As the end of the year charges full steam ahead, teachers are scrambling to find an end of the year gift for their students. Although, I love seeing all the super cute gifts and clever puns that teachers come up with for end of the year gifts, I’ve found that a memory book is the most meaningful gift that a student can take home at the end of the year. It is also extremely easy to create!
Memory books are such an amazing way for students to look back on their year, no matter what grade they’re in. This project is very low stress and super easy because I’ve been creating my students’ memory books from the beginning of the year. Each month, I keep special art projects, important writing or pictures that will eventually be bound into a book.
Memory Books
Organization
To stay organized throughout the year, I have a special drawer with files for each of my students. These files hold each student’s work that will eventually turn into their memory book. I start the files off with their first day of school writing and their drawing of themselves on their first day in kindergarten. Every piece of work I add goes behind the next. That way, when I go to make the memory book, I just pull the work from inside the file and all I have to do is bind it!
What’s Inside?
I try to keep at least one art project from each month. Mainly, these art pieces go along with whatever holiday or season we’re celebrating that month. I also include my students’ Star of the Week letter from their parents and any important writing or drawings. The front cover of their memory book is two pictures of the student: one picture on the first day of kindergarten and one on the (semi) last day of kindergarten. Of course I can actually do the last day or else the books wouldn’t be ready. I love using this as the front cover because you get to see how much they’ve truly grown.
Tips
- Start saving art or important work right away
- Face all the work the same direction one after another so it’s in order
- Glue a background paper to any small art to make binding easier
- Laminate the front and back covers to make book sturdier
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Do you create a memory book for your students to take home at the end of the year? I’d love to hear about your process! Leave a comment below.
