Stuck For Kid’s Birthday Ideas? Get Them A Photo Album

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When I was little, I used to adore flicking through photos from when I was younger. I remember we had a big, pale pink album filled to the gunnels with baby photos and pictures of family members – some still with us, others who sadly passed a long time ago.

It was like a book of memories, and they were all extremely happy ones. That baby pink photo album, now stashed in the back of a cupboard somewhere at my parents’ house, still holds a special place in my heart.

In this digital age, I felt a bit guilty that I was gatekeeping the photos of my daughters as they grow up (they’re all stored on my phone which they obviously don’t have that much access to).

If I let her, my eldest could easily spend hours flicking through old baby photos, or looking (and laughing) at more recent snaps of her making mischief with her younger sister. Sometimes I’ll catch her smiling wistfully whilst scrolling past old photos of me and her dad in my camera roll, or photos of her late Grandma holding her as a baby.

So, when her birthday was approaching, I decided to pull together a physical photo album that’s hers to keep.

I bought an album online (finding a child-friendly one on the high street proved to be impossible!), ordered 200-odd prints off Snapfish and went to work organising the album while watching England get thrashed by Argentina in the World Cup.

And guess what? It was one of her favourite birthday presents. Most nights, she will sit and flick through it, looking at photos from holidays, Disneyland, and pictures taken on days out with friends or family. Sometimes, her little sister will join in, and they’ll giggle together at the pictures of them both.

Child development expert Dr Amanda Gummer told me it’s likely to do with the fact photographs “feature the people, places and experiences that matter most to them”.

“At around five, children are also developing a stronger sense of their own identity and personal history,” she said. “Looking through familiar photographs helps them revisit experiences, recognise themselves as part of a family and make connections between past and present.”

The expert, who is founder of the Good Play Guide, suggested photo albums are a useful gift as they can prompt valuable conversation. “When children talk about who is in a picture, what happened and how they felt, they are practising language, storytelling and emotional understanding,” she explained.

“Looking through an album with a parent or sibling turns it into a shared social experience too.”

Do physical photo albums deserve a comeback? Yes, argues Dr Gummer. “Photographs on a phone are often controlled by an adult and mixed in with messages, videos and other distractions,” she said.

“A child can independently choose an album, hold it, revisit favourite pages and look at the pictures at their own pace. That sense of ownership matters.

“A photo album is also a lovely example of a present that may look simple but has lasting play and emotional value. It gives children repeated access to their own story, rather than being something they enjoy briefly and then forget.”

Well, there you have it. If you’re stuck for a gift idea for your child (or a relative or friend’s child), a photo album of their special memories will be something you can both treasure.

Here’s my pick of some of the best ones I’ve come across online…