Learning how to make a preschool yearbook — or a simple memory book — is one of the easiest ways to give kids a keepsake of everything they accomplished during the school year, without much budget or lead time. As the year winds down, kids naturally want to look back on what they’ve done and learned, and a memory book they make themselves turns that reflection into a hands-on project rather than just a conversation.
Below, you’ll find the full supply list, page ideas, and tips for putting together a memory book your students or child will want to keep for years, whether you’re building a kindergarten end-of-the-year memory book for a whole class or a smaller keepsake at home.
If you’d rather have a professionally printed keepsake alongside the DIY version, our post on ways to make memories last with yearbooks covers another option worth considering.
Choosing the Right Materials for a Preschool Yearbook
This preschool yearbook project uses simple, inexpensive supplies that most classrooms and homes already have on hand:
- Paper for pages: plan on at least 4 to 6 sheets per child, more if you want a fuller book.
- Craft supplies: markers, crayons, scissors, and glue.
- Stickers or other embellishments for decorating pages.
- Photos, craft projects, or schoolwork the child has completed throughout the year.
- Cover materials: construction paper or card stock (two pieces per child), a 3-ring binder or folder, or a custom book cover.
If you’d rather send kids home with something more polished than a homemade cover, AlphabetU’s Gifts & Keepsakes collection has keepsake options that pair well with a DIY memory book.
Set up Your Memory Book
A little structure up front makes the preschool or kindergarten memory book project easier for kids to complete on their own. Start by deciding how to organize the pages — chronologically by month, by subject, or by type of memory, like field trips, friends, or favorite projects.
Once you’ve picked a structure for your preschool or kindergarten memory book, have kids write or decorate a simple cover page first, so they have something to build toward as they fill in the rest. Encourage them to personalize it with their name, a self-portrait, or a favorite color scheme.
For assembly, a hole punch with yarn or string works well, or you can simply staple the pages together for a quicker option. Either method holds up well for a kindergarten graduation memory book that’s meant to be handled and revisited.
Page Ideas for Your Preschool Yearbook
Giving kids a word or phrase at the top of each page is the easiest way to guide what they write or draw, especially for younger students who might otherwise stare at a blank page. A few kindergarten memory book ideas that work well:
- Field Trips
- Science Projects
- Art Projects
- Friends
- A Fun Day
- A Silly Memory
- Autographs
- A Message from My Teacher
Either print these prompts ahead of time and glue them to the top of each page, or simply write them on the board for kids to copy. Either works well depending on how much prep time you have.
Add Photos to Your End-of-the-Year Memory Book
Photos are what make a preschool or kindergarten end-of-the-year memory book feel complete, so it’s worth setting aside a few from throughout the year if you can.
- Print a small selection of photos ahead of time rather than trying to include every picture from the year.
- Let kids glue photos in themselves and write a one-line caption about what’s happening in each one.
- If printing isn’t an option, have kids draw a picture of the memory instead; the personal touch often means more anyway.
For more ideas on capturing photo moments worth including, check out AlphabetU’s Capture the Memories: Kindergarten and Preschool Graduation Photo Ideas post. Graduation photo frames are also a nice way to highlight a favorite shot on the cover or a dedicated page.
Add Creative Touches to Your Preschool Yearbook
A few simple extras make a memory book feel more personal without adding much time to the project. Let kids use stickers, stamps, or washi tape to decorate borders and page corners, and encourage doodling in any extra white space rather than leaving pages blank.
It also helps to mix up page layouts — some with more writing, some with more drawing — so the book doesn’t feel repetitive from page to page.
Include Reflection Writing Prompts
For pages with more writing space, a simple prompt helps kids put their thoughts into words rather than just listing facts:
- “My favorite thing I learned this year was…”
- “The best day of school this year was…”
- “I’m most proud of…”
For younger kids who aren’t writing independently yet, have them dictate their answer while a teacher or parent writes it down. This keeps the reflection genuine, even if the handwriting isn’t theirs.
Share the Finished Memory Book
Once the book is finished, giving kids a chance to share it adds a nice sense of closure to the project. Set aside time for kids to show their memory book to a classmate or two before taking it home, or consider a short “Memory Book Day” where families are invited in to look through the finished books together.
Send the book home with a note encouraging families to look through it together and add to it over the summer if they’d like.
Preserve a Preschool Yearbook So It Lasts
A memory books is meant to be kept for years, so a little care after it’s finished goes a long way. Store the memory book somewhere flat and dry, away from direct sunlight that could fade photos or drawings over time.
If you’re looking for something sturdier to store it in long-term, AlphabetU’s Graduation Keepsake Bag works well for keeping a memory book alongside other keepsakes from the year.
Give Kids a Preschool Yearbook Keepsake They’ll Want to Keep
Knowing how to make a preschool yearbook doesn’t require a big budget or a lot of prep time -just some paper, a few craft supplies, and a little structure to guide the process. The real value is in giving kids a chance to reflect on their year in their own words and drawings, whether that turns into a simple stapled booklet or a full kindergarten graduation memory book with photos and decorations throughout.
It’s an easy tradition to build into the end of every school year, and one that both kids and families tend to hold onto long after summer break ends.
Looking for more ways to help kids hold onto their school year memories? Browse AlphabetU’s Gifts & Keepsakes collection for more keepsake ideas worth adding to the project.
FAQ
What do you put in a preschool memory book?
A preschool memory book typically includes a mix of photos, artwork, and short reflections from throughout the year — things like favorite field trips, friends, and fun classroom moments. Simple page prompts like “A Fun Day” or “Autographs” give kids an easy starting point for each page without needing much guidance.
How do you make a kindergarten end-of-year memory book?
Gather paper, basic craft supplies, and any photos or projects from the year, then have kids fill a page for each prompt — field trips, favorite subjects, friends, and so on. Assemble the pages with a hole punch and string or a simple staple, and let kids personalize the cover to finish it off.
How do you preserve a child’s memory book?
Keep the finished book flat and stored somewhere dry and out of direct sunlight, which helps prevent photos and drawings from fading over time. A sturdy folder, binder, or keepsake box designed for storing mementos works well if you want it to hold up for years rather than just the summer after it’s made.