Creating a Memorable Travel Journal Using A Stuffed Animal

You may remember The Red Couch Project, a book by artists Kevin Clarke and William Least Heat published in the 1980s documenting the travels of a red velvet couch across America.

This is a wonderful concept to adapt in creating a travel journal or scrapbook for your child, making a personalized photo history of his adventures and connecting him with the experiences for years to come.

The idea is to photograph your child's toy with the landmarks, activities and special moments of your vacation. If your child is old enough, he can even be the one who takes the photo of his stuffed animal. After your trip, print the pictures and place them in a scrapbook organized by trip or by geography.

Here are a few tips for creating a picture travel journal using a stuffed animal:

Choose a new stuffed animal for this project, and buy at least two just in case! Don't use your child's most favorite stuffed animal to avoid heartache if the toy gets lost in your travels.

Have your child pick out a small stuffed toy that can easily be tucked into his backpack or suitcase.

Make sure the stuffed animal that is made well and washable. This little toy is going to be traveling everywhere and will probably need a wash every few months.

Buy multiples of the stuffed animals, maybe in different colors or with different clothes and send them to cousins or grandparents to take on their respective vacations. The stuffed "siblings" can then share postcards or snapshots of far away places for your child. What a great way to start teaching your child about places across the country and the world!

About the Author

For more great information about expecting and parenting, visit MomRecommended.com, a site for moms by moms. Annie Valle is a freelance writer, web designer and a mom. You'll find product reviews, recipes, baby names, free projects and more, when you visit http://www.momrecommended.com.

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