Helping Children Get Started With Scrapbooking

Although scrapbooking is a hobby seen mostly with adults, many children and teenagers enjoy creating their own unique books. I have always tried to set aside photographs that I want to keep but might not incorporate into a scrapbook, or I always made sure I had doubles on hand. These were pictures that my children could use to create their own special scrapbooks. Don’t think that it’s just girls who will enjoy this activity. When my children were younger, they put together an entire book of their own. My son was in the 3rd grade at the time. Most children, … Continue reading

Footprints in our Memories

You know, when my daughter was born, I was surprised that not only did they not take a footprint or handprint of her – they didn’t even issue her a birth certificate. In fact, a lot of hospitals don’t anymore – they give you a letter of registration. It basically informs people that you had a child and some key data about the child. If you want a birth certificate, you have to send off for it. I was more than a little startled about that, but I did end up getting her birth certificate and it’s nothing really fancy … Continue reading

Instant Energy/Happiness/Joy

I’ve written about this before (link) but I felt compelled to write about it again. This blog is about the daily education of a new father: joys, bumps, tips, and trials. The last time I wrote about my son smiling I was experiencing his first smile directed at me. Recently he’s become even more expressive and responsive. His interactions with his parents have become more controlled. The effect on Dad, also, has increased tenfold or more. This past week my wife and I attended the funeral of our son’s great-grandfather (my wife’s grandfather). This was obviously a time of sadness … Continue reading

Thumbprint Art – Easy Crafts for Children

Making pictures with thumb and finger prints is easy, even for the reluctant artist. And other than needing to wash hands afterwards, it’s not all that messy! All you need is a washable stamp pad or two and some markers to add detail. A single thumb print can be turned into a bunny, a bear, a dog, a shy mouse, or even a spider. If you start building a design with multiple finger prints you can make flowers, ants, even trains. A row of prints could be a caterpillar, a stack of fingerprints could be a snowman. Your childs imagination … Continue reading