10 Family History Activities for Summer

Summer is officially here, and with it comes sunshine, adventure, BUT sometimes amidst the long days of no school, it can be hard to know how to fill the time - especially with children. Whether you're hitting the road, relaxing at home, or simply soaking in the sun, summer invites us to make lasting memories and this year, we want to encourage you to add a new layer of meaning to your fun by weaving in a bit of your family history.

Below you'll find our guide to 10 Family History Activities for Summer is packed with creative, simple ways to blend discovery and nostalgia with your seasonal adventures. Let this be the summer you not only enjoy the moment—but also celebrate the journey that brought your family to where it is today!

1. Go on a Local Family History Tour

A couple months ago, my mom and my grandma drove around the Salt Lake area to visit and take pictures outside each of the homes that my grandma lived in and each of the schools she attended in her youth. This walk down memory lane sparked stories and memories that had been forgotten and was a great experience for my mom to help her preserve her personal history. Summer is a great time to make an excuse to travel, whether it’s a day trip or a full blown excursion to dive into your family history.

This kind of family history tour can be performed in a few ways:

• Take a "family" tour. Show your kids all the important places along the timeline of your relationship. Where you first met, went on your first date, proposed, etc.

• Take a parent or grandparent on a tour of their life.

• Do some digging in FamilySearch or another family history site or journals to find the addresses of homes, schools and other important locations for the life of one of your ancestors. Take a tour of those locations, bringing journal entries or other records of stories from those places with you.

ProTip: incorporate favorite food stops along the way to keep everyone excited for the next thing and to avoid any hangry travelers.

Standing in the same place and on the same soil as our ancestors makes their experience feel more real and more relatable. Bonus points if you take photos of yourself and your family at these locations!

2. Lagoon’s Pioneer Village

If you’re a Utah native, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Farmington’s amusement park, Lagoon. Beyond the awesome rollercoasters and games, Lagoon’s Pioneer Village offers visitors an opportunity to step back in time to experience the daily life of 19th-century pioneers.

The village showcases over 40 authentic buildings and artifacts from Utah’s pioneer era, including the Coalville Chapel, the Bigler and Bingham Cabins, Carriage Hall, the Gingerbread House and the Rockport Schoolhouse. (Lagoon Wikipedia, lagoonhistory.com, Mystery of Utah History Blog)

While you’re there, check out the Pioneer Photo Gallery. This gallery boasts the only old-time photography studio in Northern Utah, equipped with pioneer costumes and props to make your photos feel even more antique.

If you have pioneer ancestors in your tree, this is an activity that let's offers a unique blend of education and entertainment! For more information on visiting hours and ticketing, please refer to Lagoon’s official schedule and park hours. 

3. Book a Trip to your Homeland

   
   

One unforgettable way to connect with your roots this summer is by booking a heritage trip—a journey to the towns, regions, or countries where your ancestors once lived. If you’re like me, many of your ancestors immigrated from Europe. Traveling back to the countries where your family came from is not only a great excuse to book a once-in-a-lifetime trip, it also connects you back to the traditions and culture of your ancestors. 

Tracing your family’s immigration path and standing in the same places your relatives once stood can be deeply moving. Start by identifying locations tied to your family’s history through old records, family stories, or genealogy websites. Even small details like church names or village maps can help guide your itinerary.

As you plan, think about what you’d like to experience—perhaps visiting a historical society, walking through an old neighborhood, or even connecting with distant cousins. Take photos, keep a journal, and gather small mementos along the way. A heritage trip isn't just about seeing new places; it's about deepening your sense of identity and understanding where your family's story fits into the broader tapestry of history. Plus, it’s a meaningful way to turn vacation time into something truly memorable.

4. Visit your ancestors’ graves

A sweet summer activity for honoring your heritage is locating and visiting the graves of your ancestors. Cemeteries can be peaceful places to reflect on the lives that came before us, and they often hold valuable clues like birthdates, extended family connections, and even epitaphs that hint at personality or values. The Map My Ancestors tool in FamilySearch is a quick and easy way to find local ancestors’ burial dates and locations. Once you've located a gravesite, bring along a notebook to jot down what you find, or use a family tree app like FamilySearch to update your records in real time. 

Consider bringing fresh flowers to leave as a simple yet meaningful tribute. Wildflowers, homegrown blooms from your garden, or even homemade decorations can all be beautiful ways to show remembrance and love.  If you're visiting with your kids or grandkids, it’s a great opportunity to share stories and explain who these ancestors were. Moments like these have a special way of making family history feel personal, grounded, and very much alive.

5. Family History Picnic

Are you looking for a great way to bring the family together, without having to plan a full-blown family reunion? A family history picnic is a great way to connect to your heritage, share family stories, and enjoy some yummy food.

Assign each family member to bring a dish made from a treasured family recipe. Whether it’s your aunt’s famous potato salad, great-grandma’s kolaches, or dad’s slow-cooked barbecue, every bite tells a story. Encourage each person to share the origin of their dish and who in the family made it first. You might be surprised how much history is tucked into a recipe card—and how sharing those foods brings people closer together.

Set up a picnic in a local park or even in someone’s backyard, and bring along some photos or heirlooms to display near the food. You could even put together a simple recipe booklet to hand out or collect everyone’s stories to include with the dishes. It’s a sweet (and savory) way to celebrate your heritage and make new memories while honoring the old.

6. Pick up an Ancestor’s Hobby 

In an era where so much time is spent on screens, stepping away from our phones, computers and TVs, picking up a new hobby is a great way to spend free time in the summer. To add a family history twist, take inspiration from your ancestors by picking up one of their hobbies.

Maybe your great-grandmother was an expert quilter, or your grandfather spent hours carving wood or tending a garden. Summer’s slower pace gives the perfect chance to try that craft or skill for yourself. As you work with your hands, you may even feel a little closer to the family member who once did the same.

If you don’t know what hobbies your ancestors had, try asking relatives or digging into old photos, letters, or diaries for clues. What starts as a summer pastime may blossom into a lasting tradition and a new way to celebrate your family’s legacy.

7. Book a Life History Video for Yourself or a Family Member

I’ve always heard that the best way to make your holiday season less stressful (and yes, we're talking about Christmas in June) is to start thinking about those gifts now! A life history video is the perfect way to record your family member’s (or even your own) personal history. It’s your stories, told in your voice and complete with all the fun and laughter of reliving past years.

We love when families schedule videos during reunion season—it’s such a meaningful way to bring everyone together and preserve your shared history. These sessions not only capture precious memories but also give relatives the chance to hear stories firsthand, sparking conversations that can last long after the camera stops rolling.

Take this video we filmed last summer as an example: while you see three siblings sitting side by side, laughing and reminiscing about their childhood, what you don’t see is the nearly 50 family members gathered just behind the camera—listening intently, laughing along, and later asking follow-up questions that led to even deeper storytelling. It’s a powerful way to connect generations, get relatives engaged, and yes, it even helps fill in that reunion schedule you might be stressing over!

To learn more about our life history video process and pricing, visit our page here.

8. Tour your Town’s Historical Sites

Touring your hometown’s historical sites is a wonderful way to connect with your roots, especially if your family, like mine, has been in the area for a while. Start by making a list of places that have personal or local historical significance—old schools, churches, the town square, or even that long-closed general store your grandparents used to talk about. Reach out to your local historical society or library; they often have maps, brochures, or even walking tours available.

As you visit each site, try to imagine what life was like for your ancestors when they walked those same streets. Bring older relatives along and ask them to share any stories that come to mind. They might surprise you with details you’ve never heard before! Whether you’ve lived there all your life or are just visiting for the summer, touring your hometown with family history in mind is a beautiful way to blend past and present, and maybe even spark a new tradition for future generations.

9. Visit the This is the Place Heritage Park

   
   

During the summer season, This Is The Place Heritage Park offers a vibrant, hands-on way to experience Utah’s pioneer history. Families can explore the Heritage Village, where historical interpreters bring the past to life with fun activities like panning for gold, visiting a blacksmith shop, and riding ponies or a mini train. Kids can cool off at the splash pad or interact with animals at the petting corral, making it a perfect blend of education and play.

You can also step into Native American history, watch artisans at work, and take part in seasonal events like Liberty Days. For members of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers or Sons of Utah Pioneers, a special discount is available on SUPer DUPer Day. With dozens of historical buildings and immersive activities, the park creates a summer outing that’s both meaningful and fun for all ages.

For current hours and more activities, visit their website here.

10. Create a Family Timeline 

Creating a family timeline is a simple yet powerful way to see your family history come to life—and summer is the perfect time to start. Grab a large sheet of paper or open a digital timeline tool, and begin adding meaningful events like birth and marriage dates, immigration stories, military service, or family moves. You can include not only big historical milestones but also cherished moments like the year your grandma started her bakery or when your parents bought the family home. It’s a creative project that helps make sense of the past in a clear, visual way.

This activity can be especially fun (and touching) when done as a group. Invite relatives to contribute memories or photos for each point on the timeline. To get kids involved, have them draw illustrations to go along with the dates and stories—it's a great way to spark their curiosity and creativity. You might even uncover stories you’ve never heard before, or finally piece together some long-standing family history mysteries. Display your timeline at a summer family gathering, or continue adding to it throughout the season. In the end, a timeline isn’t just a collection of dates—it’s a celebration of your family’s journey across generations.

We hope you have a fun and amazing family history filled summer! If you try out one of these activities, please leave a comment below to tell us about your experience.