Have you even thought of making a scrapbook with your kids? Here are some tips to get started with scrapbooking with them.

You’ll need some basic supplies, such as scissors, glue or adhesives, paper and a scrapbook album (or binder).

Some parents like to limit what scrapbook materials in a kids’ scrapbooking activity. Others just let them use any of the supplies they have available. You know your kids and which option is best for them.

Top Tips for Children’s Scrapbooking:

Tip 1: Make it an easy going fun time. They don’t have to be great artists or make things look perfect. Allow for them to come up with their own ideas to help develop their creativity.

Tip 2: Depending on the children’s ages, you may want to be sure that your tools (such as scissors) are the child safety scissors and remove any other sharp materials (such as exacto knives) from within their reach. When using punches or other tools they are unfamiliar with, explain how to use them and show them the right way to avoid any accidents.

Tip 3: 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: Select photos and have them on hand for the scrapbook. (You may want to use extra prints of photographs so the ones you are planning on using yourself won’t be used.)

Tip 5: Guide them with their choices of what supplies make for a good scrapbook, such as Disney stickers, rub ons, rubber stamping materials, etc. You may even want to buy some scrapbook kits with specific artistic themes (holidays, birthdays, pets, boy themes or girl themes) for them to use.

Tip 6: Show the kids how to write their own notes or captions (introduce them to journaling). 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. This will be of interest later on in time when they look at their scrapbook albums.

Tip 7: Don’t let them eat or drink anything until AFTER they are done. Food and drinks could ruin your expensive collection of supplies.

Hopefully your kids will enjoy this kind of quality time spent with you and they will learn the joy that comes from creativity. They might come to love scrapbooking as a hobby as much as you do!

Elizabeth Gibson is a graphic designer with many years of experience who has recently become scrapbooking fan.