Tips to Get Started Scrapbooking with Kids
Have you gotten your kids involved in scrapbooking? There are so many moms doing scrapbooking. I wonder if all those croppin’ moms ever tried scrapbooking with their children? It’s difficult to get kids to sit still for a group activity - especially when you are competeing with television and video games! Kids usually act like they don’t want to do an activity - but once you get started, they usually end up loving the creativity - and scrapbooking is fun.
If you like to make scrapbooks but haven’t gotten your kids involved before, here are some tips to get started with scrapbooking with them.
You’ll need some basic scrapbooking supplies, such glue or adhesives, paper, scissors and a scrapbook album (or binder). Kid-themed scrapbook albums are available. You could find an album for each child (there are sports scrapbook albums, Disney scrapbook albums, and scrapbook kits for kids have similar themes to use for ideas. Another choice would be to use a large album that everyone contributes to as a group (with their own special pages). Mini-scrapbook albums are another option to use for your kid’s scrapbook activity.
You may need to sort through which of your scrapbook supplies and materials you want to use for the activity. Depending upon the ages of the children involved, you might limit their use of your specialty papers or more expensive scrapbooking materials. Other parents just let them use any of the supplies they have available. It’s something you should plan ahead of time - which of your supplies do you want to use in this scrapbooking activity.
Children’s Scrapbooking Activity Time Tips:
Tip 1: Have Fun
This is supposed to be about having fun. Being creative isn’t about being perfect or being a great artist - it’s something to experience and experiment with. Allow for them to come up with their own ideas to help develop their creativity.
Tip 2: Scrapbooking Tools and Materials
Supervise the use of any sharp tools or remove the ones that are dangerous from the available supplies. When using any tools that could be dangerous or have anything sharp on them, show them how to use them properly or tell them that only you will be using those.
Tip 3: Get Organized before You Start
Prepare for the activity by sorting out your art, craft and scrapbook supplies. Using containers or bins to keep pens, photo corners, stickers, glue and other materials in easy-to-find places will really help.
Tip 4: Photos for the Scrapbook
Have some photos selected and ready to use. You may want to use extra prints of photographs so the ones you are planning on using yourself won’t be used.
Tip 5: Stickers, Rub-ons and Embellishments
Guide them with their choices of what supplies make for a good scrapbook, such as Disney stickers, rub ons, rubber stamping materials, etc. Scrapbook kits could be purchased in advance to help with more ideas and supplies for scrapbooks with themes, such as pets, hobbies, boy’s or girls scrapbook themes.
Tip 6: Writing and Journaling
Show the kids how to write their own notes or captions (introduce them to journaling). Having some colorful pens to use can make this even more fun. If they like to draw, have them add drawings or sketches to the layout. Don’t forget to let them add personal information, such as their name, age and the date on their pages. Keeping the date the scrapbook was made will be of interest to them in later years.
Tip 7: Set Some Activity Time Rules
Keep drinks and food away from your activity area. Food and drinks could ruin your expensive collection of supplies.
If you have teenagers who love computers, think about having them learn about digital scrapbooking - they may like computer scrapbooking as much or more than playing those video games!
Spending this quality time is a great way to bond with your kids and help them learn how much fun it is to be creative. Who knows, they may become a scrapbooking fan like you are!