The perfect summer activity…

It is summer again, the kids are home from school, and no doubt you have plans to visit your parents. This summer I’ve developed a special activity for you to complete at your next family visit… a video recorded life history interview.

Follow these easy steps below to capture your parent’s best life stories. Here’s your opportunity to involve the kids and make a priceless heirloom to enjoy for years down the road!

1) Borrow a video camera: If you don’t have a video camera handy, see if you can borrow one for the afternoon. Try to have between 2-3 hours of blank video cassettes ready to use.

2) Set the stage: Find a well lit place for the interviews and make sure it is as noise free as possible. Put your mother or father in a comfortable chair and give them an overview of the project.

3) Make signs for the “show”: Explain to the kids that you are going to create a “tv show” right in your own home. They are in charge of the signs to introduce the guests (their grandparents). Using blank poster board and have them write out your parent’s names, their birthdays, or they can even draw a picture that reminds them of Grandmother and Grandfather! Have them flash their creations during the interviews.

4) Let the “show” begin: Using the following topics, begin to ask your parents about their best life stories. Explain that you are trying to capture some of the highlights from their life and want to make sure their memories can always be enjoyed. Let the kids ask them questions too - maybe they have certain stories that they like to hear about!

Topics to discuss:
- Ancestors
- Parent
- Early Childhood
- Siblings and Family Life
- Early School Years, High School
- Summer Months, Jobs, Friends
- Falling in Love, Marriage
- Work Career
- Raising a Family
- Family Traditions
- Current Events that influenced their life..

(If you would like to use a professional interview guide, with a list of over 1,000 memory sparking questions, look into our StoryCatcher family history kit. I use many of these questions in my professional life history interviews and they always help bring to the surface stories your parents haven’t thought about in a long time!)

5) Make it a tradition: Each summer, try adding an additional video recorded interview. Maybe you only got through a few of the topics above, or maybe they’ve had an amazing year. It’s fun to document the kids getting older, and other special moments from their life.

Taking the time to complete a project like this today, can mean that these priceless stories will never be lost! To learn about this project and other family history kits, that help others save their best life stories, look to our site, CatchMyMemory.com.