Photos and keepsakes: memories of your family travels

by Michelle Elliot

You’ve done the BIG family travel and have come back with a truck- load of holiday snaps. With us all using digital camera’s these days it is easy to download your holiday memories to the computer/disc and forget about them. But while it is fresh in your and your children’s minds why not make a book instead?

When I put together my children’s baby books I never realized how much they would return to them time and time again often choosing them as bedtime stories at age 3, 6, and  8 years of age.

The advantage of doing a family travel book is that your children will come up with all those classic one- liners that years later they will find amusing and you will return totime and time again, especially in those times when you need to remember how wonderful and fulfilling they are and not frustrating and (dare I say it) stressful!

Children are natural collector’s of free postcards, pamphlets, sweetie wrappers, coasters,anything shiny bright and small enough to be vacuumed up as they slowly spread across the bedroom floor long after the exquisiteness of them have flown from their minds… So using these treasures to add colour to the travel books is a natural affinity that will entice your children’s interest in the project and 'hey presto' you don’t have to clean up their bedroom floor!

A scrap book, decoupage glue, and imagination is all you need to kick-start this project. But if this all seems too crafty then point the kids to the computer. This is where Dads like to dabble their creative talents and get into the project. These handy websites give Dad and kids step by step instructions on how to make your story come to life (while you have a cup of tea):

• www.ehow.com 
• www.frogprints.co.nz 
• www.digi-labs.net 

If all of this seems just like too much hard work and you're desperate for a cup of tea and a lie down then online photo shops like www.suchfun.lifepics.com , www.snapfish.co.nz, www.vistaprint.co.nz, or www.smilebooks.com, www.shutterfly.com, or www.purpletrail.com will put together a fabulous book with all your pics and text to make your very own family holiday story. All you have to do is pick out the best pic’s and write what you want to say --- too easy!

Lastly, to hand back the project to the kids, why not let them make a treasure box so all the holiday “souvenirs“ can be stored in their room without the need for you to ever accidentally on purpose dispose of them…?

You will need:

• A box with a lid 
• Decoupage glue 
• Old maps of your travel destination 
• Brochures or flyers for places your visited 
• Wooden letters or other lettering (for your child's name) 
• Stars, stickers and spangles for glitz 

Just glue the maps and other paper mementos onto the outside of the box. Allow to dry before decorating with smaller mementos like postcards, wooden letters (for the child's name), stickers and spangles! 'Hey presto' you gain another cup of tea and a lie down!

Whatever option you choose, have fun and enjoy your time with your children. After all childhood is a short space of time to treasure in the whole big scheme of things!

Happy safe travels,

Michelle