Create a back-to-school photo book with your children !
The start of the school year is always special, both for children and parents. New school bags, first day of school, drawings proudly brought home... These little moments in everyday life often pass too quickly. What if we could keep a record of them, other than on a smartphone or in a forgotten digital folder?
Creating a back-to-school photo booklet is a simple and tangible way to cherish these memories. It's an easy project to do at home with your children, using a few photo prints and materials that you probably already have at home. Print, cut, assemble and comment together. The idea is not to aim for perfection, but to enjoy doing something as a family.
With the help of AgfaPhoto solutions, particularly the online printing service, this little book becomes a real memory aid. And above all, a wonderful moment of sharing.
How to photograph your children's return to school?
Memories are not only created during big events. At the start of the school year, it's the little everyday gestures that make an impression. A glance in the hallway, a schoolbag left by the door, a hand in yours on the way to school. These everyday scenes, often forgotten, deserve to be captured. And to do so, you don't need complicated techniques, just attention and a suitable camera.
The idea is not to photograph everything, but to spot those moments that stand out for you. And to capture them, gently and without pressure.
Photograph simple scenes
We sometimes think that we need the perfect setting or exceptional lighting to take a beautiful photo. But the start of the school year offers little scenes every day that say a lot. Monday morning breakfast before starting the week, or the moment when a cuddly toy peeks out of a schoolbag. These candid shots convey tenderness, routine and connection.
A photo of a freshly tidied desk ready for homework, or a drawing stuck on the fridge, could also find its place in the booklet. It's often in these details that we find the things we want to keep. And these memories are just as valuable as a class photo.
The children's camera
To allow children to participate in the creation of the booklet, it is important to give them a camera that suits them. The Realikids Instant Cam from AgfaPhoto is perfect for this. It is colourful, robust, easy to use and prints photos directly.
Children become actors in their own memories. They can photograph their snack, their reading corner or their favourite school bag and see the image come out immediately. This makes the photo more concrete and more fun. It will also reinforce their desire to document what they are experiencing. It is a gateway to visual storytelling, without having to go through a screen.
The perfect camera for parents to capture the start of the school year
For adults, it is just as essential to have a simple and reliable camera to capture everyday scenes without having to think about every setting. The Realishot DC5200 from AgfaPhoto offers this convenience. Lightweight and intuitive, it allows you to take natural photos both indoors and outdoors.
Whether in the morning light of the kitchen or in the evening in the bedroom during story time, it adapts with ease. It's a great companion for capturing those little moments that we may never see again, but that we can look back on. And at the end of September, these images tell a story all on their own.
Creating a homemade photo book: easy, creative, accessible
A photo booklet requires no special skills or sophisticated equipment. The idea is not to create a perfect object, but a true memory, made by many hands. It's also a great way to prolong the moments of the new school year, adding a personal touch. Each step can become a little moment of togetherness, to be done quietly on a Wednesday afternoon or during the weekend.
Creating a booklet is ultimately about telling a story. The story of September and October, of schoolbags left in the hallway, sharpened pencils and reunited friends. And everyone can add their own voice to this story.
Choosing and printing your photos
It all starts with selecting your photos. A dozen or so is more than enough to create a touching booklet. These can be portraits, scenes from everyday life, or even small symbolic objects such as a pencil case or a first notebook. The important thing is that they speak to the child.
To print them easily from home, the AgfaPhoto Print service is a quick and easy solution. Photo prints are available in several formats, with reliable quality at affordable prices. Once you've selected your photos, upload them online and they'll arrive at your home a few days later. This is a concrete first step that will make you want to move on to the next one. Of course, printing with your everyday printer will not give you the same quality results.
Create your own back-to-school photo booklet
Once you have the photos in your hands, it's time to put them together. You don't need a full set of scrapbooking supplies or complicated techniques. A few simple supplies are all you need to turn this moment into a creative workshop at home.
For the cover, you can use a sheet of 160 g/m² card or coloured Bristol board, which is readily available in supermarkets or stationery shops. Use A5 or A4 paper folded in half, depending on the size of the prints. If the children want to personalise this page, they can draw on it, stick a photo on it or write a title such as ‘My first day of school 2025’ with a felt-tip pen or stencil.
Inside, each photo can be stuck onto a white or lightly coloured page using a glue stick. It is advisable to leave a small space under the image to write a caption. This could be a date, a first name, a little anecdote or simply a phrase that makes the whole family laugh. Children love to write these memories themselves, even in clumsy handwriting. This is what brings the object to life.
To decorate the pages, all you need are a few easy-to-find accessories: stickers and masking tape to frame the photos. Stamps or even coloured pencils can be used to add a sun, a school bag or a heart.
The binding can be very simple. A long-arm stapler is perfect for binding the pages in the centre. But you can also punch two small holes and thread a thin satin ribbon or coloured string through to bind it by hand. This gives it a particularly charming ‘homemade notebook’ effect.
The important thing is not the perfection of the layout. It's the pleasure of doing it together, crafting with four hands, and letting each child personalise their little back-to-school booklet to reflect their personality.
What is the best website for making a photo book?
For families who are short on time or prefer a turnkey solution, the AgfaPhoto Landscape Photo Book is an excellent alternative. Simply log on to the platform, choose a format, upload your photos, and arrange them as you wish. You can add a caption, a cover page, or a few lines of introduction.
Once finished, the booklet is printed and delivered to your home. It's a good compromise for those who want to keep a record of the start of the school year without necessarily getting out the glue and scissors. And even grandparents can participate from afar: just send the photos, and everyone will receive the booklet at home.
Create your back-to-school photo booklet every year
When a photo booklet stands the test of time, it becomes much more than just an object. It takes on the value of a childhood memento. Year after year, it recounts first times, developments, passions that emerge and faces that change. By doing this project every new school year, you are giving your child a little library of memories that they can rediscover later with fondness.
There's nothing to stop you from sharing these booklets with loved ones. Grandparents and godparents often appreciate receiving these printed moments that sum up the start of a new school year. And for children, it's a gentle way to tell their story.
The back-to-school photo booklet grows with the child
As time goes by, the booklets fill up with details. We see the evolution of a smile, the way their handwriting becomes more confident, or their favourite outfit changing from year to year. Keeping a record of all this creates a very strong emotional bond.
Leafing through old booklets, we relive previous years. We remember a forgotten cuddly toy, a child's word, a new pair of trainers. These small details, often fleeting, take on a precious place when they are carefully preserved.
A project to be adapted according to age and desire
As children grow older, they may want to take more control of the project. Choosing photos, thinking about the layout, writing the captions themselves. Some teenagers may even want to create a more elaborate booklet, such as a mini-report or a series of images around a specific theme.
In this case, a slightly more technical camera can make all the difference. The AgfaPhoto Realishot DC9200 digital camera is a good choice. It allows you to vary the angles, work on sharpness and capture more subtle moments. It's the perfect tool for young photographers who want to refine their eye without unnecessary complexity.
Share and start the photo booklet again each year
The idea of the booklet is not set in stone. You can change the format, the medium, or even the style of the story as you wish. What matters is to make it a regular event. A little break in the middle of the new school year, where you take the time to remember, laugh and create.
Each year, this ritual takes on a new dimension. It becomes familiar and reassuring. It's also a way of showing your child that their daily life is valuable and that their little stories matter. And later on, there will be this beautiful collection of booklets to rediscover, like a common thread running through their entire school career.
The back-to-school photo booklet, a small project full of meaning
Creating a photo booklet with your child is not just about making a beautiful object. It's about taking the time to pause for a moment in the rush of the new school year. It's about looking around and listening to what your child wants to say. It's about keeping a record of those little moments that matter.
Anyone can turn everyday moments into tangible memories. This is made possible by simple cameras such as those offered by AgfaPhoto and accessible services such as AgfaPhoto Print. Far from screens and social media, this project invites you to share, create and tell stories... together.
There is no right or wrong way to make a booklet. What matters is putting a little bit of yourself into it. A slightly blurry but emotionally charged photo, a scribbled drawing, a sentence that will make you smile in ten years' time. It's these details that will make this little back-to-school notebook so special.
What if this year was the start of a wonderful family tradition?