Fifth grade is a time of drastic change. It can be stressful and confusing for both you and your growing child. Give your child a chance to reflect on her identity and values in this fun photography activity! By creating a self-portrait album, your child will understand more about herself while making something she can be proud of and keep to remember how she saw herself at this pivotal point in her life!
What You Need:
- Camera
- Thick paper (various colors) that can be used to mount the photographs
- White glue or craft glue
- Markers (various colors)
- Hole punch
- Ribbon
What You Do:
- Before you begin, write out a “list of clues” for your child. The list of clues serves as the outline of your self-portrait. For example, she might have to take pictures of things that represent: something happy, a good taste, something pretty, something she doesn’t like, a wish, something comfy, a nice smell, something funny, a song she likes, a need, and a want.
- Grab the camera and have your child take one picture to represent each item on the list of clues.
- Print or develop the photos and have your child glue one picture on the front and back of each piece of thick paper. The paper is going to serve as the pages of the self-portrait album, so make sure that you don’t glue any on upside-down!
- Underneath each photo, have your child write a caption. For example, “I think freshly baked cookies smell delicious” would be a good caption if she took her “nice smell” picture of a sheet of cookies. She can also decorate the paper pages however she'd like with stickers, drawings, or additional words.
- Make a cover for the album using a current photo of your child, a piece of thick paper or cardboard, and markers to decorate. On the back of the cover, have her glue or write the list of clues that she used to make the album.
- Align the pages and use a hole punch to make holes on the left side in two separate places about equal distance from the top/bottom of the page. String ribbon through the holes and tie it securely, making sure there is enough slack in order to turn the pages. It should open up like a book with the ribbon as a binding.
Your child's self-portrait treasure hunt is complete! Talk to her about the things she chose to take pictures of and what it says about who she is as a person. It’s also a good idea to revisit the album after a few months or years have passed so she can see how her values have changed.
Related learning resources
Draw an Emotional Self-Portrait
Activity
Draw an Emotional Self-Portrait
Encourage your child to explore color and its mood-altering effects by creating his own self portrait using only warm or cool colors.
5th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
Make Your Own Pointillism Self-Portrait
Activity
Make Your Own Pointillism Self-Portrait
Kids learn about pointillism as they make their own self-portrait in the style of famed American artist Chuck Close.
5th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
Paint a Frida Kahlo Inspired Self-Portrait
Activity
Paint a Frida Kahlo Inspired Self-Portrait
In this activity, your child can put pick up a paintbrush and create a self-portrait inspired by this renowned artist.
4th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
Romare Bearden Self Portraits
Lesson plan
Romare Bearden Self Portraits
Students will create their own collage self portrait and learn about Romare Bearden.
5th grade
Lesson plan
Write an Art Project Proposal
Activity
Write an Art Project Proposal
Here's a great project to get your child on the right track towards writing well thought-out proposals.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Activity
Renaissance Art Project: Create a Silverpoint Drawing
Activity
Renaissance Art Project: Create a Silverpoint Drawing
Help your high school revive some Renaissance history with art by making a silverpoint sketch. In this activity, make your own stylus and special paper.
5th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
Color Wheel Project
Activity
Color Wheel Project
Recycle paper and old magazines with this art project that creates a great tool for artists: a color wheel!
5th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
3-D Art Project
Activity
3-D Art Project
...A similar process can be used if she’d like to make Fabric Crunch Art of a flower or a rainbow or some other picture design....
5th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
Make String Art
Activity
Make String Art
Try a new kind of art--string art!
5th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
Silhouette Art
Activity
Silhouette Art
Help your child create a piece of spring art by shaking up the traditional silhouette art form with a colorful collage background and vibrant spring color.
5th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
Layered Art
Activity
Layered Art
This fun art activity gets your child to create background and foreground elements, building his art skills and creative development.
5th grade
Arts & crafts
Activity
'Best Self' Journal
Worksheet
'Best Self' Journal
Children will create their own “best self” journal to log moments where they have been at their best.
4th grade
Worksheet