Ten cool ways to build family closeness during the COVID-19 pandemic

Here we are, sheltering in place. We've organized, we've gardened, we've binge-watched. Now what? Why not use this time to get closer as a family? Here are some fun and easy ways local residents have found to love family even more and encourage a sense of identity: 1. Using Skype or Zoom, conduct an interview with your grandparents. Be sure to record their answers; it will become a family treasure. Ask about what life was like when they were young – toys, games, dating, school, chores, work, prices of cars and homes. What inventions have they seen? What social changes? 2. Do you know the origin of your last name? This website will instantly tell you how your name came to be: https://www.familysearch.org/en/surname. (All the links here can be accessed by creating a free account at familysearch.com and requesting access to FamilySearch.org AND FamilySearch Family Tree.) And now that you've looked up its beginnings, why not take a nature walk, photograph shapes of the letters in your name, line them up, and then frame it? 3. Ever wonder if a great-great someone looked exactly like you? Visit this website, upload a photo, and see who you find: https://www.familysearch.org/discovery/compare. This same site allows you to easily research your genealogy. Today's apps and links are loaded with thousands of connections just waiting for you. 4. Where did your ancestors live during major historical times? Here's the link that can show you a map: https://www.familysearch.org/discovery/explore/generations. 5. Help kids dress up in traditional clothing of their heritage. Talk to them about the language, customs and relatives you may still have there. And absolutely take pictures! Take a look at the traditional dress of various countries at this link: https://www.familysearch.org/discovery/picture/select. Joanne Shields of Rocklin has a son-in-law from Fiji. Another son-in-law feels such closeness to Vito Ququ that they gave their son, River, the middle name Waitui, which means river in Fijian. She also sews Fijian dresses for her granddaughters, Claire and Layla. 6. Prepare traditional foods from your ancestral homeland. It's easy to research recipes online and gives everyone a fun glimpse into the foods your relatives knew and loved. If you're feeling ambitious, compile a family cookbook. 7. Go on a virtual scavenger hunt. You can search for your surname and find family members' names in books at a digital library. Here's the link: https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/. 8. Record your family's story. This link gives you 52 questions to prompt you and others to share memories and feelings that will be lost one day if not written down: https://www.familysearch.org/discovery/record/categories. Loomis resident Kathleen Penney spent hours reading family stories to her mother, Louise Kenney, who had dementia. "She really loved it when I would read the history of her to her," Kathleen says. "It was truly a generation-binding experience." Rachelle Price of Granite Bay did the same thing with her grandmother. "She would remember the most amazing details," Rachelle says. "It was good for both her and for my kids." 9. Find and frame old family photos. Short on a supply of those? Check out this link, which might contain pictures you've never seen before: https://www.familysearch.org/campaign/mymemories. 10. Make a family tree banner. As you research your line, you'll fill in branches that could go back several generations. Kids love gigantic art projects, so why not make a huge family tree on butcher paper or posters? This link offers free family tree art: https://www.familysearch.org/campaign/keepsakes. You can also design a family flag or make up a family cheer. What values are dear to your family? These treasures will be a constant reminder. We've all seen positive things come from this lockdown – people serving and helping one another, electronic meetings replacing long commutes, a slowing down of our frenetic pace. Now we can include researching our family history and feeling a deeper sense of connection to the past. Best of all, it's now easier than ever.