A treasure and keepsake box is a fabulous organising tool for children to have. Collecting treasures are an important aspect of growing up.
We talk more about the physical skills learnt in having a treasure and keepsake box in our blog Helping children organise their treasures and keepsakes.
There are three tips to follow when keeping a treasure and keepsake box. These tips allow children to learn life skills, stop the spread of treasures and give them choice over their treasures and keepsakes.
Three tips for children’s treasure and keepsake box:
Boundaries
Have a dedicated area for treasures and keepsakes. This could be a shelf, drawer, tub or box. This will be determined by the amount of space you have. Boundaries teach children the importance of keeping items within their set space. Setting boundaries stops the spread of clutter.
Choice and control
If children are going to learn responsibility through their keepsakes, they need choice and control to choose what to keep and what to let go of.
Regular maintenance
Maintenance is keeping items within their boundaries. Going back to their boxes to make decisions about what to keep and what to let go. Maintenance will depend on the size of the designated space and how much a child chooses to collect.
For some it will be a monthly activity. For others it will be an annual activity. Maintenance usually occurs at the end of the school year. There are now new books/items that are wanting to be kept and some probably need to go form the keepsake box due to limited space.
As children revisit their treasure boxes, they reconnect with their memories and life story. It’s an opportunity for conversations about what these treasures mean to them and a fabulous time to share the family story.
Don’t forget to embrace technology. Not everything can be kept. Photos and videos are a good way to maintain memories without physical clutter. But please remember to back up your digital memories so they aren’t lost.
For lots of practical digital organising help visit the blog at Photos in Order
By guiding children on their keepsake journey, creating a designated space, and watching as the keepsake collection transforms through the years, you are helping them create treasured memories for their life story.
