A Family Gift   by Marilyn Mackenzie

A Family Gift
By Marilyn Mackenzie

Every child can benefit from a book all of his or her own. They are easy to make, fun for baby and family to browse, and educational as well. What could be better?

Start with an empty photograph album or scrapbook. The book can be as simple or as fancy as one desires.

Because it's a baby's or child's book, using photo albums with adhesive-backed cardboard and plastic sleeves works best. Hopefully, this book will become one of baby's favorites, and will be used often. And having plastic-coated pages means that spills will not ruin the book!

On the outside, stencil or paste letters spelling out, "My book."

Inside, put a picture of the baby, at different stages if you desire - at birth, a few months old, one year old. Under the baby's picture, stencil or paste letters to spell his or her name.

On subsequent pages, put pictures of other family members - mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, sister, brother, with their names or relationship to the child.

Other additions might include:

Pictures of the outside of the baby's house.

Pictures (large ones) of places where the family has vacationed - with large letters identifying them.

Pictures of family pets or domestic animals - with identifying words.

Pictures - from magazines - of baby's favorite foods. Pictures of fresh fruits and vegetables is not only colorful, but it gives the baby the idea that these foods are desirable. (Skip the pictures of burgers. Babies are impressionable and there is no sense giving them the idea that burgers are favored over fresh foods.)

Pictures of glasses of milk or bottles of milk.

Pictures of trees, flowers, plants, grass, hills or mountains - with simple identifying words.

Pictures of cars, trucks, airplanes.

Pictures of other babies. (Babies seem to love other babies!)

Pictures of birds or ducks.

Pictures of butterflies. (They do love colors!)

Other pages might hold pictures of crayons, a computer, toys, dolls, or even just colors and numbers.

If baby is already interested in television or cartoon characters, include them if you can find large and simple pictures. Don't forget to identify them with large stenciled or pasted on letters.

A map of the state or country where baby resides is a good choice. (It's never too late to start learning about where you live!)

Include farm animals, giving the opportunity to not only name the animal but to name the sound the animal makes. (Babies love hearing and learning "moo" and "quack-quack" sounds.)

Each page should hold just one picture and one large word. That makes it easier to baby and family to "read" and learn together.

Don't be surprised if baby favors his own book. That's the reason for creating one. Don't be surprised it he wants to sit in the corner and look through the book, or that he wants to take it with him when he travels.

And...don't be surprised if that book becomes a treasure as your child ages. My son will be twenty-three next month, and his book is one of few of his childhood possessions that he moves with him from place to place.

About the Author

Marilyn Mackenzie has been writing about home, family, faith and nature for over 40 years. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.BabyNameVote.Com/ which is a site for Baby Names.

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