Priscilla J. Dunstan
Summer holidays can seem like they go on forever, and when they end, it’s very easy for little kids to forget all the exciting things they did. By creating a memory keepsake, you will be able to help your child remember and also produce a keepsake for years to come.
Tactile children will love the concept of a box. It doesn’t need to be large, just a box that can be opened and that can hold all the treasures collected over the summer. It could be a shell from the beach, a pebble from the lake at Grandma’s, a ribbon from a running race at camp, or photos with their friends on the slide. Encourage them to write a letter for the box describing the contents and why it was special. Not only is it great for the inevitable show and tell at school, but in years to come they can open it, hold the items and remember the fun of their childhood.
Visual children will do well with the scrapbooks on the web. This allows them to pick out their favorite digital photos from the holidays, and design from a template a keepsake book. Apple’s Iphoto is an easy to use program, but you can also find many great programs on the web. Producing a digital scrapbook will cater to their visual sense, as well as helping them keep their memories contained in an easy-to-open-and-show book. These books can be printed out and bound at home, or they can be professionally done. Either way, it’s a good visual way to make a holiday keepsake
Taste and smell children will prefer to make the handmade craft type of scrapbook, or even better, to make cards to send to family members and friends. Take digital photos of the finished cards to keep as a memory book. Each card can contain a photo, a memento and a short note. This has the benefit of having your child connect with friends and family, while at the same time sharing their holiday adventures. Making a scrapbook of holiday snaps will also be fun, but make sure you give your taste and smell child only the photos you want to keep, as this child will treasure every photo, even the blurry ones.
Auditory children are practical and organized, so they prefer mementos that can be used daily. They will love photos on mugs, or handmade calendars, or custom t-shirts, all made from snapshots from holiday activities, Things they can use, like a pencil from the vacation hotel, or a paperweight made from a rock from a river, or a CD of music listened to on the car ride to grandmas will all spark lifelong memories. Help your child write a story about the holiday with your child being the main character. In the many months to come, it can be read and reread as a bedtime story especially when your child needs cheering up.
Summer breaks are the times when we remember connecting with our families. It’s a time when we forgo the school routine for a more exciting and social time. We see relatives we can’t see during the year and we have adventures not normally available during the school year. Make the most of these fun times by keeping them alive by creating a holiday memento.
Priscilla J. Dunstan is a child and parenting behavior expert and consultant and the author of “Child Sense.” Learn more about Priscilla and her parenting discoveries at www.childsense.com
