by One of the greatest joys of getting together with family over the holidays is in telling old family stories and reminiscing about the past. One way to truly bring memories to life this coming holiday season is to plan a family photo exchange for your get together.
Preparing for Your Family Photo Exchange
To get the most out of your family photo exchange, it helps to plan ahead. In the weeks before the planned family get together, ask your relatives to gather up family photos, both old and new to bring to the party. It helps if all photos are labeled on the back so they can easily be returned to their original owner. Family recipes and memorabilia are also fun to include in the exchange.
Setting Up for Your Photo Exchange
Before you start laying out photos and memorabilia make sure to clear the table of food or liquids, anything that might damage old photos. You may even want to lay down some butcher paper to make sure the photos stay clean.
If you have a big enough table separate from where the family will be dining, you can even set the table up ahead of time. As people arrive and add their family photos you can have people browse through the photos at their own pace. Or you can arrange an area where everyone can look at the photos together and pass them around. If you look at photos as a group, invite older family members to relate the back stories of photos.
They can also help identify anyone not known to younger family members. Everyone can share their favorite memories associated with each of the photos. And with the Keepy app, you can record your relatives telling stories about each photograph. This not only preserves the history of each photo but it allows you to share it with family members who aren’t present at the photo exchange who can also record their stories to the same photo.
Sharing Family Photos
One of the best things about a family photo exchange is filling in any gaps in your own photo collection. If you s
ee a great photo you don’t have, now is a great chance to make a copy of it. A scanner and photo printer are handy to have at a family photo exchange. But even easier than the scanner is if you bring your phone, you can add your favorite photos and memorabilia to the Keepy app. With Keepy, they can be easily shared among family members and preserved for the future.
Making New Memories
A family photo exchange is a wonderful way for older generations to share family history with their younger family members. And to pass on favorite family recipes and stories. Reliving and recording old family memories while making new ones together will make this year’s family holiday parties extra special.
