A Family That Collects Together…

Ordinary things become treasures when you turn it into a family collection.  Kids of all ages will love to be a part of finding and displaying treasures, and you’ll love working together as a family.

 

First, decide together what you’ll collect. A hint:  Be selective.  Your collection will likely carry on for years.

 

Finding ideas:

• When planning your collection, think about what you already do regularly as a family.  Do you go to the movies often?  Collect ticket stubs.  Maybe you are hikers and you could start a small rock collection.  We love the beach, so it was natural to start a shell collection.

 

• Ask your kids!  They may have a great idea.

 

• Do you travel often?  Collect something that is often found at tourist shops, such as postcards, snow globes, spoons, thimbles, mugs, magnets, etc.

 

• Start a collection based on a period in history, a different culture or country, or a favorite sports team.

 

• Find something goofy, like Pez dispensers or something classic, like a State coin collection.

 

• If you can afford it, collect something that can become family heirlooms, such as antique quilts or rare books or dishes. 

 

Displaying your collection:

Next, find a creative way to display your treasures.  We have our shells in a large glass vase.  Recently, we collected several tiny shells and put them in a smaller vase.  We’ll need to add another vase soon, we’ll have a row of vases with shells someday.

 

You can use a shelf, a notebook, picture frames, tops of cabinets, boxes, or even designate a special drawer.  Another idea is an under the bed box that can be rolled out for viewing. 

 

Finally:

Start collecting! You may even have a few treasures around the house.  If not, consider planning a family outing with the sole purpose of starting your collection! 

 

What does your family collect?  You can share ideas in the comment section.

 

Happy Collecting!