Pace Academy Educators Recommend Craft Activity for Families
With wintry weather making an appearance in the Rio Grande Valley, local families are spending more time indoors. Nothing sounds cozier than snuggling under the covers with a cup of cocoa and a good book.
However, staying still seems nearly impossible for young children, especially when everyone is stuck inside for several days at a time. You don’t have to let your child’s restlessness get the best of you. Instead, have some fun creating memories with a family activity.
The staff at Pace Academy has taken an activity from one of their favorite books, “Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars” by Sharon Lovejoy, to promote togetherness in student’s lives at home. Pace educators 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 old 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 now and generations past. The more comprehensive the history, the better. Kids love storytelling, so this project provides a perfect way to include narrative history. You’ll place a photo of a relative in a journal and write an interesting tidbit of their legacy below. Lovejoy writes in her book that she used a photo of her great-great-grandfather 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 at how interested your child will be at the accomplishments of their ancestors. And what a wonderful way to keep the family lineage alive!
Materials:
- Journal or album to place photos on. A great option may be cardstock, solid colored paper, or patterned paper.
- Adhesive
- Pens
Optional Materials:
- Scissors
- Embellishments
- Scrapbook Kits
Directions:
- Place 1-2 photos at the top of the page. Underneath, write an interesting story that tells part of your ancestor’s history.
- Have your little one help sort the pictures, person by person.
- Allow them to help glue the photos to the top of the paper.
- If applicable, allow them to place embellishments around the page.
- 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.
This is one of many activities that can be found in Lovejoy’s wonderful book. Encourage your children to show these scrapbooks at school once they’re done!
