Here’s an idea…
When introducing the Periodic Table of the Elements, think of each element as a member of a family.  How do the elements relate to one another?  Elements in the same row, or period, have the same number of orbitals, or shells, for their electrons. The first row has one shell, second row two, and so on.  Elements in the same column, or group, have the same number of electrons in their  outer shells.  The elements in column 1 have one electron in their outer shell, column 2 two electrons, and so on.  So each element belongs to a family – a period and a group.  It’s all relative!