For the Little Tikes: Create a Preschool Yearbook!

Preschool kids learn and do so much – document it with a yearbook!
Image source: Flickr user SkiStar

Yearbooks are created for every basic level of school – elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. However, what about the little tikes that haven’t quite made it to kindergarten yet? I’m talking about creating a yearbook for preschool or daycare.

During these child-rearing years, kids make all sorts of new friends, learn basics like counting or the alphabet, have outdoor playtime, and even make time for the best part of the day – naps!

Since preschools and daycares take children that are a variety of ages and often from different school districts, when these kids move on to kindergarten, they are sometimes leaving behind many friends and teachers they care about. Why not create a yearbook so they can remember this short, yet very special time in their lives?

Preschool and daycare children are a variety of ages, which means they often leave friends behind when they move onto new schools.
Image source: Flickr user Phil Scoville

The challenge of creating a yearbook for children this age is that it must be fun and engaging without surpassing their education level. They will not be able to read heavy content and won’t be impressed by posed portraits. On the other hand, parents will be eager for more in depth information and memories. How do you keep everyone’s interest now and for years to come when they look back on the yearbook?

Here are some ideas to start off the creation of your preschool yearbook, and sections to incorporate:

• Basic Lessons: It’s true that as the kids move on to their new schools, they’ll learn lessons far beyond reciting the alphabet and counting to 100. However, why not provide the basics of what they’ve learned and give it to them as a takeaway? It’s a way for them to remember their progress, and remember who taught them the important lessons first. Use pictures of the children learning, like raising their hands during a lesson or counting on their fingers.

 

• Personal Lessons: There are a lot of important lessons that children learn during preschool and/or daycare that go beyond the limits of schooling, like learning how to listen, sharing toys, being part of a group, teamwork skills, and learning proper manners.

 

• Nursery Rhymes: Children of this age love Mother Goose and other fun rhymes. One idea is to tie a particular nursery rhyme or little tune into each section of the yearbook. It would also be a good idea to have children write their own special rhymes. Have the teacher or class leader write them down as the kids recite them.

 

• Fairy Tales & Fables: In the same token, you could incorporate a fairy tale or fable into each section of the yearbook. Like the story of “The Tortoise and the Hare,” meant to show children that slow and steady will always win the race – you could use this fable in the “personal lessons” section.

 

• Artwork: Along with the basic school lessons, don’t forget to make time for art lessons that you can include in the yearbook. Children can have the opportunity to choose some of their favorite crafts or pieces of art to photograph for the yearbook.

 

• Playtime: Make room for the fun! Take pictures of some of the children’s favorite games or play – like pretending to cook or play house, sliding and swinging outside, or imaginative play with toys. These are good opportunities to capture candid photos of the kids and their friends in action.

 

• Cartoon Characters: What child (and some adults) doesn’t love cartoons? Instead of incorporating the illustrated characters into the yearbook, take a unique approach. In addition to the same old “student portraits,” create a stylized photo shoot in which each child dresses up like their favorite cartoon character. This will not only be a fun activity, but also great, memorable yearbook material. If there isn’t a particular cartoon character they like, don’t stifle their creativity. Ask if they would like to dress up like their favorite superhero, creature, or something completely original that they want to create.

 

• Personal Page: In conjunction with their unique yearbook photo, let the children create their own page. Since preschool classes and daycare facilities only have a set number of students, it isn’t difficult or expensive to let each child have their own spread. Use the page(s) to record what identifies the children at the time – height measurement, favorite color, favorite book, best friends, and so on. It will be interesting for the children to look back on it from year to year and see how they are evolving… maybe they don’t wear the same ponytails, or they’ll have gone from the smallest in class to the tallest.

This is a special time in a child’s life to make friends, socialize, and learn. Create a yearbook that will focus on this unique time before taking on the next phase – elementary school!