Compiling your family’s history is a task worthy of careful preparation. More than just a hobby, genealogy is a legacy – a labor of love to be passed to future generations. But it’s also an intimidating task, especially if you’re unsure of where to begin. Below are some tips and fun activities to help you get started.

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Start With What You Have
Sketch your family tree based entirely on memory. Even if it’s full of question marks, a rough draft will tell you what you’ll need to research in the coming months.

Gather the records you have on hand and compare them with your outline. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death records can provide much of the information you are missing.

Get Your Family Involved
When starting your research, remember that living relatives are your very best sources. Interview as many relatives as you can and ask them for stories that pertain to your past. Record these interviews by hand or electronically.

Make a videotape featuring your pieces of your interview and old home movies. When your tapes are all compiled, organize a family movie night. This is a great way to acquaint young children with older generations.

Ask permission from relatives to sort through their belongings. You’re likely to find valuable information in old baby books, family Bibles, letters, scrapbooks and journals.

Organize a special lunch and scapbooking party. Invite nearby relatives to bring old photos and keepsakes, then share and swap information. Turning family history into a family event will encourage everyone to get involved in the project.

Branch Out and Explore
At some point, you’ll need to do some research on your own. Find out what’s available outside of your family’s immediate sphere. Libraries and genealogical societies collect published family histories, old newspapers and other research materials.

Don’t be scared of technology. The Internet is an excellent source for family history information. Ancestry.com’s World Tree, for example, contains millions of names submitted by fellow researchers.

If you’re uncomfortable with a computer, sign up for an Internet beginners’ class. Invite parents, children or spouses to attend these classes with you. You may unwittingly encourage others to start family history projects of their own.

Share and Preserve
After you’ve completed a good portion of your research, sort through the memorabilia you’ve collected. Take the prettier pieces (like moth-eaten letters and greeting cards) and organize them into a home display. Several frame shops specialize in shadowbox displays and other ways to preserve precious documentation.

Consider organizing displays by theme – a collection of World War II clippings for example. Choose frames and matte colors that complement the era you’re trying to evoke.

Take the rough draft of your actual family tree and rework it into something beautiful. Local artists are often willing to transform computerized documents into works of art – often painted or embroidered.

One way or another, be sure to show off your handiwork. Remember that you’ll want a tangible heirloom to pass on to children and grandchildren. Whether it’s a scrapbook, shadowbox or elaborate family tree, a material collection of your efforts will be appreciated for decades to come.

For more ideas or to learn more about family history, visit Ancestry.com.
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