I remember when my kids were young, I loved their birthday parties and wanted to capture every moment. Often though, it wasn’t until after the party was over that I realized I only took a few photos and that I didn’t save any of the extra invitations.

Knowing in advance that you’ll want to make a scrapbook of your child’s party, you can save items such as the guest list, the invitations and any greeting cards the child gets in the mail. All of these can be added to the scrapbook.

Consider taking a photo of each guest as they arrive. This photo can be with or without your own birthday child. If you are not using a digital camera, consider having 3 sets of photos printed. Set one is for the scrapbook you are making of the party. Set two is to send to each guest’s parents, and set three is to put away for when your child is older and wants their own set of photos of their first 20 years of life.

When it’s time to open presents, in addition to taking photos, save the cards that come with the gifts. These make wonderful additions the scrapbook. Often, at younger ages, children make their own cards, and they are truly too precious to throw out. Add them to your birthday scrapbook.

If you’ve ordered a cake, or even if you’ve baked a cake, take a photo before the candles are added. If you’ve used a family recipe to bake the cake, make a copy of the recipe to include in the scrapbook alongside the picture of the cake.

Does the party have a theme? If you are purchasing stickers to give away in goodie bags, purchase an additional set of stickers (of course acid free and lignin free) to add to your scrapbook pages.

If the child’s grandparents are at the party, make sure to take photos of the child with the grandparents. This is true for other relatives that are there also. Mini albums for relatives who do or do not attend make wonderful gifts. I love when I get photos of my niece. It’s so neat to keep up with her parties and other activities through photos.

With the above suggestions, you’ll create a lasting memory for both you and your child.