Make A Memory-Book Map

Now is the time when it seems that everyone goes somewhere - either on a vacation or to visit family or friends.

It is also the time that your child will make lots of memories.

At the beginning of your trip, find a map of where you are going (even if it is just to a park or grandma's house). Glue the map (could be a Google map that you print out) to poster board. If you're making a memory book, glue the map to a piece of cardboard. I like to cut up cereal boxes and use them.

Before you leave, take a gallon zipper bag with you.

On the route, pick up items to add to your trip picture. It can be anything - leaves, flowers, rocks, feathers, flyers, souvenirs.

We also grab take-out menus from the places we stop at, as they have logos and words that can be cut out. And there are often memories around meals - like the time you thought sweet breads would make a good desert.

You can even add cutouts to your map, like a set of lips from grandma’s kisses, or a hammer because you helped grandpa hang a picture.

Sometimes small children do not remember these events - but the map will help! When you are done hang it in your child’s room and add more pages to it.

I have used these in a memory album for my kids by adding pictures of my child with grandma or a picture of my son fishing with grandpa.

It even worked on a trip to the movies! We added a picture we found online of the film. I cut out the label of the popcorn and candy package and glued down pictures of a filmstrip and popcorn.

My grandkids loved looking at this and sharing the memory. They can still go to the ones of a nature hike and remember things that happened on that trip as they are all now in a memory album for them.