Cheat sheetsTips and toolsAncestors' storiesChallenge AZNews
Discover 10 original genealogical activities to explore your origins differently: paleography, indexing, old photos, ancestral recipes, and more.
Making your genealogy is not just about consulting archives and filling out a family tree: it's also an opportunity to discover a variety of, fun, and sometimes unusual activities. Whether you are alone, with family, or among enthusiasts, here are 10 original genealogical ideas to explore history differently and enrich your research.
It's time to do what you always put off until tomorrow, review your genealogy!
Take a step back and revisit the basics, keeping in mind our 5 Golden Rules for Genealogy.
- clean up your database of duplicates
- organize your archival documents
- make lists of people or acts to find
- implement a new working method
- look for new tools
- think about new goals...
This is the nightmare of many genealogists: finding yourself faced with an act that is unreadable at first glance… The only solution is to master the science of ancient handwriting, paleography! But to become a pro, practice is essential.
Below are some online resources to practice:
📗 Beginner's Guide to Paleography by the Archives Department of Tarn
📗 Bibliography on Paleography by the Archives Department of Haute-Saône
📗 Bibliography on Old French by the Archives Department of Haute-Saône
🎦 Ductus: The Formation of the Modern Alphabet by Jean Venard
Online exercises and courses:
- Alpes-Maritimes Archives (all levels - with corrections)
- R. De Tarragon's Site (each word is deciphered letter by letter)
- Paleo-en-ligne (free initiation cycle, paid courses)
You've been putting it off for months, but now is the time to label all these photos, well-kept in your albums or pretty boxes, with names, places, and dates. A great way to relive many memories while doing a 'good genealogist action,' guaranteed nostalgia.
Leave traces for your descendants by annotating them with an indelible pen, and even better, you can digitize and classify them.
And for the good students who might be up to date with annotating family photos, participate in identifying old photos or participate in the geolocation of ancient documents on Gallica.
- Archives de Bordeaux Métropole
- Entraide photographique sur Histoire-Généalogie.com
Many departmental archive centers offer a collaborative indexing service to enrich digitized files and facilitate your online research. Find some quick links to the services concerned, but do not hesitate to check the websites of the ADs you consult regularly!
Some fun, entertaining, and family-friendly resources: create your own 3D family tree with what you have or make a game of 7 families, playing, it always works!
Also check out Seven ways to get young people interested in genealogy by Marine Soulas from the blog Dans les branches.
For older kids, the Archives Department of Ille-et-Vilaine offers a docgame about World War I and Gallica opens up to kids with Gallicadabra!.
Have you always dreamed of writing the story of one of your ancestors with an exceptional journey or that of your family? Now is the time to get started, but not without some resources:
- Writing the Story of Your Ancestors by Sacré Ancêtres
- 26 Questions to Write an Ancestor's Life by Auprès de Nos Racines
- A Simplest Way to Write About Your Life or Your Family by Hélène Soulas
- Writing Your Family's Story by Antequam
- 100 Words for a Life by la Gazette des Ancêtres
Or maybe would you prefer to writing your own biography?
The platform by the American giant Google, Arts and Culture, invites you to dive into the world's greatest museums. The Louvre, the 14 museums of Paris (with images free to download), the National Gallery of London offers virtual tours of their various rooms.
Reading would be the remedy for loneliness and a way to enjoy your confinement. Gallica provides thousands of books in EPUB format available for free download, just like Internet Archive.
For food lovers, let's head to the kitchen with these different ancestral recipes… Beer Carpe, Murat's horn, Demarsy… there's something for everyone, for kids and adults alike!
- Recipes from Yesteryear by La France Pittoresque
- Ancestral Cuisine by Ciel! Mes Aïeux
Podcasts have become a staple in many of our daily routines, and some even focus on genealogy. Discover 13 podcasts on genealogy and history.
Genealogy is not just about archival work: it's also a cultural, human, and family adventure.
👋🏻 Your ancestors are waiting for you on Geneafinder, start or import your genealogical tree now
🌳 Quick and free registration - learn more