles, blue eyes, and likes making pizza. She says that she has two siblings that look alike and asks, “why do I looks so different?” She learns all about cells, genes (not...
I asked my 3-year-old daughter if she knows what it means to be brave. She didn’t. I told her that it means “doing something you are afraid of, or doing something that is hard.” Then I read Seven Brave Women with her. We discussed several different ways that everyday women in the past were brave. Seven Brave Women by Betsy Hearne is a story about the brave deeds of the author’s ancestresses. Each of them did something hard or courageous. For example, her grandmother, who was a harpist-architectural-historian, went to a men only college. There was a sign there that read, “no...
How stories from the presidents’ childhoods inspired me to share family history in a way that kids can laugh at and connect with. President elect Trump is taking office in a week and a half. My six-year-old son was extremely curious about the election and asked his teacher and all our neighbors who they voted for. He is fascinated by the office of President of the United States, so when I stumbled across the book “Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America’s Presidents,” I knew he would like to read it together. With the inauguration coming, I chose it for our kids book...
Do you have any heirloom holiday decorations? My mother, sister and I were all married in December and have kept the ornaments used to decorate the trees at our wedding receptions. I also have a special advent calendar that my grandmother cross-stitched for me. Every year we tie candy or activity ideas to the advent calendar, just like my mother did when I was a little girl. My husband’s stocking was lovingly created by his Grandmother. She made stockings for all of her children and grandchildren. When I married into the Dyer family, one of my husband’s sisters made a stocking...
Have you ever read the childhood diary of a parent or grandparent? If only I could have the pleasure of finding such a gem! Information about what our ancestors were like as children is hard to come by. Childhood journals, if written in the first place, often did not last through the decades. When Nan Hunter discovered one such little treasure, her family gained delightful insight into the mind of a ten-year-old boy who would become president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She shared his diary with the world in her book, “The Diary of Howard Hunter.”...
Kids Book Club – October “Always remember you are the son of two proud nations, whose roots are as sturdy and deep as this oak tree,” a mother tells her son in Elan, Son of Two Peoples. In this captivating children’s story, which is based on true events, reader’s learn about a 13 year old boy coming of age through the traditions of two different cultures – the Jewish bar mitzvah and Acoma Pueblo manhood ceremony. This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission but it doesn’t change the price of the item. Thanks for your support!...
We are reading Homeplace by Ann Shelby this month. You can read my review of Homeplace here. The story is about a family who lives in the same place and takes care of the family farm for several generations. They feel a close connection with the land and the home. Kids love to feel that same connection to their grandparents and ancestors. Here are three ways you can help kids experience their ancestor’s homeplace: Look at Pictures of Ancestors’ Homes You may have some photos of your ancestor’s homes in your photo collection. What, you thought those were boring? Useless? No way! If your...
Granddaddy’s Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box is a poignant, true story about a boy named Michael who went with his granddaddy to vote in the civil-rights era segregated south. It’s the kind of family story that gets told and retold because it is filled with joy, excitement, pain, and inspiration. This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission but it doesn’t change the price of the item. Michael lives on the farm with his grandparents, where he learns lessons about work and patience from doing chores and fishing...
