A Day in the Life of...
These activities will encourage your child to take photographs of the things she finds meaningful.
By: Trish Kuffner, author of The Children's Busy Book
A Day in the Life of...
When I was growing up, the high price of photography meant photo taking was reserved for special occasions. Now, however, inexpensive cameras, film, and processing are readily available if you shop around. Encourage your child to be a photographer now and then, recording people, places, things, and events that are meaningful to her.
Materials
- Camera with film
Directions
Let your child use your camera or buy your child an inexpensive camera of her own. (Even disposable cameras take fairly good pictures.) Encourage her to take photos of subjects that interest her, whether they're people, pets, or your weed-filled garden. Remind her to pay attention to the background of the photo, to keep her fingers away from the lens, and to hold the camera steady when squeezing the shutter release. Encourage her to view subjects from different angles and distances. Your child can use her photos to illustrate a story or mount them in a small scrapbook as a photo diary. She can make photo books with various themes--perhaps nature, animals, or people in your neighborhood. She can combine photography with other hobbies by taking photos of things like her rock collection or her efforts at gardening or cooking. She can use photos to create place mats, greeting cards, or bookmarks.