If you’re staying close to home this summer, there are plenty of ways to turn down-time into photo-book worthy fun. Create a custom photo book that chronicles your kids’ version of warm-weather pastimes – and turn your staycation into a noteworthy vacation. Kids will love looking back at all the fun that unfolded between June and August, and they’ll be proud to share their special photo book with friends once they’re back in school.

Summer Crafts From the posts already appearing in my Facebook newsfeed, lots of moms out there are already planning and executing a summer of crafty fun. This morning I saw playscapes created in shallow bowls filled with sand. Yesterday I perused my niece’s sneaker art. And I just got news of another friend starting a beach-glass mobile project. Make a list of all the crafts you want to create with your kids this summer. Plan to do crafts regularly, photograph the work in process and after it’s finished, then upload pictures into a Summer 2013 Craft book using Mixbook’s beautiful Krafty Fun photo book. It’s got the most adorable mix of washi tape details and patterned Kraft paper backdrops that will beautifully showcase a summer’s worth of creativity.

Theme Park Photo Book If your summer plans consist of little more than going to country fairs, theme parks and local carnivals, chronicle all the fun by creating a photo book that showcases every exciting day on the grounds. Mixbook’s new Theme Park photo book features retro graphics and vintage-style theme park icons and a cool pastel color palette that conjures up cotton candy and caramel corn. Make sure you snap pics of everything from people and theme park characters to theme park food and entryway signs for each ride. And don’t forget the comic relief. Be sure to snap a pic if a kid falls asleep with a lollipop in his mouth while wearing mouse ears.

Summer Reporting Perhaps I was just always destined to work with words, but as a kid my best friend and I used to pen our version of the local news. We’d write it, my mom would type it, and my dad would help us cut and paste it all into a layout. If only Mixbook had existed then! If you’re kids have a penchant for journalism, let them create a custom photo book of their own with all the news that’s fit to print. Mixbook has a great new theme called Rad Plaid that my girlfriend and I would have gone nuts for back in the day.

Summer Tricks For kids with summer goals of nailing ollies on their skateboards or wheelies on their dirt bikes, capture the action with a custom book that celebrates their summer successes. With Tom-boy or dude-worthy backdrops, Mixbook’s Industrial Textures photo book is perfect for framing around-town riding of every kind. Kids can include pics of fun stunts in action, and add captions to match.