***Update the link I used for this original project is no longer available. I designed my own which you can check out HERE****

Last Christmas, I wanted to give my boys something to help them remember their ancestors.  They love card games, and I love DIY projects, so I made my own.
I got the idea from this template to create your own sports trading card.

For the sports team, I used the family surname Goff .  (I have most of that line’s photos digitized.)  For the “player name”, I added first and middle names (if they had them) or first and maiden names for the women. I used photos I had scanned of our Goff relatives to create each card. (Another reason it is a great idea to digitize those old family photos from  your box of stuff)

After you edit your trading card, save the png file on your

computer. (I created a new digital folder for the game cards to easily find them if I want to print another set. I also labeled them by each person’s name)  You have to  create the cards digitally one at a time.

I used 9 relatives, but would recommend using at least 12 different people. If you don’t have a picture of your relative, you can use a digital document you may have like a land deed or census record.

 

 

I printed 4 of each card on photo paper.  I created a Goff fish logo in word, printed it, copied and pasted a bunch to make a sheet of them. (You could call your game Family Fish) Next, I attached the logo to the back of each card with a glue stick.  (Another option would be to print on Avery labels) You could also mount them to scrapbook paper or leave them plain.  As long as there is a uniform appearance on the back so no one cheats!

Finally, I laminated each card.  I tried using clear shelf paper initially, but the images weren’t as crisp, and the card’s weren’t as sturdy.  You could use this game for a family reunion, make “cousin” cards of people, or make a different set for each family line.

Ancestor games are a great way for you to share your passion for genealogy  with the whole family.  It was a tender moment when I heard the boys quiz each other. “Do you have any William Goffs?”  “Nope, Goff fish.”