Ancestors Family Tree!

It is the time of year that we speak of our ancestors. For a few years now when have been working on a family tree. Our large wall hanging breaks down in to pieces and like a puzzle we have to put it together every year. Of course my children helped me do this adding to their knowledge of the family every year. Adding complexity as they grow is a lot of fun.

We make the tree. Using brown paper bags I made a tree in pieces of odd shapes. each piece could be easily taped to the wall to form a tree. First, cut the two paper bags flat, and then I crushed a few different colors of crayon. being traditionalist we used brown but really it could be any color you want your family tree to be.

For family members I used store-bought dye and cut apples. I like the symbolic inclusion of the apples traditionally associated with the dead and Samhain. Also, they are different but not. These could just as easily be flowers or nuts or leaves or pictures of your family whatever fits you. On the front, I put their first name and their birth year to death year (if departed). On the back, we added their full birthday, their last & middle name, and applicable maiden name. Next, we added a list of all their children because we are only doing the direct line for now. I got much of this information through circulating this family tree. It is the best I have ever found. From Family-tree-template.org they have many many more that are fantastic.

This year we will be adding step-grandparents. I am going to do this by adding a little flower. And stories that we are going to collect through contacting our living family.

This annual activity helps deepen their relationship not only with a long history of colorful ancestors but their living family as well as we search and gather more information.

I made this journal page to add to the fun. This year when we take the tree down we will be making a binder to add to our photo album bookshelf. Following each apple will be stories we have collected and other things that will help them add to the celebration this time next year.