Make a memory book for kids

Safety and privacy first

Staples, hole punches and scissors are for grown-ups only. A grown-up does all the cutting, stapling and punching, while children fold, draw and decorate. Use washable pens and a glue stick, and keep small stickers and buttons away from children under 3. Photos go in only with the agreement of everyone shown. Keep personal details such as your home address, your school's name or phone numbers out of the pages, particularly if the book will be shown to others. Age hints are only a guide, so you know your child best.

Make the booklet

Age hint: 4 and up, with a grown-up for the binding. You need: four to six sheets of plain paper of the same size, pencils, crayons or pens, and either a stapler or string or ribbon.

1. Stack the sheets neatly and fold the whole stack in half, pressing the crease flat with the side of your hand. Four sheets make sixteen sides, enough for a cover and six pages with room to spare.
2. Open the stack and tidy the edges. Then bind it with Option A or Option B below. They are two different ways to do the same job, so choose just one.

Option A: Staples

1. A grown-up places two or three staples along the crease from the outside, then folds the sharp ends flat and covers them with a strip of tape.

Option B: Punch and ribbon (stitch-free)

1. A grown-up uses a hole punch to make two or three holes along the crease, through all the sheets.
2. Thread ribbon or string through, and tie a bow on the outside so you can untie it later to add pages.

Finish the cover

Whichever option you chose, fold the booklet closed and decorate the front with a title and a drawing. Write the date on the cover if you like.

Six page ideas

Use them in any order, and skip any that do not fit. A page can be left blank until you are ready.

1. My favourite things this month

Draw or list the foods, games, songs, books or places you enjoyed lately. Add small labels, and a star next to the very best one.

Try saying: What do you want to remember about this month?

2. A drawing of today

Set aside a few quiet minutes and draw one moment from today. It could be the view from a window, your lunch or a game with a friend. Write the date underneath.

Try saying: What was happening just before this moment?

3. Leaf rubbing

Ask a grown-up to check a fallen leaf, then slide it under the page with the veins facing up. Rub the side of a peeled crayon over the paper until the leaf appears. Write where you found it, such as a park or a courtyard, without any exact address. Our nature walk activities have more ways to find leaves safely.

Try saying: What do the lines on your leaf remind you of?

4. My family tree of hands

Trace a hand outline for each person you want on the page, whoever they are: relatives, friends, neighbours, people you live with or look up to. Ask each person before tracing theirs. Write a name or nickname inside each outline, then arrange the hands like branches, leaves or a bouquet. There is no set number or arrangement.

Try saying: Who would you like to put on this page, and what is one thing you like about them?

5. Things that made me laugh

Draw a funny moment, copy out a silly word, or list jokes you liked. If a joke was about someone, check that they would be happy to see it in the book.

Try saying: What made you laugh so much your tummy hurt?

6. Next time I want to

Finish the sentence with plans, wishes or things you would like to try, such as visiting a place, learning a game or baking something with a grown-up. Draw a small picture beside each wish.

Try saying: What would you like to do next, and who might help?

Keeping and sharing the book

Keep the book flat on a shelf and add a page now and then, or begin a new one each season. If you used string, untie it, slip in a fresh sheet and tie it again. Before showing the book to anyone outside your home, a grown-up can look through it to check for names, addresses and photos that should stay private. A book can also be just for you, and that is a lovely choice too.

More to do on Rangooo

Fold and decorate with easy paper crafts, fill pages with easy drawing ideas, make a handmade card for someone on a page, try gratitude journal prompts, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.

Questions

What age is a memory book good for?

Children from about four can make one with a grown-up, drawing and telling while an adult writes the words. Older children can fold, write and decorate most of it on their own, leaving only the stapling, punching and cutting to an adult.

Can we make the book without staples?

Yes. Fold the sheets, ask a grown-up to punch two or three holes along the fold, then thread string or ribbon through and tie it in a bow on the outside. This stitch-free method needs no needle and is easy to undo and re-tie when you add pages.

Is it fine to put photos in the book?

Only with the agreement of everyone in the picture, or of their grown-up if they are children. If someone would rather not appear, leave them out or draw them instead. Keep addresses, school names and phone numbers out of the pages, especially if the book may be shared.

What if our family is not a typical shape?

The hands page works for any family shape. Use the hands of whoever lives with you or matters to you, including friends, grandparents or neighbours, and add as many or as few as you like. There is no right number.