Ages school-age
For more than 10 years, the Villani family of Fairfax, Virginia, has put their own twist on a timeless idea. Each summer, all four family members contribute to a common journal and give it a title that reflects their adventures. For example, the summer they took in several baseball games and visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame, they called their journal "Summer of Baseball." Another year they visited a slew of historical sites and wrote about them in the "Summer of History." Although the boys, Eric and Adam, now 17 and 14, are getting older, the Villanis still create a new book each year. "We haven't decided what to name this summer's journal," mom Phyllis says. "But we can't wait to sit down as a family and review the final product!"
by Catherine Newman
What you'll need
- Blank book or scrapbook (can be found at craft stores)
- Colored pencils, stickers, markers, and other items you'd like to decorate with
- Ticket stubs, brochures, and other souvenirs you can tape or glue into the book
- Acid-free glue
- Double-sided tape
- Photos from the trip
How to make it
- Sit down as a family and decorate your book with sitckers, drawings and souvenirs. .
- Lay out your photographs in chronological order on the table. This way you can be sure they are organized just how you want them before you glue them into the book.
- Glue in the photos with acid-free glue or secure them with photo-safe, double-sided tape.
- Pass the book around the table to each family member and take turns writing down memories each photo represents. It will be fun to read everyone's individual persepctive on the page when you finish.
