The Valley has experienced an uncommonly cold winter this year, meaning families are spending more time indoors. Nothing sounds more cozy than snuggling up under the covers with a cup of cocoa and a good book. However, with young children staying still seems nearly impossible, especially when everyone is stuck inside for several days at a time. You don’t have to let your child’s wiggles get the best of you, instead have some fun creating memories with a family activity. The staff here at Pace Academy has taken an activity from one of our favorite books, “Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars” by Sharon Lovejoy, to promote togetherness in our student’s lives at home. We also recommend purchasing this book for yourself if possible. It’s an array of crafts and projects that encourage creativity, invention, and critical thinking skills. The activities in the book are also just “plain ole fun.”  

 

This one is exciting for both parents and children because it requires looking through old photos!

 

“Fabric of Your Grandchild’s Past”

 

Start the project by looking through family photos from your current generation and past generations. The farther the genealogy the better. Kids love story telling, so this project is the perfect fascinating mix of narrative history. You’ll place a photo of a relative in a journal and write an interesting tidbit of their legacy below. Sharon Lovejoy writes in her book she used a photo of her great-great-grandpa John Clark riding a horse and accompanied the picture with this account, “Here is your great-great-grandpa who was the last of the Arizona Rangers. He rode this horse through the Arizona Territory at the beginning of the twentieth century and searched the Grand Canyon for bandits.” You will be surprised how interested your child will be at the accomplishments and practices of their ancestors. And what a wonderful way to keep the family lineage alive!

 

Materials:

1. Journal or Album to place photos on. A great option may be cardstock, solid colored paper, or patterned paper. But a simple journal will do nicely
2. Adhesive
3. Pens

Optional Materials:

1. 1. 1. Scissors
      2. Embellishments
      3. Scrapbook Kits

 

Directions:

1. Place 1-2 photos at the top of the page. Underneath write an interesting story that tells part of your ancestor’s history.
2. Have your little one help sort the pictures, person by person.
3. Allow them to help glue the photos to the top of the paper.
4. If applicable, allow them to place embellishments around the page.
5. Enjoy story time!

 

Note: If your child is too young to be handed old family photos, create a general scrapbook instead. Print photos of your little one and have them recount the situation they were in and write down what they say.

 

Again, this project was taken from the book “Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars” by Sharon Lovejoy. This is one of many activities that can be found in this wonderful book. We hope you enjoy it, and look forward to perhaps seeing these scrapbooks at school once they’re done!