Scrapbooking with Kids

Spending hours alone with scissors and glue keeps you plenty entertained. But instead of making solitary scrapbooking a habit, why not include your children?

Scrapbooking may seem like an “adult” pastime to you, but you’ll be surprised to learn that involving your kids can be more rewarding than completing their pages on your own – and it can be more fun. Whatever your children’s ages, they can add unique perspective and creativity to your family memories.

This together time not only allows your children to tell their stories through their own words and artistry, but it also allows you a unique opportunity to spend time with your children while fostering their creative spirit. And while some scrapbooking activities (such as designing a page) may be beyond younger children, there are plenty of ways in which this activity can be adapted for all ages.

In Their Own Words

First, make sure to choose a topic that your child will be interested in. Ask your child what he or she wants to design something about, or come up with a couple options that use their interests.

Once you have found a topic of interest, ask your child questions about that subject or event and record the answers. Regardless of who acts as scribe, use their commentary and insights on your pages. As they share their thoughts, this can act as a journal for them, even including pasted-in mementos – such as tickets from a movie they loved, or a party favor from their best friend’s birthday. You can explain some of their quirky little statements on the pages, but try to keep as much as possible in their own words.

Helping them to tell their stories will likely reveal memories you couldn’t know. While it may be common knowledge that your son loves his baby blanket, what if you find on further inquiry that he loves it because it feels like Dad’s favorite flannel shirt? These are priceless details only your child can provide.

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Embellishing Memories

When you’re ready to tackle the more hands-on aspects of scrapbooking, make sure you have enough time to give your child your full attention. Remember that attention span varies with age – while four- and five-year-olds will probably only be engaged for about ten to fifteen minutes, twelve- to fourteen-year-olds may spend up to an hour working on pages.

Act as a guide for your child, but (as with most things in life) try not to control his or her choices. When your children do have questions, make sure they don’t feel like they are interrupting you or that their pages are less important than yours. After all, this activity is meant to strengthen the relationship.

Make sure to also have a group of photos for your children to choose from in order to tell their story – and have duplicates. Once they have selected the photos they want to use, give them options of solid and patterned paper for the background, etc. This gives your child the power to choose, but keeps them from becoming overwhelmed with choices, and it also allows you to maintain some control over your supplies.

It’s also important to use smaller sheets or paper, which are less intimidating to a child. Because children tend to feel obligated to fill space, the smaller the paper, the more focused and coherent their page will be.

Now you can give them the option of cropping their photos into different shapes, adding stickers and artwork, or do what they will. When you show your child how to mat or crop a photo, explain how and why you do it a certain way, but be open to their own version of following your instructions. Keep this in mind when they do their layout as well – it may not be perfect, but it’s theirs, and that is what’s important.

Sharing their Masterpieces

Once a page is finished, encourage your child to show it off to brothers, sisters, and friends. Let your child display it and talk about it during dinner or family home evening so that the positive feedback will encourage them to be creative in the future.

As much as this activity will help your child to be creative and give you an activity to share, having your child’s stories and art in their own words and by their own hand is a priceless possession. And for years to come, it will provide your children with concrete evidence that their words and memories are worthwhile.

(Additional Information)

Scrapbooking by Age:

With age-appropriate tools and materials, your children can enjoy scrapbooking as much as you do. Just be sure to keep their skill level in mind when beginning a project.

Kids, ages 6-9

• Keep supplies simple. Safety-tip scissors, glue sticks, and 8-1/2 × 11-inch pages are all that are needed.
  
• Start with leftover supplies as they learn to design their own pages.
  
• Cut long border stickers in half to make it easier for smaller hands to place them.

Preteen (10-13)

• Introduce letter templates, punches, and decorative scissors to design and add dimension to pages.
  
• Allow children to use paper trimmers with supervision.
  
• Intermediate-level adhesives—such as tape runners—can be successfully used.
  
• A popular tool among this age group is a photo template with a shape that can be traced directly onto the photograph; cut the photo to match the tracing.

Teen

• This group advanced enough to use adult tools. Involved teens often begin shopping for supplies and budgeting for the hobby.
  
• One material important to this group is the memorabilia pocket, which can store important keepsakes.