October 6, 2026 · Family History at Home · by Jess

Family History at Home: One Simple Activity a Month

When someone says "family history," I used to picture hours at a computer squinting at old census records. I love that work, but with four kids it wasn't happening.

Then I found FamilySearch's free In-Home Activities, and I realized family history can be a game night. It can be the story behind your name, or a recipe Grandma used to make. It's about turning our hearts to our families, the ones here now and the ones who came before.

That's the idea behind Family History at Home: one simple activity each month, done at home with the people you love. The activities come in three groups:

• About Me: learning your own story (My Name, Time Capsule Questions, All About Me Box).
• My Family: connecting with living family and ancestors (Family Trivia Game, Family Traditions, Eat What They Ate).
• The Temple: getting ready to take family names to the house of the Lord.

What's here (free):

• Printable activity cards for each month's activity, four to a page, with a QR code that opens the activity on FamilySearch. This month it's the Family Trivia Game!
• A one-page flyer showing all three groups, great for the fridge or for sharing with your ward.
• The Family History Tools Guide, easiest tools first. It starts with 5-minute tools (like seeing which ancestors share your face), then a "quiet half hour" tier, then deeper options like preparing names for the temple. Every tool has a time estimate and a QR code that goes straight to the official page.

Most About Me and My Family activities don't need a login. For the Temple activities and most tools you'll want a free account at FamilySearch.org. You can learn more about temple and family history at churchofjesuschrist.org.

How it looks on a normal month:

• First Sunday: Print the cards and do the activity together. The Family Trivia Game is a guaranteed laugh. See who can guess Mom's favorite song!
• Make it bigger: Invite grandparents or cousins on a video call. Hearing a grandparent answer the questions can be the sweetest part.
• When you have a few extra minutes: Open the Tools Guide and try one 5-minute tool with your kids.

Invitations only, no quotas and no pressure. Every small step counts. One card, one conversation, one story saved is how hearts turn.

Independent resource. Not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Activities are adapted from FamilySearch's free In-Home Activities, and all links and QR codes go to official FamilySearch.org and ChurchofJesusChrist.org pages.

Go to Family History at Home →