Preserving Homeschool Memories

Children attending traditional schools usually get yearbooks each year. But what about homeschooled kids? What kinds of things can a homeschooling family do to preserve special memories, short of renting storage space for all those papers and miscellaneous items?

It can be hard to throw away our child's artwork but we can't possibly keep every piece of paper they have ever scribbled on. Look over all artwork and choose any that are suitable for framing. Incorporate these into your decor.

Artwork that isn't suitable for framing can still be enjoyed and preserved. Scan them into your computer and transfer them to a disk or CD for safekeeping. They can be used as desktop wallpaper or to create screensavers and themes.

Reports and other schoolwork can be preserved in the same manner. Simply scan the work and then toss or recycle the paper.

In place of traditional yearbooks, you and your children can create homeschool scrapbooks. Talk it over with them and let them decide if they would rather make their own individual ones or work together to make one main one for the whole family.

The scrapbook can include pictures from field trips and vacations, and examples of their best work. You could also ask them each to write a poem or story about their favorite memory of the school year and include those in the scrapbook.

Another fun idea might be to have each child write something positive to the others in lieu of an autograph page. Or, if each child has their own scrapbook, they could put a few extra pages in the back for their friends to sign.

A variation on the scrapbooking idea is the memory box. Most craft stores sell plain heavy cardboard hat boxes of different shapes and sizes. These can be decorated with paint, markers, wrapping paper or fabric and used to hold special keepsakes and souveniers. Stacked together on a shelf, they are a nice way to keep memories intact.

Another fun project to help your family preserve yearly homeschool memories is shadowboxes. Let your child pick a favorite project or field trip that she has fond memories of. Provide an empty shoe box, glue, paint and stickers. They can make shadowboxes that can be displayed throughout the summer. To keep down on clutter, clear out the shadowboxes each fall. Take photos if you want to throw the boxes away.

Be sure to take lots of photos throughout the school year so you'll have plenty to work with. If your family owns a camera, teach any older children how to use it so they can capture shots when you're otherwise occupied. If you don't own a camera or it's too expensive or delicate to trust the kids with, consider buying a cheaper or more durable one just for them.

Have fun creating and preserving your homeschool memories!