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Memory Jar - A Year in Photos
Twelve months, a jar full of moments, and the most beautiful New Year's Eve tradition
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD ACTIVITIES
6/24/20262 min read
A memory jar is one of those ideas that sounds simple - a jar, some paper, a year's worth of moments - and turns out to be one of the most meaningful things a family can do together.
The idea is to spend a year collecting small slips of paper, each one recording something good that happened, and then to open the jar together on New Year's Eve and read them all back.
For children aged 7–10, adding a photo element - printing small images of favourite moments and adding them to the jar - makes it even more rich and tangible. This is a tradition that, once started, never gets abandoned.
Why This Activity Works for Kids Aged 7–10
Memory jars develop gratitude, reflection and the habit of noticing positive experiences - all genuinely important wellbeing skills.
For children this age, looking back at a year's worth of recorded memories is both moving and joyful, and contributes to a deep sense of belonging and family identity. The act of choosing which moments to record and which photos to print also develops discernment and the ability to reflect on what matters.
Activity Details
Age Range: 7 – 10 years
Time: 30 minutes to set up, then ongoing throughout the year
Mess Level: No mess ✨
Supervision: Shared activity
What You'll Need
A large glass jar with a wide mouth
Small squares of coloured paper or card
Pens and markers
A small photo printer or access to printed photos
Scissors
A special opening date - New Year's Eve, a birthday, or Christmas
How To Do It
Decorate the jar together - label it with the year and your family name.
Set a family intention: every time something good happens, write or draw it on a slip of paper and add it to the jar.
Encourage different family members to contribute - the more voices, the richer the jar.
Add printed photos of favourite moments - holidays, birthdays, funny days, ordinary days.
At the end of the year, tip the jar out and read every slip together.
Talk about what surprised you - what you'd forgotten, what mattered most.
Start a new jar for the next year.
Kim's Tips 💕
A small instant photo printer is a wonderful investment for this activity - printing photos in the moment and adding them to the jar is deeply satisfying.
Encourage children to add ordinary moments as well as big ones - "today we found a lizard in the garden" is just as precious as holiday memories.
This works beautifully as a long-distance connection activity - grandchildren can add to a jar at their home and share slips with grandparents at the end of the year.
Opening the jar together on New Year's Eve becomes one of the most anticipated family rituals of the year.
Keep the read slips in a labelled envelope each year - looking back at ten years of memory jars one day will be extraordinary.
Large glass jars, instant photo printers, coloured card packs and fine marker sets are all on my Amazon storefront.
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This post is part of my Middle Childhood Activity Series - packed with ideas for 7-10 year olds.
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With love, Kim xx
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