Create a Photo Story

When was the last time your child held a camera? Did they use your camera or did they use their own camera? What was the occasion? Kids don’t have to limit taking pictures to vacations and school field trips. Digital cameras are inexpensive enough nowadays that parents don’t have to worry about handing over their expensive camera when their child wants to take pictures. Once a child has the physical ability to hold and aim the camera while pressing the shutter button, they can start exploring this hobby, which gives them another way to connect with nature.

Some kids (even, or especially, adolescents) go a bit wild when they get their hands on a camera. I had one experience with a group of homeschoolers where they spent the first day of a nature photography class taking close-up pictures of each others’ nostrils. Cameras can become an exploration tool.

Send your kids into the backyard with a camera and ask them to take pictures that tell a story. The story might be, “After the Rain,” “Spring,” “Green.” This is a case where kids don’t have to worry about incorporating an exciting plot. Encourage them to take a lot of pictures and then come inside and pick their favorites. They can then order the photos into a story. This last part, indoors and on the computer, can be a way for parent and child to talk about the child’s experiences outdoors.

Turn the photos into a slideshow screen saver on the family computer. Print the photos and slide them into a small album; add words to elaborate on the story or allow the pictures to speak for themselves.
Although a child’s first forays into photography may not produce much more than some out-of-focus close-ups, they can continue to use a camera to capture their observations of nature.