Some Quick Tips on Scrapbooking for Kids
28 April 2009Many parents are finding today that putting together scrapbooks is a great hobby that the entire family can enjoy, including young and old. But as with any other activity, it’s important to remember that scrapbooking for kids is not like scrapbooking for adults. You may need to make some adjustments in order to accommodate the attention span and abilities of the children or else they’ll get as bored as they would with any other hobby. So how can you approach scrapbooking for kids so they will love it as much as you do? Here are a few quick tips to consider.
Getting them started and allowing them to make their own selections is important when scrapbooking for kids. Let them pick the photograph or other item you’ll be using as a focal point and let them pick the colors or theme as well. You may think that soft pastels or primary colors or another design would look better on a particular page but this isn’t about doing things “right,” it’s about letting the children express themselves. Give them as many options and choices as you can and you’ll see that they’re more involved and will enjoy scrapbooking projects with kids more often, as opposed to just dictating to them what you’ll be doing or working on. Their scrapbooking techniques may improve over time but be patient with them and encourage their own creativity.
You will want to remember to keep things basic and simple when scrapbooking for kids. You might be experienced using a variety of designs and elements on your scrapbooking page layouts, but think of how coloring books for children are designed. The drawings in coloring books are very basic in their shapes, colors, designs, and so on. Keep your pages simple as well when considering scrapbooking for kids. Stay with basic shapes like rectangles, circles, hearts, diamonds, triangles and squares, and simple designs like stars, suns, flowers and boats. You can use stencils or templates or maybe just have them draw things freehand, but be sure to avoid being too critical of their work.
Scrapbooking is a great hobby for anyone and everyone. It’s creative, affordable and a great rainy day activity! But when you’re enjoying scrapbooking with kids it’s good to allow them take the lead in their scrapbooks and really express themselves so they enjoy it as much as you do!