50+ Family Tree Activities to Do with Your Kids

“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox.

As the above quote highlights, I cannot stress the importance of familiarizing your kids with their family relations from a young age to help them build their core identity and feel a sense of belonging ❤️ to a larger community of people.

If you’re looking for various ways to get your kids acquainted with their family tree, I’m here to help you with fun and creative ideas that can come in handy.

Family Tree Activities for Your Kids 

I believe that family trees 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🌳 are visual aids that can help our kids connect the relations between various family members and are more fun when hands-on activities are involved. 

In this blog post, I have put together a list of simple and creative activities your kids can do to make family trees of various types.

Family Tree with Card Matching Game

Initially, our kids might recognize the faces and names of family members but not the relationships they share – this is a great activity to get them acquainted.

Make two sets of cards 🎴 – photographs of each family member with their names on one and the relationships – like grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, on another, for them to match the two sets correctly.

Family Print with Handprints

Make a family tree with a messy art yet fun art activity that your kids are sure to love.

You can get your kids to dip their hands ✋🏼 in different colors of paints and press the needed number of handprints on a sheet of paper to make the family tree. 

They can use a marker to add face details to the handprints, write down the names of the family members, and join the handprints together to form a family tree.

Family Tree with Printable Templates

I want to admit that I like using printable templates 📄 for my son to fill as they come in many creative design layouts, and the choices are plenty.

You can search for templates of family trees and print the ones your kids like the most. You can get them to fill in the names of the family members to complete the family tree chart.

Family Tree with Button Figures

I recommend doing this simple and unique art activity with buttons kept away in your cupboard to represent the family tree.

You can start by making the basic family tree outline with lines connecting the family members with their names.

Let your kids draw the classic stick figures to represent the family members and glue flat round buttons in different colors for their heads to create a beautiful family tree with button figures.

Family Tree with Drawings

My art-loving son enjoys anything with drawing and coloring, and this was the perfect activity for him to do.

You can encourage your kids to draw ✍🏼 and color 🖍️ the family members in their own style – using their creativity and imagination. You can mark points for them to draw in for a tree hierarchy or let them draw anywhere they like for a freestyle family tree.

Pro Tip:

We framed the artwork that my son did, and it now hangs on our living room wall.

Family Tree with Mind Maps

I found most kids were first taught about their family relations using a mind map, 🧠🗺️ family tree, and a simple way for kids to learn about their families. 

You can draw connecting lines, label the relations, and let your kids write the names and draw the faces of the family members in the designated spaces. You can also encourage your kids to write a few qualities or facts associated with each family member.

Family Tree with Paper Tree and Apples

I found inspiration from a craft blog for this activity and tried it with my son to make a family tree. 

You can draw and cut outlines of a tree from green-colored paper and apples from red-colored paper. Your kids can stick passport or stamp-sized photos of each family member on individual apples 🍎 and then glue the apples to the tree 🌲 to make a beautiful display.

Pro Tip:

You can replace the apple outlines with other designs – hearts, stars, face outlines, etc. 

Family Tree with Pipe Cleaner Trees

I did this hands-on craft activity with my son to make a visual and physical family tree.

Guide your kids to twist a few pipe cleaners together to form a tree with the branches spreading out.

Cut leaf shapes from green colored paper, and your kids can write the names of the family members on the leaves, punch holes, and hang the leaves to the pipe cleaner tree 🌳 to complete the family tree.

Family Tree with Cup Stacking

I recommend playing the classic cup 🍶 stacking game with your kids, but the goal is to create a stack to represent the family tree.

Make your kids draw and color the face outlines of the family members. You can cut and glue the faces with name labels to paper cups. Let your kids try to stack the cups in the form of a pyramid to complete the family tree while also playing a game of cup stacking.

Pro Tip:

You can use empty paper cups to space the family members and to spread out the tree.

Family Tree with Photo Cards

I recommend this hands-on and fun activity to make a family tree with photo cards.

You can cut circle or rectangle cards from thick paper and glue the photos 📷 of family members to make individual photo cards of each person.

Place the cards in a bowl, and let your kids form a family tree on any surface – floor, table, or sheet of paper, by arranging the photo cards in order. 

Family Tree with Photo Magnets

I must tell you that my son loves arranging the magnets on the refrigerator, so this activity was something he loved doing.

You can make simple photo magnets 🧲 by gluing the faces on thick paper circles and attaching magnets to them. Place them on the refrigerator for your kids to arrange the photo magnets into family trees. 

Family Tree with Coloring Sheets

My son experiences a sense of calm when coloring, and we try to include it in more activities, so this was one such activity he loved.

You can make coloring sheets by drawing or printing outlines of different shapes for each family member and write down their relationships with your kids – grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, etc. 

Let your kids write the names of the family members matching the title, then color 🖍️ and decorate the shapes. 

Family Tree with Ice Cream Stick Houses

I recommend making a house craft with ice cream sticks to display the family tree with your kids’ drawings.

You will need six ice cream sticks to make the basic outline of a house – a square and a triangle. Make your kids draw and color tiny figures of the family members on a square piece of paper and glue it to the ice cream stick house outline.

Family Tree with Paper Outline Houses

My son enjoyed doing this art activity to create a paper house.

Draw an outline of a house on paper with rooms and windows – almost resembling an open dollhouse 🏡 in 2D.

Let your kids draw and color tiny figures of family members sitting around in the rooms and looking out of the windows of the paper house, arranged according to the family tree order.

Family Tree with Ice Cream Stick Trees

You can repurpose ice cream sticks into trees 🌲 for your kids to attach family photos and create a physical family tree.

Write the names of the family members on the ice cream sticks and stick their photo faces next to their names.

Attach one ice cream stick upright to a cardboard circle to make the tree trunk, and guide your kids to glue the other photo ice cream sticks to resemble the branches of the tree. 

Family Tree with Handprint Background

It’s time to get your kids’ hands messy with paint for an art activity that my son loved doing. 

Get your kids to dip their hands ✋🏼in paint and transfer their handprints to a sheet of paper. Repeat until the background is covered with handprints. Leave this to dry and encourage your kids to make a family tree over their imprints for a family tree artwork.

Pro Tip:

You can use different color paints for the handprints for a colorful background.

Family Tree with Questions

My friend did this activity with her daughter, which led me to try the same with my son so he could learn about the family by answering questions.

You can print a sheet with questions ⁉️ that your kids can try to answer about various family members – their birthdays, jobs, hometowns, personality traits, favorite food and colors, and so on as a way for them to understand their family better.

Pro Tip:

I recommend involving the immediate family in this activity – your kids can interview them for the answers.

Conclusion 

I found that my son had a lot of fun doing these simple, hands-on activities that also helped him learn more about the family tree visually – I am sure your kids will benefit from these activities, too.

I hope you enjoyed reading the list of activities to display your family relationships as family trees in various ways.

Please comment below if you want to share any more ideas or clarify any questions – I would love to hear your feedback. 😊