Today’s tip isn’t something you’d usually do on the road, but it’s important to plan for it when you return. Scrapbooking is the art and business of taking photos, trinkets, ticket, and scraps of anything and putting them together in an keepsake book to be cherished for a lifetime.
While this is often an activity only one family member engages in (sorry to be stereotypical, but statistically it’s the Mom) it’s a great chance for the whole family to be involved. Kids and Dads alike can collect items along the way. Each person can have their own page or two in the book and a family night can be planned where all the supplies are laid out on a table and everyone goes at it. It need not be a chore at the end of a trip, it can be a direct extension of the fun shared on the trip.
I’d suggest waiting a good week or two after the end of the trip (depending on trip length) before starting a book. That gives time for everyone to start getting settled back into the weekly routine. It also helps some of the memories sink in and then present themselves anew, letting each person remember a particular aspect differently. This is all part of the game of representing the trip on each person’s terms. It also allows time to get photos from the trip printed.
Younger kids will need a hand with the process but kids over 5 can usually be left to their own devices. While most activities depend on children’s age, here are some other options to giving each person a page to complete:
- Before you leave, give each person a DAY they are responsible for. They can ask for help, but collecting info/items and photos that day will be their responsibility.
- Team up! Make different teams each day (Mom and Sis, Sis and Dad, etc…) who will be responsible for that day’s page.
- Assign certain activities to each person to complete. Make sure it’s something each person really likes.
- Throw events that happened during the trip into a hat. Each person draws one out and creates a page.
The key is to get the whole family involved for one night of scrapbooking. Don’t drag it out and make sure to get everyone involved. You’ll love looking at the books together 2, 5, 10, 20 years down the road and see how talents and family have grown.
If you’re looking for help in getting started in scrapbooking, Amazon