Designing a family crest can be an exciting experience and a wonderful way for the kids to spend an afternoon working together.

A family crest is an ancient art form that extends back to the Middle Ages in Europe. Special crests and symbols were used to identify officials, royal families, and important people.

In designing a crest, it's a good idea to begin with symbols that have a strong personal meaning for the family. For instance, if your family is known for it's lovely garden you could use a rose or tulip in the design. Likewise, if your family has a tradition of woodworking, you may decide to place a hammer or saw in the crest.

Once you have a design in mind, cut a shield shape out of large, light-colored construction paper. Use colored pencils to plan your overall design on the shield. Once you have everything in place use markers to color the design in bold, bright colors.

The local library has books on heraldic symbols and colors for reference.  Your family might enjoy reading Harold the Herald by Dana Fradon or The Great Ancestor Hunt by Lila Perl after completing your own family crest.

The finished project makes a lovely wall hanging or a cover to the family photo album.