This activity was for Mothers and Daughters but it could have been done with dads or whole families. It was a very meaningful but simple way to connect each girl with their heritage and everyone had a wonderful time!
The Activity Day leaders thought ahead and had a fabulous activity about family history and how to find their ancestors on the computer before this activity. This activity sparked the flame of interest so that by the time the Campfire Night rolled around, the girls were invested in learning about their families.
Mom and girls were invited to bring camp chairs, roasting sticks and a story of an ancestor to the campfire evening. The fire was already going when everyone arrived and it was a cozy fall evening – perfect for storytelling.
They went around the group and each girl told the story that they had brought to share. They were given a half-sheet of paper in advance that invited the girls to prepare a short story to share with the group. This helped them to keep the stories short and the interest level high as they told their stories. Some of the girls even memorized their story and one brought photos to pass around.
One thing that was fun about the stories was that they often reflected the personalities of each girl telling the story. Some were funny. Many were dramatic. All were interesting to the group because they were interesting to the girl. You could feel the family connection as each girl told of their ancestor.
After sharing their stories, everyone was invited to roast marshmallows and make their own s’more treats. They were also given a favor to take with them. The whole thing was done in about an hour, with the gorgeous weather to make the perfect night.
UPDATE ******
Here’s another group’s take on a similar activity:
Covered-Wagon Food Table
So awesome!
Family History Challenge
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