Scrapbooking for kids

I heard on the radio today that it is National Scrapbooking Day. Although not a scrapbooker myself, it is something that I have very much enjoyed doing with the children over the years. In my daughter's case we have about ten years worth of scrap stuck down on a month by month basis.

For us, it all started when my daughter was about two. I was queuing to pay my paper bill in the local newsagents when a  cheap scrapbook caught my eye. It was one of those sugar paper books that I remember having as a child. I bought it and we spent the afternoon making a page entitled "Things I like".

There have been many more pages since. My children are now 12 and 10 and scrapbooking sessions have become less frequent,  but one thing they really enjoy is looking back on all the stuff from their early years. Between them they have created wonderful books full of photographs, artwork, diary entries, scribblings and lots more besides. So here are my tips for encouraging young children to engage in this satisfying hobby.

• Don't get too hung up on the results. Since starting scrapbooks with my children I have discovered there is a whole world of adult scrapbookers out there producing beautiful, coordinated and professional looking pages of memories. For young children, the results don't matter so much, it is the joy of collecting, cutting and pasting that drives them. Let your child develop her own way at first and as she matures introduce more sophisticated ideas if you wish.

• For very young children start with stickers, as even glue sticks can be difficult to handle. These can be either commercially made stickers or even better home made stickers. Stickers can be made on the computer (using photographs, clipart or things you have scanned) and printed onto sticker paper. Or they can be made in a sticker machine.

• If your child isn't confident with scissors, cut everything out yourself in advance (children can stick quicker than you can cut) and let them choose what they want to put in.

• Make use of technology. Create titles in Microsoft Wordart. Find topic relevant clipart. Scan or photograph your child's oversize artwork and reduce it to scrapbook friendly size.

• Put your digital camera to work. Take pictures of your child's play dough creations, his lego models, his favourite toys, even his grazed knee. Anything they consider important will do. You don't have to print them onto expensive paper for this kind of scrapbooking. And take advantage of the digital camera's immediacy by printing off those pictures of the zoo when you get home so that they are ready to stick in the next day.

• Save entrance tickets, leaflets, napkins, sweet wrappers; anything that is flat and can be stuck down. And if things aren't flat collect them anyway as you can always photograph them for the scrapbook.
• Encourage your child to talk about what they are adding and to later write a few words.
• Make use of wallpaper and fabric samples.
• Save wrapping paper.
• Buy glue sticks in large quantities.
• Introduce a few scrapbooking and card making supplies for special pages like birthdays and christmas. 
• Use children's stamping kits to make borders and backgrounds.
• Buy some paper punches in various designs - children can work these by about the age of six.
• Buy some child size fancy scissors.

Most of all have fun.