Top 3 Benefits of Using a Board Photo Book Format to Share Family Stories With Toddlers
Create meaningful, durable books that capture simple family memories.
Small children love books.
Books are great for eating, throwing, and if you've never tried tearing one of those pages out and feeding it to the dog, you've missed out! So much fun!
So, of course, I've been looking for ways to get books into my granddaughter's life.
Other family members give her regular story books, which are great, and the dogs like them too. My goal is to enhance this library with personalized projects that will outlast the dogs. To this end, I decided to begin with board books. They aren't indestructible, but they are sturdy.
A few months ago, I began searching for services that would allow me to create board books.
I ended up using a popular photo book service called Shutterfly, because I had a gift certificate, and there was a sale. (Hint: Never, ever, purchase a photo book from a place like Shutterfly unless it is "on sale.")
I like these photo books for three reasons.
1. Visual Engagement. Photos capture children's attention with vibrant images.
When toddlers look at pictures, they grasp details more easily than they do with verbal descriptions alone.
Looking at pictures repeatedly strengthens neural connections for those visual memories. (1)
They learn new words better using photos or realistic drawings than with cartoons or pop-up pictures. (2)
2. Memory Preservation. Looking at family photos with toddlers offers opportunities to:
Practice naming people, objects, and actions in the images.
Describe and discuss what's happening in the photos, which supports the development of their language skills.
Share stories about the pictures, helping them develop storytelling skills. (3)
3. Easy Customization. I'll have template and layout options in a sturdy format. Of course as she gets older I'll be sneaking some ancestors into these books, because that's what I do. But for now we'll stick with things within her frame of reference.
For her second birthday, I made a quick test book of family photos with short captions -- Mommy, Daddy, Doggies, and so forth. At first, she looked it over and tossed it on the floor, but she kept coming back to it. She found Daddy. She found Doggies. And when she finally found Bun-Bun, her night-time sleep companion, you should have seen her face light up.
Custom photo books also let you organize the photos in ways that make sense for your situation. You can highlight special moments or make an entire story about a treasured object. After seeing her reaction to Bun-Bun, I took this precious animal-blankie-object on a secret photo shoot, setting up candid shots throughout the house and yard, experimenting with different angles and natural lighting for a fun, laid-back vibe. My next book? Bun-Bun's Big Adventure.
This personalization makes the book not only fun but also a meaningful keepsake. She may outgrow her need for Bun-Bun, but she won't outgrow her memories of loving this bedtime companion. And the nice thing about a service like Shutterfly is that if the book gets lost, or the dog develops a taste for board books, we can order a duplicate.
As I mentioned earlier, these books are best purchased with coupons or on sale. Shop around for a reasonable price. You can also search online for alternative ideas for creating homemade books. Try searching for something like "DIY children's board books." Or, if you're looking for something simpler, you can use a photo album with sleeves—just make sure the photos and words are securely placed inside to avoid little hands pulling them out.
Making personalized board books is about more than just having something cute on the shelf—it’s about capturing moments that matter.
Plus, watching toddlers rediscover their favorite pictures over and over is priceless. And if the dog does chew on it? There’s always the option to reorder!
To see more about how I approached this project and planned out the book for my granddaughter, check out the video below. I walk through my process, share a few more tips, and show you the final result!
References:
Ganea PA, Allen ML, Butler L, Carey S, DeLoache JS. Toddlers' referential understanding of pictures. J Exp Child Psychol. 2009 Nov;104(3):283-95. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2009.05.008. Epub 2009 Jun 27. PMID: 19560783; PMCID: PMC2865246.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022096509001301?via%3Dihub
Reese, E. (2013). Tell me a story: Sharing stories to enrich your child's world. Oxford University Press.
Rothbart, M. K. (1996). The development of attention: Research and theory. Cambridge University Press.