8 Ideas to Incorporate Family History into Your ART Curriculum

by Shenley Puterbaugh

Art is a powerful way to connect us with our ancestors. Whether you are teaching your children at home, in a classroom or planning a fun activity with your grandchildren, try one of these art projects to inspire the children and teens around you to love family history!

1. Draw, paint or sculpt an ancestor.

2. Draw or paint an ancestor surrounded by things that were important to him or her. Discuss why the items may have been important to them.

3. Draw or paint an ancestor eating a favorite food, playing a favorite sport, working at his or her job, doing something he or she loved, or with family members.

4. Draw or paint a scene from a story about an ancestor and talk about the story. What can you learn from this story (the positives or negatives)?

5. Draw multiple pictures of scenes from an ancestor’s life. Make it into a comic or book. 

6. Draw or paint the home or land of an ancestor.

7. Draw, paint or sculpt a family tree. The tree can be drawn or painted and names can be written or photos can be glued onto it. If the tree is sculpted, you may choose to hang photos of ancestors from the branches.

8. Turn one of these drawings or paintings into a puzzle by cutting it into pieces. 

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