Our top tips for creating a stand-out school photo book

The school years fly by, don’t they? In a blur of lost jumpers, lunchbox mix-ups and last-minute homework panics, the kids have suddenly gone from bundles of first-day nerves to ‘how did you get so big?’ high school graduates. The years are filled with memories that are made for reminiscing and our favourite way to do that is with a school photo book.

Why create a school yearbook?

A school photo book lets you hold onto their proudest moments and achievements for them to look back on (and you too, but shh – we won’t tell). Whether you’re creating a school leavers photo book for the whole class, a club yearbook of team shenanigans, or a collection of their best bits from over the years – we’ve got a school yearbook design to suit every occasion. So, where do you start?

Top tips for making a photo album for school photos

1. Decide on a topic

Think about the story you want to tell with your school photo book. Are you focusing on one school year, a specific club or activity, or even just their funniest moments from over the years? There are so many directions you can take (and way too many photos to pick from), so choosing a topic will make things much easier to get started.

Ideas we love: A first day of school photo album, a class memories yearbook, a best friends scrapbook, a sports team highlights photo book or a ‘watch me grow’ journey throughout the years.

2. Gather your photos

Now for the fun part – dig through your camera roll and find the photos that tell the story the best. Those cheesy grins, laugh-out-loud memories, and even the blurry snaps that really take you back to the action, all deserve a spot in your children’s school photo album.

Got gaps? Ask teachers, team mates and other parents for extra pictures, they might have some hidden gems of moments you’d completely forgotten about (until now).

3. Get organised

Now it’s time to sort through the photos you’ve saved. No need to overthink it, just try to organise them into loose categories based on your topic, e.g. by events (like birthday parties and sleepovers), activities (think school trips or sports days) or specific dates/times (like school year or football season, if you’re making a book to cover more than one). You can even create different albums in ‘My Photos‘ to help.

Bonus tip: If you’re working on a club yearbook or a sports team photo book, create a shared folder so everyone can upload their best pics.

4. Pick your theme

Not sure where to start? Don’t stress. We’ve got plenty of themed photo books you can use to create your masterpiece. Choose the one that best matches your topic and then customise it to your hearts content. Match the colours to their school or sports team, or mix and match fonts and stickers if you’re going for a scrapbook style. And if you’re feeling super creative, you can create a yearbook from scratch.

5. Keep it simple and create

It can be very tempting to include every photo (because just look how cute they are), but when it comes to creating a school yearbook, sometimes less it more. Use white space, funny captions and a mix of photo sizes to make each page stand out in style.

What to include in your school photo album

We know you’ve probably got albums (and albums) of your little one’s happiest and most memorable achievements from over the years. Where do you even start with deciding what to put in? Here are some must-have moments to make your memories yearbook extra special. Choose a few of the below, or go for them all:

1. Family and friends

Start with the people who make their school days fun – like their best friends, favourite teachers and that old family friend you bump into at pickup. Include post-game win group shots, silly after-school fun and even those official (but slightly awkward) school photos with siblings. You could even compare similar photos from each year to see how much they’ve changed.

2. After school clubs and sports teams

Whether they’re the star player, prefer cheering from the sidelines or they’re just there for the snacks (us too), after school activities are a huge part of school life. Choose photos that show off the joy, like team-huddles, action shots and their favourite ‘I nailed it’ moment.

Why not add stats, dates and final scores to create a book for the whole club or team? Order a copy for everyone and you’ll even save more with our bulk discount.

3. School plays and performances

The school play, annual talent show or that one time they got roped into being a lobster in the nativity (who knew?) all make iconic moments to add to your photo book.

For an extra personal touch, include photos of the programme or ticket stubs too.

4. School trip adventures

Their favourite time of the year – class trips. And their school photo album should be full of their most memorable moments, like that visit to the local zoo or the ski trip they just didn’t want to come home from.

5. Achievements and awards

Don’t forget to add your little scholar’s proudest moments in your school yearbook too. Everything from that time they won ‘star of the week’ to when they got full-marks in their spelling test deserve to be included. No matter how big or small, every achievement counts and this is the best way to show it.

6. Artwork and projects

Celebrate you child’s creativity by adding their a-mazing art into your photo book. As well as sticking it on the fridge, take a photo or scan their creations and add captions to show what they’ve made (it’s a dragon, not a cat by the way… obviously).

7. Quotes and praise

Include short messages and words of praise from teachers, coaches, team mates and even their besties so they can look back and always remember how appreciated they are. These little details can make any memory book, high school photo album or university yearbook feel even more personal.

Ready to make a keepsake that’ll bring big smiles (and maybe a few happy tears)? Check out our themed school photo books and get started.