It is almost the end of summer. Soon the kids will be back in school, hopefully with the same enthusiasm with which they lived their summer days. Before summer officially ends, get your kids to create a Summer Memories Jar which will help them remember all the fun they had all summer. This can be your kids’ last craft project for the season.
How to create the memory jar:
Tell your kids to collect bits and pieces of items that have made their summer fun and memorable. Tell them that these items will go to a jar at the end of summer to remind them just how fun this time is. Tell your kids they can use anything for their Summer Memories Jar as long as the items will fit the jar. Some suggestions- post cards, candy wrappers, bus tickets, etc.
Look for a large, clear jar with a lid around the house. Choose a jar with a large mouth so that it’s easy for you and your kids to put your hands inside while arranging the contents of the jar.
You can arrange the items in the jar any way you want. If you had a fantastic day at the beach, you can fill ¼ of the jar with sand and then place shells inside. You can place a small paper umbrella inside (like the ones used in cocktails) to represent a beach umbrella. If you went on a European tour, you can stick postcards of the places you visited on the side of the jar using double sided tape. Remember to place the postcards inside the jar. The air-tight jar will preserve the post card and will serve as a great display “frame” for the postcards.
Print wallet-sized photos taken during the summer. Use these photos to decorate the jar.
After placing contents inside the jar, cover the jar with its lid.
Buy a good ribbon that you can use to decorate the lid of the jar. Because this will serve as accent to the jar, you can use any type of ribbon that you want.
Using a felt tip pen, you can write “summer ‘09” on the ribbon to remind you of the time. You can also print a small card stating the time and place you are in when you made the jar and attach it to the ribbon.