Not only will you be able to look back on pictures of your children together, over the years, but they will be able to look back on those fleeting moments of childhood. Those moments that are usually forgotten as they pass by so quickly. Those moments that are easily passed by because of the sheer volume of them.

Maybe you want to make a keepsake album, or maybe you scrapbook to remember various activities, or maybe you want to blog about funny stories that only having children can produce? Whatever the reason, as long as you keep snapping you will freeze these moments in a snapshot forever.

Here are some ideas for those sibling bond photography:

• There’s a serious Lego building session going on in the playroom. Get your camera and get down on the floor and start shooting. Getting on the level of your little brother builders will give you a very interesting perspective.

• The sun is shining bright and your children are in the backyard being little explorers. Follow them around and catch them digging in the dirt, blowing bubbles, or throwing sand in the sandbox.

• It’s another day at the park and your sweet kiddies are enjoying your local park. Pictures of them climbing, swinging, sliding, and running will become favorites of yours for your photo albums.

• It’s ice cream time around your kitchen table. There are chocolate covered smiles, sticky fingers, and happy smiling eyes. Shooting pictures from above, while they sit and enjoy their sweet treat, will become your favorites for sure!

• New baby brother is home from the hospital and big sister is proud and happy. A few pictures of this special moment for the family scrapbook will definitely be priceless.

• Don’t forget to get some pictures of new baby sister, before she is born, with her big brother loving on her outside of the womb. Some of the most special photographs are taken even before the birth of a new sibling.

There are so many moments in the lives of your children that are special. The best thing you can do is make sure you capture these moments, no matter how simple and everyday.

The possibilities for awesome pictures of your children together are endless. You can also do more creative things with your photos like have the image placed on a coffee mug, a poster, greeting card, have it turned into a puzzle or calendar!

At three months of age your baby is able to hold her head up and she may even smile at you. She might not even mind tummy time. Lay out her special blanket, place her on her tummy, get down in front of her, and snap away. Trying different angles and perspectives will add character to this type of portrait and a digital camera will afford you the ability to shoot over and over again until you get the best shot.

At six months of age your little baby boy can sit up or “tripod” on his own or  he may have started to learn how to crawl. This is a great time to document his developmental milestones. Sitting up and playing with his toys or lunging forward while trying to crawl or concentrating on stacking his plush block; it’s all so exciting and well worth pulling out your trusty digital camera.  Sometimes it’s the little things that mark development that we forget. A picture can help you relive these short lived times.

At nine months of age your daughter is standing and possibly cruising the furniture. She’s eating all kinds of new foods and might even be feeding herself while in her highchair.  Playtime includes peek-a-boo, looking at big picture books, and maybe a push walker toy that helps stimulate the next phase.  These are all prime times to mark with a picture or two!

The months fly by and suddenly your baby boy is a one year old.  This is an extra special time because the possibilities are endless. He’s walking, talking, and learning something new everyday. Making sure to record these marvels will ensure that the busy days of growing up aren’t forgotten or lost. You can look back on this time and be amazed that your little boy has met all these wonderful milestones, and then some.

Photographing all the various developmental phases allows us as parents to look back and cherish those special times. Those special times that are all too fleeting, but oh-so spectacular when you reflect upon them. And with all the photo print deals going on these days, be sure to snap as many as you can!

There are many ways to commemorate your son or daughter’s birthday. Something interesting might be taking pictures throughout the whole day and creating a photo book or an online journal.  This tradition would prove to be priceless, years down the road.  It would be so extraordinary to have a stack of albums that depict the changes that each year brings. Not only for you to look back on–in remembrance–but for your child(ren) to look back on and share with [his or her] future children.

So when your child’s special day rolls around, pull out your trusty camera, and have fun shooting the day.  Capture the regular aspects life: capture smiles, little tantrums, meals, twinkly eyes, naps, bath-time, play-time, everything. Life is full of these amazing moments for us to highlight and remember!

Some Photo Journaling Tips:

• Plan what you want to photo journal (birthday, party, family outing, etc..)
• Pick a topic that showcases your special day
• Print photos or have photo books made
• Add captions to your photo journal for an extra touch, and
• Have fun documenting your family memories

If your house was burning down, what would you run to grab in the last few minutes before everything was gone? I know I would get my photo albums, and I’m sure you would too. Why are pictures so important? Without pictures, memory would be the only place to find your sons first baseball game or your daughters? first attempt at making a birthday cake, along with millions of other incredible moments that only happen once.

So I have put together some helpful tips on taking unique, quality pictures, as well as creative display ideas and storage. I will introduce you to easy way to play with pictures as well as print. As an additional feature to this article I have also written 101 Ways to Photography Your Baby. This article will help inspire you to take more pictures, and be more creative.

I use a digital camera for most of my photos for a couple good reasons. Price, you can take unlimited pictures for nothing – not a penny. Flexibility, digital cameras can be easily loaded onto most computers, making them easily printable, easy to e-mail and easy to doctor. (All of which I will cover later.)

If you don’t own a digital camera, and are not willing to invest (you can get a good one for a couple hundred bucks) you will need to invest in a large amount of film – but trust me its worth it, since your pictures will be priceless. To have excellent pictures you will need to take a lot, but in the end it will all be worth it. Not only will you enjoy taking pictures, your children will appreciate your efforts.

If you plan on using a digital camera, don’t hesitate to download Picasa for your pictures.? This program will allow you to doctor your pictures, save your picture, e-mail your pictures, add your pictures to a blog, and much more. Simply go to www.picasa.com and download the free program. Picasa is easy to use, even for the computer challenged and has a lot to offer. Take some time and play around to figure out how to use this program, you will be glad you did.

You will inevitably take random pictures at games, holidays and special events, but consider taking special pictures at least once a year (once a month when they are babies.) Set aside an hour, get out the digital and batteries, or a regular camera and film and be ready to take lots of pictures. Take a photo shoot of your beautiful child! The more pictures you take the more likely you are to get something amazing. If you simply let your child be him or herself as you take pictures you will catch moments that your wouldn’t if you were waiting for them. His/her most beautiful smile is only in between his/her dead stare and his/her cry! So catch all the emotions by simply taking pictures- the cost is minimal when you consider the beauty of what you are catching on film.

Let’s start with some photography basics: lighting, color and background. When it comes to lighting, natural is best. The sun provides better light than any flash ever will! The flash makes everyone’s skin look washed out, which is really undesirable-especially on your beautiful child.? Flash also puts shadows in unfavorable, unnatural places. So, you may be asking, how do I properly light my pictures? Sunlight is God’s flash. Try to take picture in areas that are well lit by sunshine; a doorway which is open to the yard, under minimum shade from a tree, or on the couch or bed under an open window. You will be amazed at how beautiful and natural your child will look in sunlight! But, if you happen to stumble upon a moment perfect for a picture- but not well lit, don’t hesitate. I will explain for to doctor up pictures later.

Color, this can be tricky. Although your child may look darling in the outfit with little dinosaurs all over it – his picture will look best in a plain blue shirt. In a couple years when you look back you won’t be looking at his outfit, but rather his facial features and size. Don’t let clothing be the focus of your photography – let your child be the center of attention. Same goes for background.

When you are considering the background for a picture-forget the background. No one looks at their baby pictures and says “Wow, what nice carpet” or “Look at the trees.” Your children will notice how they had more freckles or smaller ears! Don’t be afraid to get up close and personal with your children – the picture is only too close if it is out of focus. This is easy to determine with a digital camera. Now don’t get me wrong, a picture of her holding her favorite toy, Wiggles the cat, or him next to the house he just built with Power House are classic. Just remember to get close, and focus on what’s important – your child and his/her memories! If you photograph your child learning from and enjoying a toy from my site, I will give you a coupon for 15% off your next purchase at CT Toys! As well as post that beautiful child for all to see (with your permission of course.)

Beyond taking good pictures you must consider printing, storage and display. You can purchase printers, ink and paper to print pictures at home, but I have found that sending them to an outsource company is much easier. Simply pick a company from Picasa’s offerings and sign up for their picture service. This is usually cheaper than you will be able to print them at home – and they are better quality.

Storing your digital pictures on your computer can take up quite a bit of space and slow your computer down. To avoid clutter, save your pictures onto a clearly labeled CD. For safety put these CDs in your safe deposit box at the bank or a fire safe box at home, than you won’t have to worry about running back inside for your pictures, should anything happen to your home!

Displaying your pictures is one of the many fun aspects of photography. You can always display them in a picture frame made of alphabet blocks available on this site, which spell out your child’s name, or an activity like first kite. This idea is inexpensive and cute, giving your pictures a real personality.

Another favorite of mine is hanging alphabet pictures. Simply hot glue each wooden block in your child’s name or another word onto a large nail that is already hammered half way into the wall. Than with pretty ribbon make loops and attach to the backside of each picture to a loop using tape or glue, than hang each looped picture from an alphabet block. This makes a simple and unique wall display you will love to show off.

You can also use Picasa to create collages. Simply select the pictures you want and hit the college button and Picasa will create a beautiful, eye pleasing college-which you can print (I recommend printing these as 8X10) Please continue to look back here for the best place to purchase educational toys, additional craft ideas and pictures displays.

Quick notes-

1. Black and white photos are classic and can really make your photographs stand out, don’t be afraid to try it 
2. Don’t hesitate to take lots of pictures, you will capture the best moments 
3. Digital cameras are the way to go, seriously consider this small investment 
4. Download Picasa NOW! Play with this program, it is amazing 
5. Consider a bi-monthly picture send outs. Gather a few of your favorites and send them via e-mail to your family and friends using Picasa. You can also tell them to come to www.cttoysonline.com to find out how to get their child’s picture on my website! 
6. Sign up for my newsletter and learn more about photographing your child and much, much more! 
7. Join my blog and talk about picture taking and much more!

About the Author
Carmen Shuey is the owner of CT Toys which specializes in toys and articles for babies and children.

The Guests

Make sure to get pictures of the birthday boy or girl with all the guests.  It will be nice to look back on to remember who was there to celebrate the special day.   A great idea–made popular at wedding receptions–is to buy disposable cameras and place them around the house, so that your guests can become the photographer.   This will provide you with various angles, perspectives and individualistic takes on the day.

The Cake

Don’t forget to get a picture of the cake before the candles are blown out.  Now-a-days cakes are such wonderful pieces of art that not getting a picture of before it is served would be sad.   Maybe you can assign someone to take some pictures of the cake as the traditional Happy Birthday song is sung.  That way you can enjoy the moment, yet it will still be captured on your memory card or film. This also makes for an excellent cover for next years birthday invitation cards!

The Presents

You are sure to get some great, fun-filled shots during the present opening.  It’s especially fun to watch a toddler do everything in his power to get the prize behind the paper.  Snap a lot, in sports mode, to ensure that you get clear shots of the ripping and tearing.    This would also be a good way to document who gave what present for writing out those photo thank you cards.  Or you might even include a print of the birthday girl opening a particular guest’s present.   What a great thank you and sentiment.

The Fun

Whether the fun involves karaoke, dancing, games, or some other kind of activity, it will be totally awesome to capture these moments with your camera.    Don’t forget to get all the interactions of your guests, too, by capturing the laughter, the hugs and kisses, and the playful times.

The Birthday Boy or Girl

More important than all the stuff that makes a birthday party special and beautiful is the birthday boy or girl.  Be sure to get them before the festivities begin,  in their special party outfit, during the party enjoying all the goings on, and at the end when he or she is asleep on the floor or in bed–after the sugar high is crashed!

Think back for a moment to your childhood. What was your favorite thing to play? What did you pretend for hours on end? When parents are asked this question, almost without exception we discover that our favorite play scenarios were those we created out of our imaginations. We were mommies feeding babies, superheroes with a towel-turned-cape, explorers of our backyards. Grandparents often say they played with what little play materials they had. A simple cloth was a baby blanket, a parachute flyer, and a costume all in one.

Today’s children have toys far more detailed and sophisticated. However, a growing number of psychologists and child development specialists are advocating for a return to the “natural” play of yesteryear. Why? Because it requires imagination.

In this age of high-tech toys, children frequently push a button and are entertained by watching play happen, not by actively creating it themselves. The toys construction determines how it will be played with. The natural play that is thought to be more appropriate encourages children to create a play scenario out of their own imagination. Play materials are unstructured so the child must creatively “complete” the toy. Play materials are also multi-purpose, meaning that one toy can be turned into lots of different things. For example, blocks made of tree branches can be used to create unique structures not possible with traditional square blocks. Cloths and silks can be turned into capes, aprons, and rivers. Dolls with simple features allow the child to decide if the baby is laughing, crying or sleeping.

Recent research is supporting this more natural approach to play. There is some evidence that children who play with open-ended toys are better at solving divergent problems (problems where there is more than one answer). These children were shown to think beyond the objects in what we call “out-of-the-box” thinking.1

Many parents who practice natural or holistic parenting are taking the lead in bringing back this type of play to childhood. More and more parents are seeing the value of and true developmental need for free creative play. Many parents are now choosing unstructured toys made of natural materials over battery-operated plastic toys. And with new books such as Einstein Never Used Flash Cards, many parents are questioning the push for early academics and are enrolling their children in play-based preschools.

So, again, think about your favorite memories of playing as a child. Who were you? What did you become? The imagination that transformed you into someone else or into another place has proven again to truly be a cornerstone of childhood. It seems that although we have the technology to create high-tech toys, it’s the natural play with natural play things that truly inspires the magic that is childhood.

About the Authors
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD & Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, PhD, Einstein Never Used Flash Cards. (Rodale, 2003) 

Dana Johnson, MSW is a former children’s mental health therapist. She owns Three Sisters Toys specializing in natural, open-ended and Waldorf-inspired toys for children.

Creating and making special memories with your child is very important, especially for your child’s development.

Special memories also help build a relationship with your child that will last a lifetime. Moms often do not have the money they would like to spend to do things with their children.

With that in mind, I have put together activities I used to do with my son (who is now 17 and still remembers doing these activates with me). Some activities are also from when I did babysitting at home.

Inexpensive Activities You Can Do With Your Child

Remember Air Hockey?
Some arcades still have Air Hockey Games, which are cheaper to play than the new video-interactive games, but they do not have a time out. If you can find one, suggest that you can score the most goals, and challenge your son or daughter to a game. If you have a young child, make sure that you hit the puck so that stops before the goal line—this will allow your child to successfully defend his goal and hit it back toward you.

The game can go on for a very long time, and you can have a lot of fun with “near misses” and “good saves” and “SCORE!” When my son was an 8-year-old, I could make an air hockey game that cost 50 cents last for an hour. You are probably thinking, “My child will want to play the other games, too!” I used to tell my son that after we play Air Hockey that he could then play two games of his choice. This worked well and I could get several hours of quality time with my son for under $5.00.

Shaving Cream can be Fun!
Get a bottle of shaving cream and spray shaving cream on the kitchen table or other smooth surface (please test this first by putting a little shaving cream on a corner of the table to make sure it will not discolor the furniture!). You and your child can draw in the foam or make a snowman, etc., out of the foam for as long as the foam lasts.

Be sure to wear clothes that can be tossed in the laundry for a quick rinse! After the shaving cream starts to dissolve all you need to do a wipe down the table for a quick clean up. I loved doing this because there is no real mess; it leaves a pleasant smell in your home (and believe it or not does a great job cleaning your furniture). Your child will also think it is so cool that you are allowing them to play with shaving cream. It is almost as if you are letting them do something mischievous.

Supplies List:

• Shaving Cream
• Wet cloth to wipe up with
• Paint Walk

Buy a roll of fax paper or any cheap paper you can find in a roll, and a container of washable finger paint. Dress your child in painting clothes. Lay out unfolded sheets of newspaper just to be safe and then roll out a very long strip of paper (about 10 feet or more if you like) on top of the newspaper. Place a baking pan with paint in it at one end of the roll of paper and a baking pan with water in it at the other.

Take off your child’s shoes. Your child can then step in the paint and then the walk or dance on the paper ending by stepping in the water that the end of the roll of paper. Dry their feet. Tape the paper on the wall and allow to dry.

These footprints are also great Christmas gifts for Grandparents. I used to do this at Christmas with the children for whom I babysat or in a day care center where I worked so the children could give them to their parents for a Christmas present. The children were so amazed I let them step in paint that they behaved very well. This fun activity works best on a hard floor surface.

Supplies needed:

• A roll of fax paper or any type of cheap paper on a roll.
• Washable finger-paint, any color.
• Old clothes for your child to wear.
• Tape to use to hang the paper to dry
• Painting Sheets

When the weather is nice go to garage sales and buy a cheap white sheet that fits your child’s bed. (New sheet or colored sheets will work, just that garage sale sheets are cheaper.) Wash sheet and then hang on the line. At a craft store buy paint that will NOT wash out and is non-toxic. Dress your child in painting clothes. Give your child a paintbrush and allow him or her to paint on the sheet freely. After the sheet has dried, rewash and dry it. The child will love having sheets they painted themselves to sleep on at night. And Mom, you can paint, too!

Years from now your child will remember the day he or she painted sheets with Mommy (and here’s a sentimental idea: save the painted sheets for when your child has his or her first child, include the painted sheet in a shower gift for the mother-to-be!)

A few tips:

• Do not allow the child to paint heavily on the sheet or it will be scratchy after it is washed.
• When rewashing the sheet let them soak in fabric softener to help soften the sheet.

Different uses for the painted sheets:
If you do not like the idea of the child sleeping on a painted sheet, you can hang the sheet over a table for a playhouse. Mark on the sheet what each side of the sheet will be in terms of front, back, side, side, and top. Then lay the sheet out and let the child paint doors, windows, flowerbeds, etc., to make a playhouse cover (or a fort, or fire station, or barn, or a fairy princess castle). Then when the child wants a playhouse simply set up the table and cover with the sheet. Remember it does not matter if the flowers look like flowers. All that matters is what the child sees flowers where the glob of paint is.

Supplies needed:

• Sheet to fit your child’s bed or over table depending on how you choose to use it.
• Paint that will NOT wash out and is non-toxic.
• Paint brush.
• Hopscotch

There is always the lost art of hopscotch! With some simple sidewalk chalk you can spend the day at a park or at home teaching your child the fun of a hop, skip, and a jump. But watch out because one day when I did this in front of the apartments I lived in and half the Mothers on my street ended up playing—we all giggled like little girls and WE ended up having fun, too!

Supplies needed:

• Sidewalk chalk and a sidewalk to hop and have fun on

About The Author
Kimberly Hargis owns and operates Mom’s Break PMS. Printables Madness Syndrome n. 1 : a chronic condition characterized by an uncontrollable urge to find Free Printables on the Internet: sometimes known as PMS. Please visit www.MomsBreak.com.  © Copyright 2004 All rights reserved.

It is true to say that a lot of people begin to get the scrappin’ bug after their child/children are born and usually their first attempt at scrapbooking is making a baby album.

Having a child is one of the most important events in our lives and baby’s first year is a busy, lively, ever changing journey of discovery. It is full of important milestones…

No wonder then, as parents we want to capture and record all those many memorable moments – preserving them in scrapbooks is a great way to safely keep and cherish those memories for years to come.

One timeless and extremely popular baby scrapbooking idea is to make an album that consists of ‘firsts’.

This is a relatively easy and flexible theme to follow, especially for someone new to scrapbooking and is a great way to create enchanting baby scrapbooks.

This kind of album usually consists of a scrapbook arranged in chronological order with individual layouts showing special and notable moments in your baby’s life.

New babies are so photogenic it’s hard to resist capturing all the big and little things that make up their day-to-day lives.

No doubt you will have lots of pictures to sort through – so here’s a small list of ‘firsts’ to give you some ideas for organizing your photos:

• sleep/nap
• bottle/breast feed
• diaper change
• dressed in their first outfit
• ride in a car seat
• smiles
• bath
• trip out in the buggy
• solid food
• teeth
• sitting up
• drinking from a cup
• feeding him/herself
• crawling
• walking with the furniture
• steps/walking on their own
• hair cut
• Halloween
• Christmas

To add a little more interest to your album try and vary the layouts, for instance make some events into double page spreads. Such as coming home from the hospital or bath-time, which always presents an opportunity for some great photos!

Give your pages a personal touch by adding some memorabilia, using a pocket envelope, to your layouts – like the birth announcement or maybe a lock of hair from their first hair cut.

If you are new to scrapbooking and you’re unsure about starting out on your new album then a good choice would be to buy yourself a baby scrapbook kit. These kits contain everything you will need to begin scrapbooking and are a great shortcut to creating super layouts that you can be proud of.

You can also enhance your pages with some of the many baby-related products that are available on the market. Decorate your layout with an adorable or cute baby scrapbook paper.

Then, embellish your page with some charming baby scrapbook stickers like rattles, booties, bibs, bottles etc and when they’re done display all of your beautiful pages in a lovely baby scrapbook album.

Go on… give it a go. Make yourself a baby scrapbook to savor and keep all those incredible memories. You’ll find it’s much more than just a scrapbook – it will become a precious family keepsake that you’ll treasure forever.

About The Author
Elaine Clay is the owner of Online-Scrapbooking-Guide.com :: your one-stop online scrapbooking resource. Find inspiration, increase your creativity and have fun with our helpful tips, ideas, articles and much more.

This week’s tip is to first think about what you want people to know about you and your family…then look for photos or memorabilia to match that story. It’s okay to take photos specifically to tell a certain story. If you think about it, that’s what illustrators do when they illustrate a book. They create pictures of things that help tell the story that is already written. I call it “backwards scrapbooking.” It’s something we should all try and do every once in a while in our albums, because sometimes a photograph can’t tell the whole story about what makes your family and friends unique.

You’re not sure what information is important to remember? Don’t worry! I have a hard time deciding what is “scrapbook worthy” information too! Dates and places are important, but the things you’ll want to remember down the line are things like the common phrases your family uses, what the “time out” corner is all about, the waving ritual your toddler has with the mailman everyday (my little brother really did this!), and the little things that make every day special.

Try a page this week that tells a story that a single photograph may not have told otherwise!

About the Author
Andrea Steed is the author and creator of Scrap Tutor, a web site and CD-ROM that teaches you how to create scrapbooks and how to perform many popular techniques used in scrapbooking. For more information, visit www.scraptutor.com.

Preserve your memories. First and foremost, the purpose of scrapbooking is of course to preserve your memories, and tell your family’s story through photos and journaling. If you’re like many people, you probably find it frustrating to ask your parents what you were like when you were a baby, how old you were when you took your first step, and what your first word was…and they can’t remember! Scrapbooking provides a way for you to record those important moments and milestones in your child’s life, while incorporating photos of the special moments to show their growth and development over the years.

Display your photos. How often do we take rolls and rolls of photographs only to have them shoved into drawers and boxes and never looked at? By scrapbooking your photos and putting them into albums, it’s a treat for all of your family to look through them and remember different events and moments in their lives. Having the photos and the stories together in one book brings additional meaning and significance to each photo.

Enjoy a creative outlet. Scrapbooking more than putting photos into a photo album. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to bring your personality as an artist into your scrapbook albums. Whether your passion is in photography, journaling, or cutting and pasting decorations for your page, you’re able to bring a piece of yourself into every page. It doesn’t matter what your creative talents are (or aren’t), because the scrapbook represents something more than just a collection of pretty pages with photos on them. Not only is your album a precious record of special memories, but the album itself becomes a family treasure and an extension of you-something your children will treasure, because it was made by you.

It’s a social activity. Scrapbooking has quickly become the “quilting bee” of the 21st century. Women often gather in churches, community classes, scrapbook stores and in homes to scrapbook together. It’s an opportunity to socialize and for everyone to accomplish a common goal of preserving their families’ memories. Some fantastic friendships have been formed through this common hobby!

With a new baby in your family (or on the way), now is a fantastic time to get started with scrapbooking, and beginning to record these once-in-a-lifetime moments so that you can remember them forever.

About the Author
Andrea Steed is the author and creator of Scrap Tutor, a web site and CD-ROM that teaches you how to create scrapbooks and how to perform many popular techniques used in scrapbooking. For more information, visit www.scraptutor.com.

You’re so excited
Here’s a first birthday party idea that will preserve your child’s party, an important event in the life of your child and your family.

This is a special time to celebrate, remember, and look back at how much your baby has grown and learned in just one year.

Unlike other birthdays
Your child’s 1st birthday party is more for you, your family and friends. At only one year of age, your baby doesn’t understand all the fuss and excitement and why there are so many people in your home.

First Birthday Party Idea – You’re making memories
Even though your child is too young to appreciate their first birthday right now, you need to make sure that years from now when your child is old enough, they’ll be able to enjoy all the fun activities, gifts, food, family and friends that helped celebrate their very first birthday.

Here’s how
Pictures, a scrapbook and video or a DVD.

Take lots and lots of pictures and shoot lots of video. You can take too few pictures, but you can’t take too many pictures of your child’s first birthday party.

Set a goal
You want to document the entire celebration. Later on you can choose the best pictures to include in your scrapbook and DVD.

Treasured Keepsakes
Here’s a fun project that’s sure to become a treasured keepsake. Put together a special scrapbook about your child’s first birthday.

Include your pictures in chronological order, save a party napkin (especially if it’s a theme napkin), save an invitation and anything else that will help make your scrapbook special.

And if you shoot video or take digital pictures, either you or someone else can put together a precious DVD so that future generations to come will be able to see what everyone looked like “way back when.”

Your DVD can include shots of your baby’s room, special toys, stuffed animals and crib. And you can use a special song in your video.

Put your party together
Schedule your party at a time that works best with your baby’s schedule. You don’t want them to be fussy or cranky because they didn’t have their nap.

The party should only last a couple of hours because all the excitement will begin making your child tired and that can lead to being cranky and spoiling the party.

And remember that your young guests have a very short attention span too. So keep your games and activities short and simple.

Make your invitations interesting an fun
Your invitation should be fun, interesting and precious. Remember, you want everyone to know you’re going to be celebrating a very special event in your family’s life.

Use a phrase like “look who’s turning one year old” and include their newborn picture.

Just for fun
Make the newborn picture into a 3 or 4 piece puzzle. Or give then only one small piece of the puzzle and ask everyone to being their puzzle piece so the puzzle can be put together as a party activity.

Make sure to copy all the pieces in case someone doesn’t show up.

Decorate your home with a party theme
Do you have a theme for your baby’s room? That can be your party theme. Or you can use fun themes like Noah’s Ark, Sesame Street, Pooh or Over the Rainbow just to name a few.

Online party stores carry lots of wonderful first birthday party supplies for just about any theme you can imagine. To learn more just click on the link below this article.

The games you can play
Play games so the adults can assist the little ones.

Stack soft blocks, roll a ball, read a very short story, sing songs, do “baby art work” using crayons an paper.

Remember when
Put together a scrapbook of pictures and memories from the birth of your child, bringing baby home for the first time, baby’s first bath and all the special times through out their first year.

This gives everyone an opportunity to see the wonderful progress your child has made during their very first year.

Food and other goodies
You may want to have snacks available for the grown-ups and of course you’ll want to have a special cake.

First birthday cakes
You’ll have lots of fun putting together your little one’s birthday cake. You can put together a special cake that fits perfectly with your party theme. You’ll find theme candles and oh-so-cute cake decorations that will turn your cake into a masterpiece.

It’s going to be so much fun!

Yes, with this first birthday party idea, your child’s party is going to be a very special event, one you want to capture with lots of pictures and video that will be remembered and enjoyed for years to come.

And when your baby gets to be old enough, they’ll really enjoy seeing their first birthday party too.

Have fun.

About The Author
Mike Dougherty “Grandpa Mike” has lots of experience putting together successful birthday parties for his children and grandchildren. For more information visit http://fun-kid-birthday-parties.com/first-birthday-party-ideas.html.