There are a lot of cool projects that a parent or an
educator can do with kids that are in the digital realm. Kids tend to gravitate more towards the digital
world today. Although it is great to see young children being tech savvy with their smartphones, tablets and computers, often times they lose out on
many possible experiences because they are too busy with their eyes glued to
that device. When they do something,
like a digital piece of art or take a photo, it is becoming rare to have a physical item that they can say they made.
A company that can help with bridging that digital
divide is Shutterfly. They sell prints made from your
digital photo files, as well as books and personalized items. Their prices are quite good too! Here are a few inexpensive project ideas that
you could do with a single child, small group or your whole class.
●
Wall of Selfies
4x6 prints are just a few cents apiece at Shutterfly. If you
join their newsletter, you will occasionally get coupon code for 50 free prints
or other items. Take some of those
common selfies and have them all printed and mailed back to you. Then make them into a collage, perhaps with
other creative treatments, that can be displayed on a wall.
●
Custom Book
Shutterfly has simple tools for designing a book complete
with photos, artwork and text. You could make books like “What we learned about
dinosaurs” or “My Family Vacation” or “About Us” where kids compose a book with
something personal about them. The experience
will give them many lessons about graphic design & makes for a special keepsake.
●
Fundraisers
Your students could create a calendar out of artwork
or photos that they took themselves. Then they could be sold to raise funds
for things such as classroom supplies, trips or for charity.
●
Have a photo contest
Have a group of kids take photos, perhaps conforming to a
theme/content area, then submit them to you. Then have the group vote on winners. Give the
winner a large print of his winning photo, then hang a print on the classroom
wall, to be enjoyed by all.
●
From crayons to coffee mug
Take a photo of a crayon drawing or painting, then have it
made into an inexpensive coffee mug that the child can give to someone. We always need ideas for Mother's Day, Father's Day and Parent Volunteer gifts! Chances
are it will become a treasured memento for that special person.
Take a look at their offerings and you will surely come up
with dozens of creative ideas for projects. Join their newsletter and take
advantage of their sales and Groupon Coupons, to save even more.
