Scrapbooking: Quality time with your kids
Finding quality time that doesn't involve the TV or the computer may be difficult at times. It's so easy to pop a movie into the DVD player or to tell the kids to go play a video game to keep them busy. Trying to find an activity that keeps both you and your kids having fun isn't always easy, but scrapbooking can be a way of reconnecting with your children without being plugged in.
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Preschoolers and elementary-aged children might not have a lot of photos of their own to start scrapbooking with. Maybe you could spend a day in the park taking a few pictures to help get them started or have them find a theme that interests them and clip photos from magazines. Youngsters will have more fun decorating and cutting than reliving memories, so give them something to do, rather than talk about. Just starting your children off with their own scrapbooks can be fun.
A good theme might be to do a scrapbook about the grade that they are in at school. Help your kindergartner; for example, develop a scrapbook showcasing the highlights of their first school year. You will do most of the work for this scrapbook, but your child will help every step of the way. This is a great opportunity for them to practice gluing and cutting skills. Have your child do the journaling about some of the pictures and memories, and do not forget to include school projects in the album.
When you are done creating a school memory album, you will have taught your child some of the fundamentals of scrapbooking. You will also have spent time getting to know your child's creative side. As the child gains confidence and skill, allow him or her to start working on pages with less help from you.
Remember that kids will not be able to work on scrapbooks as long as you will. The younger your child is, the shorter their attention span will be. The important thing is to make the scrapbooking fun and exciting, not tedious. When your child starts to get bored or distracted, put the project away for another day.
Do not be afraid to let your children make some decisions on the scrapbook. They need to have the opportunity to experiment with colors and textures as they develop their skill and tastes for the craft. Even if they choose something you do not particularly care for, remember that it is their scrapbook. Encourage them in another direction, but avoid the temptation to stifle creativity by forcing your own ideas about their pages on them. This is the quickest way to kill your child's interest in scrapbooking.
If your children are older, give them the supplies and let them go with their own ideas! You will be pleasantly surprised by the creative streak that almost all upper elementary children possess. Give your children disposable cameras so that they can capture some pictures of their friends and activities on their own. This is the best time to teach them about how to properly handle photographs and negatives. You can scrapbook together, working on your pages while they create their own.
If you approach the process with love, patience, and creativity, you can create lasting memories through scrapbooking with your children. So grab some paper and pictures and get started, because precious time that you could share with your child is being wasted. Start a scrapbook together today!
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Have you ever had a quick question you wish someone could answer? Have
you ever wanted an opinion and got a "whatever" from your spouse... Visit the Scrapbooking Forums! There you will find all kinds of interesting discussion related to scrapbooking. You can get tips and ideas from others. You can even get your questions answered by fellow scrapbookers or by the experts. It is fun, interesting and interactive. Go visit the forums and start learning and sharing today Scrapbooking Forums! |
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