Discovering a family's history should be an important part of everyone's lives. Not only does it enlighten you on what your family has been through, but it can be fun to learn about your ancestors as well. Believe it or not, this can be turned into a family activity. Whether you have young children in the house or even older children, this can be a fun experience. This week, let's bring the family closer by learning more about the family's history.

Obviously this activity will be different based on the age of your children. If you have young children, this can be a simple project that helps little ones get to know their family a little better. This is a great activity because it helps children learn about their relatives. This not only keeps them safe, but it can be fun for kids to learn little things about their relatives. You can simply use a large piece of poster board and photos of the immediate family to create a simple family tree. Under the photos, you can put the name and birth date of the relative along with something fun about them. For example, Grandma Sophia may love to bake cookies. This helps children remember their relatives. Once the family tree is complete, it can be hung in the child's room so that they can study their family tree and get to know their family even more.

Older kids will love learning more interesting facts about the family. This will take some time spent researching the internet. There are websites that can help you, but beware that many of these sites do charge a fee. The good thing is that these sites can give you a chance to connect with distant relatives who may have more information. While just learning about the family can be a fun family night activity, you can also create a more sophisticated family tree using one of the many software titles available.

Young or old, this is a great family night activity for your children. It can also be fun for parents as well. After all, who wouldn't want to learn more about their family history?

One of the things that children love about Christmas is decorating the tree. It is possible to have a great family activity by making ornaments for the Christmas tree. It's a fun family activity that will help you create memories that will stay with your children for years to come. You can put up a small, three-foot tree -- exclusively decorated by homemade ornaments -- or you can add a few of the homemade ornaments to your main tree.

Classic Christmas Craft: Pinecone Ornaments
One of the classic homemade ornaments is the pinecone. You can get them from nature (make sure you bundle up if you go outside), or you can buy some at a craft store. (If you are at some craft stores, you can get scented pinecones as well.) You can make ornaments by putting glue on the pinecone, and then rolling it in glitter, which will stick to the pinecone. It is also possible to wind pipe cleaners around the pinecone or use sequins or spangles instead of glitter. We like to set the pinecones on branches, positioning them near lights. However, a pinecone hanger can be made with a loop of yarn.

Popsicle Stick Trees
You can make miniature Christmas trees out of popsicle sticks. Use a long stick or tongue depressor as the trunk. Next, lay additional popsicle sticks horizontally across the "trunk." As you move up the tree, cut the popsicle sticks so that they are progressively shorter -- resulting in a tree shape. Decorate the mini tree with sequins, glitter, small foam cutouts or anything else you can think of. Make a hanger using looped yarn.

Stained Glass
You can make ornaments that look like stained glass with a special kit. They are usually rather inexpensive. The kits come with plastic ornaments that can be painted with transparent colors. (Have your kids wear old T-shirts or a smock when painting.) When dry, the ornaments have the look of stained glass. They are especially attractive when hung in front of lights.

One of the things I loved doing as a child was looking at the brilliant fall colors when the leaves changed. I grew up in Idaho, so the colors weren't as varied as those I saw when I moved to New York state, but I still loved the changing of the season. Indeed, the changing leaves and crisp air are what make autumn my favorite time of year. And I love to share this time of year with my son. As a family, fall foliage tours are among our favorite activities.

Seeing the Changing Leaves with Your Family

Children instinctively love nature. You can nurture that love with outdoor activities. Looking at autumn leaves is a great way to do this. If you have children that are old enough, make sure they have good hiking shoes and comfortable jackets to prepared for a day outdoors. In some areas, there are activities associated with fall foliage. Find out if the following activities are available in your local area:

• Hay rides
• Pumpkin patches
• Canoeing
• Autumn crafts at a local nature center
• Bike and walking paths

Family Fall Foliage Project: Leaf Book

You can also bring the magic of fall foliage home with you. As a family, try to collect fallen leaves of different colors and varieties. When you get home, you can preserve the leaves and create a little "leaf book."

Here's an easy way to preserve leaves:
1. Lay the leaf between two sheets of wax paper.
2. Take an iron and carefully "iron" the leaves encased in the paper.

You can create labels with the names of the trees and tape them below the leaves. You can also mount the preserved leaves on construction paper and label them.

Autumn truly is a glorious time of year, one in which there are interesting and exciting opportunities to enjoy the beautiful sights offered by nature.