My Memory Collage Plan: Free Printable Planner for Year 6

My Memory Collage Plan is a free printable art planner for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children plan a scrapbook page about a memory that matters to them. They sketch a layout, colour a palette to match the mood, and tick off a checklist before they start the real thing.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children choose one memory and plan how to show it as a collage. They draw a rough layout sketch to decide where the big shapes will go. They colour in 4 swatches that match the mood of the memory. A checklist helps them check their plan: a memory described in one sentence, one main focus that is bigger than the rest, and a small detail such as a word, a ticket or a pattern.

• Rough layout sketch: where will the big shapes go?
• Colour palette: colour in 4 swatches that match the mood
• My memory is chosen and I can describe it in one sentence
• One part of my page will be the main focus, bigger than the rest
• I have added a small detail, such as a word, a ticket or a pattern

Turning the plan into a real page

Why plan a memory collage?

Collage facts

• The word collage comes from the French word coller, which means to glue.
• Collages can be made from paper, fabric, card, photographs and many other flat materials.
• The artist Henri Matisse made large, colourful pictures from cut paper.
• Many artists plan their work in sketchbooks before they start the final piece.

Skills and curriculum link

• Planning a composition
• Choosing textures and colours
• Reflecting on my work
• Describing a memory
• Making a focal point

Ideas to help children plan

• Colour and moodColours can suggest feelings. Ask which colours feel calm, busy, warm or cool to your child, and let them decide for themselves.
• Size shows importanceThe biggest part of a page is usually the part the eye notices first. A main focus works best when it is clearly larger than the rest.
• TextureMaterials can be smooth, rough, shiny or soft. Mixing textures makes a collage more interesting to look at and to touch.
• Small detailsA single word, a ticket or a pattern can tell a viewer something the big shapes cannot. Small details reward a closer look.

Key words

• CollageA picture made by sticking different materials onto a surface.
• CompositionHow the parts of a picture are arranged on the page.
• Focal pointThe part of a picture that your eye goes to first.
• PaletteThe set of colours chosen for a piece of art.
• TextureHow a surface feels, or how it looks as if it would feel.
• LayerOne material placed on top of another.

How to use it

1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
2. Ask your child to choose a memory that matters to them. Help them say it in one sentence.
3. Work in pencil. Sketch the layout first, then colour the swatches to match the mood.
4. Tick the checklist together. Ask, "Which part is the main focus, and why?"
5. Gather materials and build the real page in a sketchbook or on card. Come back to the plan another day if you want to try a new memory.

Help, stretch and game ideas

Talk about it

• What memory did you choose, and why does it matter to you?
• Which colours feel right for this memory? What do they make you think of?
• What is the main focus of your page? Why is it the biggest part?
• What small detail will you add, and what does it tell people?
• Which materials would feel different to touch? How would that help the memory?
• If someone else looked at your page, what would you want them to notice first?

Take it off the page

Who it is for

Where this fits in art

Before this, children have usually drawn and painted from observation, explored colour, and tried simple collage with paper. This planner asks them to bring those skills together and make choices about layout, mood and materials for a purpose of their own.

Afterwards, children can build the real page and talk about how it matches their plan. In Key Stage 3, pupils keep developing ideas in sketchbooks and explain their choices, so this habit of planning and reflecting is a useful one to start now.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is My Memory Collage Plan for?

It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can try it with help, and older children can use it as a quick planning tool for a larger piece of art.

Is it free to use?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another memory, and use it as often as you like.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children colour in the four swatches themselves, so colour printing adds nothing they need.

How long does it take?

It depends on the child and how much they want to sketch and talk. Page 1 can be done in one sitting, and children can come back to it another day to add more.

Is this a screen free activity?

Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Planning by hand also gives children time to think and talk about their ideas.

Is there a right answer on page 2?

Page 2 has notes and answers for the grown-up, but a plan about a personal memory has no single correct design. Use it to prompt talk about choices, not to mark the plan right or wrong.

Can teachers and home educators use it?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or homework. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or within a wider art plan. It needs no preparation beyond printing.