Creating a Yearbook with the Kids #Activity

by Vicki from MessforLess.net

ages 3 and up with Adult Participation

To me the new year represents not only a time to make a fresh start, but a time to look back at the previous year and remember fond memories. What better way to do this than by creating a scrapbook highlighting happy times from 2012. You may have never thought of creating a scrapbook with kids, but with some simple supplies and tools you can help them to document the year and create a keepsake.

We used:

• Melissa and Doug Complete the Picture Pad
• Personal Photos from the previous year
• Crayons or Markers
• Scissors
• Glue
• Magazines
• Stickers

What I love about the Melissa & Doug Complete the Picture Pad is that the pictures in the pad really propel a child's imagination. There are twelve different scenes that are sure to inspire. And if you're like me and have a few kids who sometimes have trouble sharing, the pad contains 4 pages of each scene. It is also quite versatile  You can use it as the background for a scrapbook like we did, or use it with crayons and makers to create a variety of pictures.

I gave each of my kids some photos from the year. I printed out photos based on what we had done in particular seasons. I then let the kids pick the paper they wanted to use that would go best with their photos. My youngest had some beach photos from a summer trip to the shore. She decided to glue them to the beach themed page.

She then used markers to color and add designs.

My other daughter had a photo from a spring trip to an aquarium. She decided this photo would work best with a fish bowl paper.

The kids enjoyed using magazines to find additional pictures and images that would fit on their scrapbook pages. Working with the scissors to cut the pictures out helped them with their fine motor skills.

One of my twins had pictures from her birthday party and she thought they went perfect with the paper that had a picture of a cake stand. She added some stickers and coloring to complete the page.

When the kids were done with their individual pages, I bound them together using some clear packing tape. You could also staple the pages or bind them using ribbon. We proudly present to you our 2012 Year in Review Scrapbook.

Don't be intimidated by creating a scrapbook with your kids. We were able to create this simple scrapbook in under an hour. Since then it has become a favorite in our house. The kids love looking at the photos and remembering happy moments from the past year.

Vicky Perreault is a busy mom to three kids - 3 year old twins and a 2 year old. She believes that kids learn best through play and hands on activities. As a former teacher, Vicky finds great joy in facilitating learning and play experiences for her children and sharing those ideas with other parents on her blog Mess For Less.