Fun photography activities for kids of all ages

There's something magical about photography and kids. From flipping through images on your phone to getting excited for school pictures, these photographs that freeze a moment in time always capture the imagination and heart of children.

Pictures are also a great theme for kids activities. Whether you're looking to fill a rainy afternoon or want a way to spend quality time with your children, here are six unique photography activities your kids are guaranteed to love:

What makes you happy?: Teaching kids gratitude can be a difficult undertaking, but one simple way to focus on the positive is to give them a camera and set them on a journey to take pictures of the things that make them happy. Tell them it can be anything that gives them joy, from the cereal they eat in the morning to their favorite blanket they cuddle up with on the couch. Don't be surprised if they take a picture of you, too, because who else provides more happiness than the one who loves them most?

Photography scavenger hunt: Enjoy this fun twist on a traditional scavenger hunt with a photo theme: send kids off on a fun mission to find pictures of various kinds around the home! For example, your list might include finding their baby photo, a picture of the family, a Picture Day photo from kindergarten and an image of Mom and Dad's wedding. It's fun because you can customize it to your family's story and what you have available in your home.

Look for letters: Everyday objects can have designs that resemble the letters of the alphabet. How many can you find as you explore your home or neighborhood with your children? Take pictures of the letters you discover, whether it's a closeup of a wrought-iron railing or abstract shot of the clouds. Bonus idea: Go home and print out the letters and make different words with them. This can even be an interesting framing project if you can create the family name or special words like "love."

Take a trip down memory lane: Pull out old yearbooks and flip through them with your children. Have fun reminiscing and sharing stories as well as laughing at some of the vintage clothing and hair styles. Then compare school pictures with your kids to see the resemblance at different ages. It might even be fun to recreate some of the images from the past with your own kids today!

Start building a school picture collection: Spend time creating a special book that features school pictures and interesting information from the last year. Include things like grade, teacher, best friend and what your child wants to be when grown. Then add to the book each year! Remember, starting this fall, when you purchase a Shutterly eligible package on mylifetouch.com (K-12) or on preschoolsmiles.com (preschool), your child’s digital school picture will be delivered to your Shutterfly account and saved conveniently for you to grow your digital collection as well.

Create stories with toys: Your children's toys come to life when you use them to create scenes to their very own picture book. Set up stuffed animals, figurines and other toys and take pictures at various stages of the story. Then print out the pictures and use them to create a picture book, writing the thrilling copy next to each image. It's sure to be a page turner! Plus, what a wonderful keepsake that you can look back on year after year.