Family Picture Quilt

What you need:

• family photographs and memorabilia
• postcards and greeting cards
• old magazines
• scissors
• glue and tape
• construction paper in a variety of colors
• markers

What to do:

1. Ask your child to think specifically about things that are important to him. Then, send him (and any siblings) on a hunt around the house for favorite photographs and memorabilia. Make available old photos, greeting cards, and vacation postcards.
2. Together, cut out pictures from magazines that represent things your child loves or general family interests. Glue pictures onto differently colored pieces of paper that you will put together to make a quilt. Older children can work with younger ones to make the patches for the quilt, create drawings, or even write their thoughts on a patch.
3. Using tape, help your child put the pieces of the quilt together, and hang the collaborative creation in a special place. Explain that people make quilts out of things that are special to them and that quilts are a way to celebrate special events, friends, and family.

Learning Benefits:

• inspires exploration of your family background and traditions
• sparks discussion about how memories are preserved