Ideas For A Preschool Memory Book: Creating A Special Souvenir For Students

Over the course of the school year, early education teachers can compile ideas for a preschool memory book. This book is given to preschoolers at the end of the year as a way of preserving classroom memories as children grow.

Memory books for preschoolers can easily be fashioned from plastic three-ring binders in light colors. The cover of the book can be decorated with markers or paint. Teachers can title the books with a descriptive heading such as:

My Preschool Memory Book

Miss Johnson’s Class

2010-2011

Seasonal Memories

The memory book can begin with pages that are organized by season (fall, winter, spring). On these pages, the preschool teacher can write a brief summary of what the students learned during the season, which crafts they made, and which holidays were celebrated. For example, the “fall” section of a memory book might read as follows:

“In September, October, and November, our class learned about letters A through G and numbers 1 through 10. We went for nature walks and collected leaves that were changing color. We made a pumpkin craft for Halloween and a turkey craft for Thanksgiving. We learned a song about ten little ghosts.”

In each seasonal section of the book, include printed color photographs of crafts, photocopies of class assignments, and copies of special songs, recipes, or project instructions for kids to remember and enjoy at home.

Special Occasion Mementos and Photos

This section of the memory book is dedicated to special occasions such as class parties, field trips, or class plays. Teachers may want to include souvenirs such as:

--invitations/notices about preschool holiday parties.

--programs from a class play.

--pictures taken during a field trip and a brief summary of the trip.

--photographs of students wearing costumes (for plays or for Halloween)

--pictures of students exchanging Valentines.

Celebrating Friendships

Preschool children enjoy making new friends and playing with one another, and teachers can take pictures throughout the school year of students expressing friendship. Printed copies of these photographs can be included in the memory book so that students will have visual reminders of friends that they made early in childhood. Ideas for “friendship pictures” include:

--children playing a board game or doing a project together.

--children having fun together on the playground.

--children holding hands as they talk a walk outside.

Personalized Notes From Teacher

Preschool teachers can conclude the memory books with a personalized letter to each student. In these letters, the teacher can highlight each child’s positive traits and share specific memories of enjoyable moments throughout the year. A sample letter might read:

Dear Timmy,

I am so glad that you were one of my preschool students this year. You are a very smart boy who is always friendly and willing to help. When I think of you, I will remember how much you loved playing with toy firetrucks and drawing pictures of cars. I will also remember when you brought your pet hamster in for Show and Tell. Thank you for being a great student.

Love,

Miss Johnson

Using the above ideas for a preschool memory book, teachers can organize and create a tangible memento that their former students can always treasure. When putting the book together, preschool teachers have the opportunity to reminisce about special moments spent with each child during the school year.