Like Lapbooking? You'll LOVE Pear Educational Products!

Is "lapbooking" a new term for you?

What about "folderbooks" or "shutterbooks"?

Graphic organizers, fold books, presentation books, flap books, and project books?


Do any of those terms ring a bell?  Okay, how about scrapbooking?

     I'm sure most of you are aware of scrapbooking, but "lapbooking" isn't quite the same, although it has similarities to scrapbooking.

     Lapbooks, shutterbooks, and the like all have one thing in common:  to capture learned concepts using mini-books, graphics, and student writing into a folder or book.

     My girls have completed some lapbooking projects over the years.  Our first one ever was all about the history and traditions of Thanksgiving.  With our first project, we learned to print out our mini-books onto cardstock instead of regular printing paper, because they will be sturdier and durable for years to come.  We learned that the hard way.

     In the other lapbooks which the girls have made, we've learned to use double-sided adhesive squares like scrapbookers use.  Some families have been successful using glue sticks, rubber cement, or Elmer's Glue, but we have found that all of those eventually peel off or begin to lift off the page.  We really prefer the repositionable or permanent double-sided squares to fasten down the little mini-books and graphics.

     Lapbooks are usually made with colored or manilla file folders, if you do a search on the internet.  There's a little bit of work to do to prepare the file folders, or a lot of work, depending on how you choose to use them or fold them, but it works fairly well.  I have a box of colored file folders which we've used in the past for making lapbooks. 

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     Recently, I learned that Pear Educational Products has developed some fabulous lapbooking tools to enable families to be more successful with their lapbooking/folderbooks.  I've worked with Heidi, owner of Pear Educational Products, for several years now, as members of the TOS Crew.  After I saw the new products she had designed, I knew that she was one smart cookie! 

     We've had a few frustrations with our lapbooking projects.  Pear Educational Products meets my frustrations head on!

     In our small town, I haven't been able to find white file folders.  Sometimes, manilla or colored file folders are not what we are looking for to use with our lapbooks.  Maybe I'm just being nitpicky, but over the years, it would have been really nice to have some white file folders or materials to use for our lapbooks.

     Some of the lapbooks have required me to almost do "surgery" on them to get them to fold out with additional pages, flaps, or folds.  Occasionally, it's taken a while to fold/cut/duct tape sets of file folders so that there will be enough flaps or pages for a larger lapbook.

     The storage of file folders converted into lapbooks isn't an easy task, at least for me.  Thicker lapbooks - using multiple file folders - can be tough to hold shut so that the pages won't be damaged.  We've tried brads and ribbons, buttons, and a variety of options.  But after pulling them in and out of a bookshelf where they are stored, they start to look ragged.

Lapbooking supplies by Pear Educational Products

     Pear Educational Products sent me samples of 7 of their products they have currently made available.  Here they are:

Spiral-bound Project Books

     These spiral-bound project books have very sturdy spirals that will last for a long time.  The pages are very white!  Hooray!  The front and back cover pages are made of the same high quality, thick, VERY WHITE paper/card stock as the pages inside of the project book.  The two largest sizes also have a pocket page in the back, to store extra mini-books or keepsakes, or to store parts and pieces to use in future pages in the project book.  I think it's so neat that my children can design their own front and covers since they are made of very white, heavy duty paper!

     There are three sizes:  9" x 11-1/2",    12" x 12",    and 6" x 8". 

Fold-Up Project Bases

    When I saw Pear Educational Products' fold-up project bases, I was SO excited!  In the past, file folder lapbooking would require me to use as many as 3 or 4 colored file folders cut up and taped together using duct tape or clear packaging tape or lots of glue to get this same look, especially in the photo on the left. 

     These project bases are made of very high quality white cardstock that is durable and smooth.  This isn't cheap paper!  So if you're wanting to do a 3-page lapbook that will also include a front and back cover, the tri-fold project base on the right may work well for your family.

     If you want to add an additional 1-2 pages onto your lapbook, the extended base on the left will be a great addition to your lapbooking supplies. 

     These fold-up project bases are wonderful!  If you have spent time cutting, taping, or gluing file folders together, you will really appreciate these project bases!

Project Base Adhesive Strips

     The final lapbooking product that Pear Educational Products is selling right now is ingenious!  Really!  I wasn't smart enough to think of this idea, but I wish I had been!  These adhesive strips enable families to place project base lapbooks into 3-ring binders!  All you need to do is peel off the paper which covers the adhesive, and then press the adhesive strip to the edge of the project base or file folder!  Wow. 

     Instead of having numerous file folder lapbooks floating around the house or getting lost in the nooks and crannies of a bookshelf, the lapbooks can now have a permanent home in a nice 3-ring binder which will help preserve the lapbooks for future use and viewing.  These are so easy to use!

     Lapbooking is so popular among homeschoolers and public/private schoolers these days.  For struggling or resistant writers, the mini-books used in lapbooks allow for small amounts of writing to be done each day or several times a day so that the student isn't overwhelmed with writing.  For children who love to write, this is a creative way to do so.

     These high quality, beautiful lapbooking products now available from Pear Educational Products will help your children create lapbooks which will be something to treasure!  They are priced reasonably and will work for lapbooks or scrapbooks or unit study displays.  They'd even be great for a science fair project!  And I could easily see families preparing for a family vacation by doing some research ahead of time on the area in which they will be going, and then when they arrive back home, place photos and journaling into the new lapbook so that it is a family memories treasure.

     If you have questions about lapbooking or scrapbooking using Pear Educational Products, please feel free to ask - or check things out on their website.  Their customer service is excellent!  I highly recommend their useful products.