First Day of School Memory Book

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 – 2 foot by 4 foot sheet of poster board
• 1 – 9 inch by 12 inch piece of felt
• 3 – 9 inch by 12 inch pieces of heavy-duty white construction paper
• 1-hole punch
• Fabric glue
• Craft foam letters
• Colored markers
• Ribbon or yarn
• First day of school pictures

HOW TO DO IT 

• Take pictures of your child as he or she gets ready for the first day of school.
• Cut out 2 – 5 1/2 inch square pieces of poster board.
• Cut out 2 – 5 1/2 inch square pieces of felt.
• Cut out 2 – 5 1/2 inch square pieces of heavy-duty white construction paper.
• Cut out 6 – 5 1/4 inch square pieces of heavy-duty white construction paper.
• To make the front book cover, use fabric glue to adhere a square of felt to one side of the poster board square and a glue stick to adhere a square of heavy-duty construction paper to the other side of the poster board.
• Repeat this process for the back book cover.
• Punch holes in the front and back book covers (see template for exact position).
• Punch holes in the 6 – 5 1/4 inch squares of white construction paper (use the same template).
• Assemble the first day of school pictures that were taken and decide which ones to include in the book. If you choose lots of pictures, just add more pages to the book.
• Ask your child to draw some of the things that happened at school.
• Write captions quoting your child under each picture and drawing. If he or she is too young to write, have her dictate her thoughts to you.
• When the pages are finished, string ribbon through the holes and tie into bows.
• Use craft glue to attach craft foam letters.

• Start a new family tradition by taking a photo of your child on their first day of school every year. If possible, try to position your child in the same spot for the picture at the beginning of every school year—that way, you'll get to see how they grow and change over the years. Whether you frame the collected photos for display , or place them in a special album, you'll have a one-of-a-kind record of your child's earliest school years that everyone in your family will treasure.