Scrapbook Idea: Planning Trips for the Family

This scrapbook will illustrate a series of imaginary trips-one for each member of the family-using pictures from your magazine supply again as you did in the first week's program.

Although the basic scheme for each trip includes the same elements ( the transportation used, the wardrobe and equipment taken along, the sights and the people en route, and the activities the traveler takes part in), there are no set rules. The trips can be factual or fanciful (a business trip to New York, or a trip to the North Pole by submarine); they can fit a modest budget or be lavishly extravagant, they can be serious or funny (for example, a picture of a horse and buggy might suggest sending Uncle Jack to Niagara Falls in it-or Father's trip might include some cartoons about funny things that happen to hunters and campers ).

The size of your family may help to determine the choice of trips and travelers. In a large family, two or three people could take a trip together. But if there are only three in your family, then you can plan trips for relatives, friends, or neighbors. As an example, this week, trips have been planned for an imaginary family of five. Each day one person's trip is planned- Father, Mother, an older sister, a younger brother, the child himself, besides a trip for the family dog.

As in the first week, you will need old magazines (travel and vacation magazines, hunting and fishing magazines) scissors, paste, a large loose-leaf notebook, and several large envelopes. If your child is old enough to understand and enjoy maps, a map for each trip would be a great addition with the routes marked in red.

Again, clip out a few pictures beforehand to use as examples in explaining to the child what the trip scrapbook is about. In looking through the magazines on Monday for pictures of Father's trip, you may happen to see a picture that will be useful when you plan Sister's trip on Wednesday, it's a good idea to mark the place in some way so that you'll know where to find it on Wednesday. Or you can clip pictures for all the trips at once and put the ones for later days in large envelopes, labeled by days.

Monday-Father Goes Hunting

In explaining today's trip, you might say, "Father is going on a hunting trip in Canada and here is a picture of a station wagon that he will drive. Here are pictures of some of the clothes that he will need-his red hunting cap, a lumber jacket, and heavy boots. What other equipment will he need? A picture of a good tent for him, and his gun, and a camp stove? What kind of animals will he see? A rabbit like this, or a fox, or a deer? "

Scenes in the woods and pictures of lakes and rivers, pictures of towns and people in Canada, of birds, animals, and fish, and of his guide-these are only a few of the other possibilities.

Tuesday-Mother's Off to Mexico

Mexico is the place chosen for our imaginary Mother (you may plan for a different country). She is to go by plane and return by boat. Find pictures of these and also of the airport and the pier from which they leave. The baggage she will take is important; also her wardrobe (which can be large and glamorous).

If suitable for your child, the route for this trip can be planned on the map (as was done for Fathers trip). Incidentally, you might ask the airline or steamship agent in your town or city for luggage stickers, to add to the realism of the scrapbook.

Don't forget pictures of bon voyage gifts for Mother, too-a corsage, writing paper, a camera, a box of candy.

Finding pictures of scenes in Mexico should be easy. The Trip can be rounded off with pictures of the gifts Mother will bring home for each member of the fam-ily.

Wednesday-My Trip to a Dude Ranch

Your child may have very definite ideas of how he wants to travel for his trip. If not, you might suggest streamlined trains, so that pictures may be found not only of the various cars but also of the engineer, conductor, dining car waiters, and other passengers. "Packing" the bag for this trip can be a simple affair, with dungarees, a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. Concentrate on ranch activity pictures-cowboys, the corral, horses, saddles, hunting dogs, a campfire, and a guitar (for the evening song-fests by the cowboys). Perhaps your child is unfamiliar with the food served on a ranch. Pictures of hearty food, and lots of it, should round out this trip.

Thursday-Sister Sue Goes to a Resort

First find a picture of a bus, for that's the way Sue makes this trip. As usual, her clothing and baggage should be found and a picture of the actual resort. She's an outdoor girl, so include a tennis racket, golf clubs, a riding habit, and swimming togs, as well as pictures of evening festivities. If places of historic interest are on the way to or from her vacation spot, try to find pictures of them for the scrapbook.

Friday-Brother Billy Goes to the Zoo and the Ice Cream Parlor

Billy will ride his bicycle. If possible, find a picture of just the right one, whether English or American make. The picture of the "bike" might be placed in the center of the page, surrounded with pictures of extra equipment: such as special taillights, flags, and a foxtail for the handle bars. Nature magazines will provide animal pictures for the zoo. Be sure the names of animals are included so that even the less known ones are identifiable. On Billy's way home, he will stop at the store to have his fill of banana splits, sundaes and sodas. There are so many varieties of these to be found that page after page may be filled with mouthwatering "goodies"-with no fear of a stomachache for Billy.

Saturday-Fido Goes to the Butcher Shop

The dog will be taken by one of the family. Find a picture of Fido and his companion, then his leash and collar. Include all the things a dog might see. Try to look at things through his eyes and take time to find pictures of the land of things he would notice-for instance, the bottoms of trees, the sidewalk and other dogs. When he returns from his outing (on the final page) have a sumptuous plate of dog food and biscuits to greet him.

Sunday-Finishing Up!

Now's the day to put the finishing touch on the book by decorating the cover. Maybe your child will want to use a picture of an airplane; or tickets and bus transfers would make an interesting and appropriate cover design. Your nearest gas station can provide a good map to be used in whole or in part, another cover possibility.

Make a point of having the family join you today. Let the child show the book off and describe the trips. These trips may not cause as much excitement as an honest-to-goodness trip, but you and your child will have demonstrated that four walls need not be all confining.

Other possibilities in planning trips:

To a sporting event (baseball, basket ball, football, etc. )

To the theater (or opera, ballet, concert or movie)

To a factory

To a store (department, grocery, hardware, etc. )

To a museum (art, natural history, historic, etc. )

To the circus or a country fair

To an Indian reservation

To a foreign country (a grand tour, or one country at a time)

To any part of the United States To the zoo To a college To Father's office To the moon

Send your cat to the yam shop A walk around the block To Hollywood A drive through the country

Other Possible Travelers:

Grandmother, Grandfather, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, close family friends, neighbors, the family pets (dogs, cats, tropical & gold fish, birds, etc. ), favorite personalities in public life, comic strip friends, characters from favorite books, imaginary "friends. "