Here are some great ideas to help you to create a treasured keepsake of your child’s precious school memories.
Starting playschool, nursery school and primary school are huge milestones in your child’s life. It is the beginning of his or her academic career, as well as a chance to meet new friends and become more independent. These occasions deserve to be recorded in your school memory albums. Take lots of photos of their first days, and record their thoughts about starting at a new school.
Other ideas to include in your album:
If you would like to have more photos for your album, ask the teacher for permission to visit the classroom, or take some informal photos of your child playing with their friends during breaktime. You can also see if there are any school photos that you could get copies of, other than the official class photo and individual portrait that is done each year.
Memorabilia ideas include name tags, reports, souvenirs from class outings, notes from friends and birthday party invitations they receive.
For the primary school years, it is a great idea, at the end of each school year, to go through their school books and cut out samples of their work. You can ask your child for their input on what is most important, and you can select your own personal favourites.
This can include the following:
Their written stories - these are priceless memories, in their handwriting, at various ages. Rather than this remaining in their school books and getting thrown out over time, at least you will have a few selected precious pages to always look back on.
Their school projects – you can always select the most creative or the ones where they got the best marks, if there are too many to keep them all.
Pieces of artwork that are especially good, or that your child is particularly proud of.
Their reading worm worksheet - which is a record of all the books they read that year.
All certificates they receive during the year – even if it is a small note, for example an “Honesty Award” or a small certificate to say “Great Speller” or even just a “Good Work” note. When your child sees them all together, it will give them a real sense of pride and accomplishment.
Any written work they do on themselves e.g. an essay on their family, their likes and dislikes and what they want to be when they grow up. This is an irreplaceable memento of your child’s thoughts and feelings at that time.
If the preschool or nursery school has a graduation ceremony, this is definitely an important occasion. Bring your camera and take lots of photos of your child and their friends. This is a great memory, especially if they are all going on to different primary schools and won’t necessarily see each other again. Keep the printed programme as a souvenir for your memory album.
Scrapbooking ideas for these years should reflect your child’s youthful nature, as well as their entrance into the world of academics. Papers in bright primary colours make an excellent backdrop for kindergarten memories. Timetables, stationery order forms and end-of-year thank you notes from their teachers are all good reminders of each school year.
I hope that these ideas will help you and your child to create a timeless album of your child’s precious school memories, in one safe and convenient place, in your SCHOOL MEMORY ALBUM, forever.