Family Tree Game

A family tree shows who is in a family: the grown-ups who came first are up the tree, and the children are at the bottom. The Family Tree Game turns the 1 Child Family Tree Worksheet into a treetop adventure with Doodles: kids find each member of Leo’s family by name, from mother and father to grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousin, and build a whole family tree. It is a family tree game for kindergarten that teaches the family member words and how each person is related.

Each round starts with a short “Watch me!” example. In round one Doodles shows Leo at the bottom of the tree, then kids find Leo’s mother, father, big brother, sister and the baby. In round two the grandparents join at the top of the tree: Doodles says “Mother’s mother is Leo’s grandmother,” and kids look up from Mother or Father to find each grandmother and grandfather. In round three kids find Leo’s aunt (Mother’s sister), uncle (Father’s brother) and cousin (the aunt’s child). Every family member peeks out of a round treehouse window, and the windows are joined by real tree branches. Three windows glow, kids tap the one Doodles asks for, and each right answer hangs that person’s name sign, so the labeled family tree grows round by round. If kids pick the wrong window, Doodles says who they tapped and gives a clue, and a second miss makes the right window glow. Play it in your browser on a phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.

What’s Included

• Online game that plays in any browser on desktop, tablet and phone
• Included with every Have Fun Teaching membership
• 3 rounds: Leo and his parents, brother, sister and baby; the grandparents; then aunt, uncle and cousin (14 questions)
• Every question read aloud, hints that name each relationship, a leafy celebration, sound effects and a star score
• Teachers can assign it in Classroom with one class link and see when each student is done

Here are three reasons this family tree game helps kids learn. First, older family members sit higher up the tree, so kids see the generations: grandparents at the top, parents in the middle and kids at the bottom. Second, every question names the relationship, like “Father’s brother is Leo’s uncle,” so kids learn what each family word means, not just how a person looks. Third, the tree fills in with name signs as kids play, like a classroom family tree anchor chart, and wrong picks are named so kids learn from each try.

Keep the learning going after the Family Tree Game. Look at family photos together and ask, “Who is Mom’s mother?” or “Who is my cousin?” Families come in all shapes and sizes, so talk about the people in your own family. For practice on paper, print the matching 1 Child Family Tree Worksheet and write each family member’s name.

Related Resources

• Also available as a printable worksheet: 1 Child Family Tree Worksheet
• 2 Children Family Tree Worksheet
• 3 Children Family Tree Worksheet
• 4 Children Family Tree Worksheet