Creating a Scrapbook For Your Grandchildren

Lighthouse Family Scrapbook
Make a custom ring binder at zazzle

Family trees and genealogy provide details and facts, but they don't share the stories, photos, and rich memories you have that you can pass along to your family. Much of the fabric of family history is handed down in photo albums and stories.

Why not record these and make a book to give to your grandchildren so they'll know what mom and dad's parents and grandparents were like when they were young? You can even include pets and other family members' photos, too.

How can you do that?

Create a scrapbook for your grandchildren and add to it every year. If you have photos and memorabilia from your childhood, include copies and label them.

Write about where you were born, what street you lived on, and anything else about your home town (or home towns if you moved around) that you want to share.

Write about your life as a kid in school, and about your jobs as a teenager. Talk about what you did for fun and also about the mischief you got into with friends or siblings.

Write about how you met their grandfather or grandmother (in the case of divorced couples, include stories about all partners and try to make a timeline the kids can understand if they're old enough and there's no animosity to deal with.)

Show photos of where you played, hung out, worked, went to school and so on. If you have pictures of your pets, favorite toys or bike, playground and other things from your youth include them.

If you have special stories you can share about how you met your spouse, or what your parents were like, include them.

Again, if you have memorabilia and photos make copies and add those.

For example, I have the blue ribbons I won at the county fair when I was a 4H club member, and all my old elementary school report cards plus class photos I can add to my memory book.

If your family made trips to special places for vacation or to visit other family members in the country or the city or another state, include that if it's interesting and important to you.

My family lived in the city until I was in elementary school and I have fond memories of visiting my aunt and uncle and cousins (in the photo below I'm a toddler, gleefully exploring the great outdoors with my older cousin Suzy) in rural New Hampshire; they heated their home with wood and raised chickens and a big vegetable garden.

If you start now to make your book you'll have it ready when your grandchildren start to get interested in your family history or begin to ask what you did when you were their age. Start now, and you'll be ready with a wonderful story book that you can share together for years, and leave behind for them to remember you by when you're gone.

Scrapbooking Articles

• Your Scrapbook Layouts - Published!
• Scrapbooking A Teen's High School Years
• Scrapbooking with Office Supplies
• Making a Memory Book
• Craft an Exploding Memory Box

Low Cost and Free Scrapbooking Goodies

• Borders and Frames, Background Papers (printable downloads)
• Word Art and Dividers
• Borders and Dividers you can print
• Free Scrapbook Borders and Clip Art - Lee Hansen Graphics
• Vintage Clip Art