Does your child have a personal scrap book, or do scrap books only find their way in your child's life when he has to submit a project at school? Encourage creativity in your child by helping him make a family chart book. Here are some great tips:

Let him make the scrap book instead of buying a readymade one. You will need:

• Chart paper, different colours
• Cardboard
• Clear cellophane sheet
• Scissors 
• Glazed paper
• Thick felt markers

Cut the chart paper so it is just a little smaller in size than the cover. The chart paper will form the colourful pages of the scrap book, so make sure you purchase a sufficient number of sheets. 

Similarly, the back cover of the scrap book will be made of a cardboard sheet, covered with glazed paper and cellophane. Your child needn't decorate it with an image. 

Once ready, get the loose sheets spirally bound from your neighbourhood stationary shop. 
 

Here's what you child can put inside his scrap book, so that it becomes a memento he will cherish for years to come:

Choose a few photographs that have been taken by your son, and paste them in the scrap book. Make sure he mentions that these photographs have been taken by him. A little information about when the snap was taken and under what circumstances should also be mentioned. Along with the photographs taken by your child, place a photograph of him and his friends, and a few other family photographs in the scrap book. Don't forget to include a baby photograph.

Do you have a dog or any other pet? Don't forget to include his or her photograph in the scrap book, along with a write-up by your child. 

Ask your child to make a sketch of your family, and paste the sketch in the scrap book. 

What is your child's favourite flower? Ask him to pluck one, press it and stick it in a page of his scrap book. Encourage him to fill up the rest of the page with a little write up or 'essay' on the flower. He could include where he plucked it from, why it is his favourite flower?

It would be even more special if this scrap book was made around a particular holiday like Diwali or Christmas. Your child could then include information about how Diwali or Christmas was celebrated that particular year, along with the appropriate photographs. Did he get new clothes? Did he dress up as Santa or a little elf? Take a snap of him in the new clothes or costume and paste it in the scrap book - you get the idea. 

Take your family for children for a professional photo shoot. Include one of these snaps in the scrap book, and frame the others.

Cut out a large photograph of your child's favourite actor, actress or any other idol from a magazine. Fold the face in half, and stick in on a sheet of paper. Let your child sketch the other half as best as he can. Stick this sketch in the scrap book and ask your child to do a write-up on his idol. 

Ask your child to select a few of his favourite birthday cards, and paste them in the scrap book. 

And finally, when the project is finally complete and your child's scrap book is ready, don't forget to praise him for the hard work that he's put him!