Scrapbooking with Pre-Schoolers

Scrapbooking is one of my favorite past times so naturally after years of watching Mommy piece together our memories my son Aiden wanted a turn to try and create his own masterpiece. Scrapbooking with young children is quite rewarding as it encourages creativity, teaches children the importance of preservation and provides a memento from your childs own unique perspective at the time.

What You'll Need -

1 sheet of cardstock (I prefer using white or a neutral shade as pre-schoolers tend to opt more for loud colors when choosing embellishments and patterned papers)

Photograph(s) (Let your child pick from a selection of photos which picture they would most like to work with)

Several pieces of patterned paper trimmed into smaller pieces (select several sheets of paper that compliment the theme of your page nicely and have your pre-schooler pick out 3-4 of their favorite patterns, mommies do the cutting)

Acid free glue stick (ALWAYS use acid free products as this protects your photograph from deteriorating over time)

Embellishments - Colorful buttons, ribbons, stickers, fabric flowers, chipboard pieces, metal charms, or anything else you feel comfortable letting your child raid from your personal scrapbooking supplies. (I picked out a handful of embellishments for our project and let Aiden pick his favorites)How-To -

1. Sit down with your child and supply them with the piece of cardstock, patterned paper trimmings and the glue stick. Keep the other supplies seperate as this project can become overwhelming to a very young child pretty easily if presented with an abundance of materials all at one time. Let your child glue the patterned paper where they will (my child is anal retentive like his Mother so this step took some time and some precision on his part)

2. Apply the glue to the back of the photograph for your child. Explain that photos are very delicate and have to be handled carefully. Help your child secure the photo whereever they would like it be placed on the page.

3. Time for my favorite part - embellishments!! Allow your kiddo to use their imagination and place the embellishments wherever they see fit..except over the photograph of course. Allow the glue to dry overnight or at least several hours before you handle your childs creation.

HAPPY CRAFTING!!