Genealogy Gifts and Games

Creating personalized gifts and games that showcase your family history is a great way to connect the generations. The possibilities are endless; the important thing is to create something that makes family history fun and engaging. Hopefully this list will stimulate your thinking and make you aware of some helpful resources. Have fun!

= Gifts =

Your Life Story
There is no better gift to give your family than your own life story. There are many ways to do it – you can answer individual questions, write one story at a time, or simply start at the beginning and write in chronological order. Then, share what you have written by printing customized books or putting the stories in a binder or on a CD.

For tips on getting started and ideas of questions to answer, check out these Web sites:


 * Memoir Mentor
 * Family History Quick Start
 * Supplemental Lesson 4: Write Your Personal History

Books
It is now easy to publish your own books on any topic imaginable - a specific person or event, or anniversary; a theme, such as vacations or Christmas; or a family alphabet book. There are many print-on-demand companies to choose from; your decision depends on how you want to create the book. Here’s a look at the three basic options and a few of the top companies in each category:

Use your own software, and then work with the publisher to finalize your book.

 * Lulu
 * BYU Print Services
 * Family Heritage Publishers

Download software from the company and upload the book when it’s ready.

 * Blurb
 * My Publisher

Publish completely online.

 * Shutterfly
 * Walmart (Select Photo, then Memory Books)
 * Snapfish
 * Cherish Bound (Note: You must work through a consultant.)
 * Heritage Makers (Note: You must work through a consultant.)

DVD or CD
An inexpensive alternative to creating a book is to make a CD or DVD. This medium also gives you the added advantage of being able to share audio or video recordings. There are many commercial companies and products to help – just do an Internet search with a phrase like “family history DVD.” Here are just a few examples:


 * Smilebox
 * Photo to DVD

Cookbooks
Creating a collection of family recipes will bring back delicious memories and ensure that those recipes are shared with future generations. You can even include photographs and memories about the specific dishes. For ideas and tools, go to:


 * Cyndi's List
 * The Great Family Cookbook Project
 * Heritage Cookbook
 * Blog Article: Creating a Family Cookbook
 * The Cookbook People

Placemats
Create a family tree placemat for the children in your family. You can draw a tree and add photographs or create the tree using design software. The other side of the placemat could feature family photographs or anything meaningful to your family. If you don’t want to create your own placemats, there are some commercial companies you could check out, such as:

The Personal Note

Calendars
This is a never-fail idea that is simple to do. Your calendar could include living family members, ancestors, or both. Don’t forget to include birthdays, anniversaries, and other important family dates. There are many online companies or just take your calendar to somewhere like Kinko’s or Alphagraphics. Here are some of the many helpful websites:

Family Calendar

Personalized Family Calendar

Create Photo Calendars

Shutterfly

Vista Print

Publish Me Mine

Blog Article: Create Your Own Printable Photo Calendar

Photograph Collages
Create a fun way to display and share family photographs. This could include a five generation look at one’s female or male ancestry, or perhaps a photograph together with artifacts, such as medals.

Coloring Books
A great way to teach young children about their family history is to create a coloring book. The subject could be an individual, a couple, or a family. You could also create a coloring book based on a specific experience in an ancestor’s life. To illustrate the pages of your coloring book, use drawings, photographs, maps, and other visuals that have room for children to color. (Make sure to follow copyright laws.) You could even draw your own pictures. There are even Web sites that can turn your photos into cartoon-like drawings, such as: Be Funky.