October is Family History Month, a perfect time to celebrate the stories, photos, and memories that define your family’s legacy. Whether you’re just becoming curious about your family’s stories, or you’ve been documenting your family’s history for years, there are countless ways to preserve and share the unique tales of your heritage. In honor of Family History Month, I’ve put together 10 creative and meaningful ways to record and share your family’s history. Use these ideas to help you connect generations, preserve memories, and protect your family’s legacy.
- Capture family stories in audio or video – encourage your relatives to share stories by answering questions, viewing their photos, or interacting with other family members. Record them as they share their stories. Capture the sound of your grandparents’ laughter, the way they speak, and their unique expressions. Set up a casual recording session over a cup of coffee or let the conversation flow while flipping through family albums. You never know—those casual conversations might reveal priceless family anecdotes you’ve never heard before!
- Digitize family letters, journals, and other documents – imagine reading your great-grandmother’s journal—her thoughts, dreams, and stories all in her own handwriting! Now, imagine sharing these with your children and grandchildren. By digitizing old letters and documents, you’re preserving not just words, but the wisdom, emotions, and unique handwriting of your ancestors, ensuring these keepsakes are safely stored for years to come. Collect these family treasures and scan them to create digital copies. Save them with your family’s photo collection.
- Make a family history photo book – take your family photos off the screen and into a beautifully curated book. Combine old black-and-white snapshots with the colorful memories of today and add stories that bring those images to life. With each turn of the page, your photo book becomes a walk down memory lane—a perfect gift for holidays, reunions, or just to have on your coffee table. Write what you know about your family history and create photo book showcasing your stories and photos.
- Create a family history website – creating a family history website is like building a living, breathing archive that future generations can access. Upload photos, videos, documents, and stories, and invite family members from all over the world to contribute. Platforms like Forever make it easy to create a digital space where your family’s legacy can continue to grow.
- Create a family tree with photos – start putting faces to the names in your family tree! Find an old photo of your great-grandfather, pair it with his stories, and begin crafting a visual timeline that includes everyone from your ancestors to your nieces and nephews. It’s more than just genealogy—it’s a way to see where you come from and make connections across generations.
- Outline your family story with a timeline – lay out your family’s journey with a historical timeline, placing key moments like births, marriages, and major life events into context. Imagine seeing your grandparents’ wedding day next to world events of that year! This visual storytelling tool helps future generations understand not just who your family was, but the world they lived in.
- Preserve and share family recipes – every family has recipes that have been passed down for generations. These are not just recipes, they’re traditions. Record the stories about each dish, like how your mom always made her famous apple pie for Thanksgiving or how your grandfather grew his own tomatoes for his pasta sauce. See the blog post “Compile a Family Cookbook” for details about this project.
- Start a family history blog – share your family stories, tales of your ancestors, the stories associated with the heirlooms you’ve inherited, or even your research journey. Writing a family history blog invites other family members to join the conversation, and helps keep your family stories alive online, ready to be discovered by future generations.
- Write the history of a family member – is there a family member whose life you’ve always been curious about? Research their life and record their stories. What was their childhood like? What challenges did they overcome? Whether you’re uncovering stories from the past or interviewing your special person today, writing their history will add a new dimension to your family’s legacy. Create a photo book for your person or share these stories in your family tree or blog!
- Begin researching your family’s history – every family has mysteries waiting to be uncovered! Start by writing down what you know, then reach out to family members or dive into public records to fill in the gaps. Whether it’s discovering a long-lost relative or learning about your great-great-grandparents’ journey to a new country, the thrill of piecing together your family’s past can be incredibly rewarding.
Bonus:
- Host a virtual family history night – bring the family together for a virtual gathering where you share stories, talk about old photos, or even play a trivia game about your family history. Use video calls to bridge the gap between family members across the country or around the globe, and make it a fun, interactive event where everyone can contribute to preserving your family’s legacy. This would be a great way to gather information about old family photos!
Feeling inspired to preserve your family’s stories? Whether you choose to conduct an interview, digitize your grandfather’s journal, or create a family tree, each step brings you closer to preserving your family’s legacy. Family History Month is the perfect time to begin—or continue—celebrating the unique stories that shape your heritage. Pick one idea that resonates with you and start documenting today! By recording and sharing your family’s history, you’re connecting generations and ensuring these precious memories will be cherished for years to come.