Tag from My Own Backyard by Allison Pennington
We’re getting to that point in summer (or maybe you’re already there?) when the novelty of long, school-free, sunny days of freedom starts to wear off. Are you hearing “Mom, I’m booooored!” yet? Do you need a way to occupy kids indoors when the heat, summer storms, or sickies cut them off from outdoor activities? Digital scrapbook supplies to the rescue!
I’ve scoured the stores and blogs, gathering a variety of printable/hybrid activities and ideas to make for kids from toddlers to teens. If the word “hybrid” scares you a bit, don’t worry! These are all super simple and require only a printer with plenty of color ink and a pair of scissors. Remember, your kids won’t notice or care if the lines aren’t perfectly trimmed.
If you’re on Pinterest, I have pinned all these ideas (and more!) to a Digi Supplies Kids Activities board.
Mini Albums
Create a quick mini-album with spots for kids to record their own favorite stories and paste in photos of their summer activities. Ideas for mini albums in every size imaginable abound on the web.
One simple idea that I love is to print off some 3×4 (Project Life-size) cards on cardstock, punch a hole in the corners, and string them on a binder ring. Make sure you include a variety of cards with journaling lines, photo spaces, and blank areas for doodles and drawings. Provide stickers, markers, small flowers and buttons, and other goodies to decorate the pages. To protect the finished “album,” slip flat pages into baseball card protectors. To support bulkier pages that won’t fit inside inside the protectors, glue the cards to pieces of chipboard (or recycle a cardboard box!).
Here’s a few journaling card packs I found that would work great for this type of project – can you imagine those ArtsyKardz H2O recording a summer full of pool or beach memories? Or how about “The ABCs of Summer” with Audrey Neal’s card pack?
Flash Cards
This is an incredibly versatile idea. Some designers sell pre-made, ready-to-print flashcards, and some offer make-your-own, fully customizable versions. Whether your child is learning his or her numbers, ABCs, sight words, or needs a little handwriting practice, you can make flashcards for anything! Many of them include traceable letter or blanks for your child to practice. Laminate these at your local copy shop or with contact paper and use dry erase markers for easy write-on, wipe-off fun. Some of my favorite finds:
Dolls and Games
From simple matching games to more elaborate paper doll sets, transform paper and ink into hours of boredom-busting activity. I’m thinking of using some paper dolls to help teach my son about body parts, clothing, etc. – they’re not just for girls! And I love how one creative blogger designed custom, personalized building blocks. Another blogger created activity jars filled with fun ideas for summer games, treats, and trips, perfect to customize with your favorite digital scrapbooking supplies. Check out these activities and more:
I hope you picked up a few new ideas to use your digi supplies AND keep those kiddos entertained this summer. Of course, you could always teach older kids to digital scrapbook, too! Start them young! Stephanie at Designer Digitals blogged about how she involved her son in her Week in the Life hybrid scrapping. Isn’t his card adorable?
If you have ideas for entertaining kids using digital supplies, please share in the comments. Link us up to your favorite blog posts, hybrid products, or Pinterest inspiration. And don’t forget to follow this board on Pinterest for all these ideas and more!
