Family Tree Template: Build a Simple, Editable Family Tree Online
An editable family tree template on a whiteboard — three generations of person cards (name + birth year), with spouses joined by horizontal lines and parents connected to children top-down. Copy a card to add a person, draw a line, and extend it up to ancestors or down to children. Great for a simple family tree, a school project, or a keepsake. No signup required.
Use this templateWhat you get
- Three generations of editable person cards — name and birth year on each, color-coded by generation
- Spouses joined by horizontal lines, parents linked to children top-down — a clear, readable tree
- Copy a card to add anyone — extend the tree up to grandparents or down to new children
What this template is for
For anyone making a family tree — a student with a school project, a parent teaching kids where they come from, or someone starting to map their genealogy — without wrestling a Word table or paying for genealogy software. This family tree template gives you three generations of editable person cards, each with a name and birth year, color-coded by generation: grandparents at the top, parents in the middle, and you and your siblings at the bottom. Spouses are joined by horizontal lines and parents connect to children top-down, so the tree reads clearly at a glance. Copy a card to add anyone, draw a line to connect them, and extend the tree up to great-grandparents or down to new children. Because it's an editable whiteboard, you can rearrange the whole family in minutes, share the board link with relatives to fill in the gaps, or export it to print and frame. No signup, no install.
When to use this template
- Complete a school family tree project — add names, birth years, and a photo, then print or hand it in.
- Teach kids where they come from with a simple, colorful tree they can help fill in.
- Start mapping your genealogy — sketch what you know, then share the board with relatives to fill in the rest.
- Make a keepsake for a reunion, an anniversary, or a grandparent's birthday.
- Map an extended family across four or more generations by copying the card rows.
- Build a quick relationship chart to explain how a big family connects.
How to use it
- 1Start with yourself (or the youngest generation) at the bottom, then add your parents above you.
- 2Add each parent's parents above them — grandparents on both sides — as the top row.
- 3Join each couple with a horizontal line, and connect parents to their children with a line top-down.
- 4Fill in names and birth (and death) years on each card; keep the card text short so the tree stays readable.
- 5Copy a card to add anyone you missed — a sibling, an aunt, another generation — and connect them.
- 6Share the board with relatives to fill in gaps, then export it as an image to print, frame, or attach.
Quick example
A three-generation family tree
Related resources
How it compares to similar tools
Descendant tree (top-down from ancestors)
The layout this template ships with: the oldest generation sits at the top and each generation of descendants fans out below. Best for showing everyone descended from a couple — a good fit for reunions and 'all of Grandma's family.' Add rows below to include children and grandchildren as the family grows.
Ancestor chart (pedigree, you at the root)
Flips the focus: you (or one person) sit at the left or bottom, and the tree branches back through parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Best for genealogy and 'where do I come from' — every branch doubles each generation back. To model it, put one person as the root and build the ancestor pairs outward.
Simple 3-generation tree vs a full genealogy
A simple three-generation tree (this template) is perfect for a school project, a keepsake, or a quick overview — grandparents, parents, and kids. A full genealogy goes back many generations with dates, places, and sources, and is usually better kept in dedicated genealogy software once it gets large. Start simple here; export or move to a genealogy tool only if the tree outgrows a single board.
Common mistakes to avoid
Cramming too much text on each card
Full names, both dates, birthplace, and a note all on one card make the tree unreadable. Fix: keep each card to a name and a birth year (add a death year if needed). Put extra detail — places, stories, sources — somewhere else, or in a linked note, so the tree stays scannable.
Inconsistent generations across a row
Mixing a grandparent and a cousin in the same row breaks the logic of the tree and confuses anyone reading it. Fix: keep each horizontal row to one generation — all grandparents together, all parents together, all of your generation together — and let the vertical lines show who descends from whom.
Forgetting to mark spouses vs parent-child
If every line looks the same, you can't tell a marriage from a parent-child link. Fix: join spouses with a horizontal line between them and connect parents to children with a top-down line, as the template does. The two line directions do the work of showing the relationship type.
Starting from the top when you don't know the top
People try to begin with the oldest ancestor and get stuck because they don't have those records. Fix: start from yourself (or the youngest known generation) and work upward one parent at a time. You always know the bottom of your own tree — build from what you're sure of.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a family tree?+
Start from yourself or the youngest generation at the bottom, add your parents above, then their parents above them, and so on. Join each couple with a horizontal line and connect parents to children with a top-down line. Put a name and a birth year on each card, keep the text short, and copy a card whenever you need to add someone. This template gives you three generations already laid out — just replace the names and extend it.
Is this family tree template free and editable?+
Yes — it's completely free and fully editable, with no signup. Every card and line is editable on the whiteboard: change names and years, drag people around, copy a card to add someone, and delete what you don't need. You can also share an editable link so relatives fill in the parts they know.
How many generations should a family tree have?+
For a school project or a keepsake, three generations (grandparents, parents, and children) is the usual sweet spot — enough to be meaningful without becoming unreadable. This template starts with three. For genealogy you can go back much further by copying the top row upward to great-grandparents and beyond; just keep each generation on its own row so the tree stays clear.
Can I add photos to the family tree?+
Yes. You can drop an image onto the board and place it next to or behind a person's card, which is popular for keepsakes and 'family tree with photos' projects. Keep the cards themselves to a name and year so the tree stays readable, and use the photo as an accent rather than filling every card.
Can I print the family tree or share it with family?+
Yes. Share the board link (view-only or editable) and relatives open it in a browser with no account — a great way to crowdsource the names and dates you're missing. When it's done, export the canvas as a PNG to print, frame, or attach to a family newsletter or reunion invite.
Start editing online
Open the template in CodePic, replace the sample nodes, and turn it into your own study board in a few minutes.
See examples: /templates/family-tree/examples
