Scrapbooking isn’t just for adults. Kids love craft projects and scrapbooks can be a source of fun and memory keeping for your child. It’s a cure for boredom during the fall and winter when the weather isn’t always cooperating for outdoor play.
Making a scrapbook will allow your child to complete a project on his/her own and also gives a unique perspective about events and how your child remembers them. It is a great keepsake to cherish.
Some of the basic items you can use in a child’s scrapbook include crayons, stickers, safety scissors, fun paper, non-toxic glue sticks and fabric swatches. Create a box or basket of supplies for your child to use and have them set aside so that when they are in the creative mood they can continue to work on their own scrapbook.
Photos are the key ingredient to a great scrapbook. Have some additional copies made of photos you have developed from your 35mm camera or print out specific pictures that your child would like to use from your digital camera and photo printer. You could also start the project by giving your child their own disposable camera to take their own pictures and allow them the entire creative process to themselves. If your child is very young though they may want to take 24 pictures of the same flower in the front yard so have a limit to picture taking of 2-3 photos of one object so they will have some variety to work with.
After you have the pictures developed, you can give your child copies of the pictures he or she chooses to use for their special pages. Save all tickets, brochures and receipts from special days at the fair or amusement park so that they can add that memorabilia to their layouts. You can save these items in a shoebox and have them ready for your child to use when they want to work on their scrapbook.
Have your child start by laying out the page and gluing on special items such as that postcard from your last vacation trip or ticket from the amusement rides on the pier at the beach. They can then color or use markers to enhance the pages. If they are old enough to write about their special memories, encourage them to write about some of their favorite parts of their trip or the people they were with. Kids can come up with some pretty humorous anecdotes and you will want to preserve their thoughts for them if they are unable to write them down. You can make a list by having them answer some simple questions such as: Where did you go on vacation? Who did you play with while you were at the beach? What was your favorite part of the trip? Did you discover or learn anything new? What foods or drinks did you have? Did you buy any special souvenirs? Then you can take those answers and write them on paper for your child. This makes a great page to add to your layouts, that you can create for them and have them glue together.
Make sure you allow them to create and layout the pages as they see fit and not perfectly as adults would do. Remember it is their own creation and they will take pride in the fact that they made their own project. You will gain insight on how your child views and values memories they have made. It is a great way to bond with your child and preserve memories while having fun together.
If you are not using a traditional scrapbook album for each page, you can make your own scrapbook by punching holes down the sides of each page and then threading them together. You could also punch three holes and put the pages in a binder so they can add more each time they create a new layout or have a new occasion to commemorate.
Empower kids to create and you will open a new avenue of learning for them!
Article by Lisa Miller, Owner - http://www.thescrapprincess.com © 2006
Lisa Miller, a graphic designer, has been creating digital scrapbook layouts for many years and is the owner of http://www.thescrapprincess.com which offers digital scrapbook elements, freebies, tutorials, web graphics, eBay auction templates and contests. Join the mailing list for her monthly newsletter with tips and articles to help organize, create and inspire!
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