Family tree maker

Family tree project for school

Three generations, neatly drawn, with something interesting to say about each person. Print a free template to fill in by hand, or make the tree online and add the details that turn a list of names into a family story.

Updated October 2026 · For students, parents and teachers

Quick answer

A school family tree project usually asks for three generations: grandparents on both sides, parents, and the student with siblings, each with a name and birth year. To make one, gather names and dates from relatives, then fill in a printable template or build the tree online and export it as an image. Adding birthplaces, jobs or a fact about each person makes it stand out.

What teachers usually ask for

The basics

Three generations: grandparents, parents, you and your siblings
Full names, including maiden names for married relatives
Birth years, and death years for relatives who have died
Both sides of the family

Often asked for extra credit

Where each person was born, and moves between places or countries
Jobs, languages or traditions
A short story or interview with one relative
A key explaining what the symbols and lines mean

College courses in counseling, nursing, social work and psychology ask for something different: a full genogram with relationship lines and analysis. If that is your assignment, use the genogram assignment guide instead.

Print a free family tree template

For younger students, or teachers handing out a worksheet. Squares are males and circles are females, the standard family tree and genogram shapes, and there is a symbol key at the bottom.

Printable blank family tree template with paternal and maternal grandparents, parents, children and a symbol key — The free blank 3-generation template. Download the PDF or the editable PowerPoint. More printables on the family tree templates page.

How to make a family tree project online

1
Collect names and dates
Ask a parent or grandparent to help you list everyone for three generations. Write down what you are not sure of; a question mark is fine.
2
Start from the 3-generation template
Open the template, then click each person to type their name and birth year. Add or remove siblings as needed.
3
Add the extra details
Put birthplaces, jobs or a short note in each person’s details. If your family has step-parents, adoption or a divorce, pick the matching line type.
4
Export and present
Download a PNG (free) and print it, or paste it into slides or a poster. You can also share a view-only link with your teacher.

Genogram example: Basic 3-Generation Template — A finished three-generation family tree: grandparents on both sides, parents, three children, birth years and ages. Open this example

Or describe your family

Type a few sentences like “My grandparents Robert and Dorothy Miller had two children, Susan and William. Susan married Thomas Clark, and they have three kids: Emily, James and Daniel.” into Ask AI in the editor, and the AI draws the tree for you to check and edit.

Questions to ask your relatives

Most of the good material for a family tree project comes from a 15-minute conversation with a grandparent.

Facts

What are the full names and birth years of your parents and grandparents?
Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
When did our family move here, and why?
What jobs did people in the family have?

Stories

Who in the family were you closest to growing up?
Is there a family tradition, recipe or saying that came from someone on the tree?
What was school like when you were my age?
Who in the family am I most like?

Family tree project ideas that go beyond names

A genogram is an advanced, detailed family tree. Borrowing one or two of its layers gives a project depth without making it complicated.

A migration map

Turn on the Location view and record where each person was born. Patterns like a move from one country to another across generations jump out.

Heritage and culture

Use the Cultural heritage view to fill each person’s symbol with their background. Good for heritage month projects.

A family timeline

Add marriage years and birth years, then use the Time view to show the family as it was in any year.

Traits in biology class

For a genetics unit, record a visible trait (like eye color or a common condition the family is comfortable sharing) to see how it runs through generations.

For a heritage project with immigration across three generations, see the refugee resettlement example and the three-generation household example.

A family tree for every kind of family

Standard worksheets assume two married biological parents. Many students do not have that, and the project should not make them feel they have to pretend.

Step-parents and half-siblings

Draw divorce, remarriage and step-siblings with their own lines.

Adopted students

Show the family who raised you, with birth family only if you want it.

Raised by grandparents

A kinship care example where three children live with their grandmother.

Single-parent families

A mother raising three children, with the grandmother’s support.

For teachers

Offering students the choice between a family tree of the family they live with and a traditional ancestry tree avoids putting adopted, foster and blended-family students on the spot. The printable template works either way.

Frequently asked questions

How many generations should a school family tree have?

Three is the usual ask: grandparents, parents and the student with their siblings. That is enough to show both sides of the family and still fit on one page. Check the assignment sheet; some teachers want great-grandparents too, which is a fourth row.

Can I make a family tree for school online for free?

Yes. GenogramAI’s free plan includes 2 trees with up to 50 people each and PNG export, which you can print or paste into a slide or document. The app is for ages 13 and up (users under 18 need a parent or guardian to agree to the terms), so younger students can use the free printable template or build the tree together with a parent.

What can I add to a family tree project to make it stand out?

Anything that tells the family’s story beyond names: where each person was born, when they moved and why, jobs, languages spoken, military service, or a short fact about each person. A genogram-style tree can also show marriages with dates and how close people are, which gives you something to talk about in a presentation.

What if my family does not fit a standard family tree template?

Many families do not: step-parents, half-siblings, adoption, a parent who is not involved, or grandparents who raised you. A genogram has lines for all of these, so you can draw the family you actually have. See the guides to blended family trees and adoption family trees.

Is a family tree the same as a genogram?

A genogram is an advanced, detailed family tree. It uses the same layout but adds information like marriages and divorces, health history and relationship lines. For most school projects a simple family tree is enough; the extra layers are useful for high school biology, psychology or heritage projects.