Family Matters: Valentine’s Projects for the Kids
Friday, February 03, 2012
Whether your children make valentines for their entire the class or a handful for their grandparents and best friend, giving (and receiving) a handmade valentine is super special no matter how big, small, simple, or detailed the heart is.
Making a large number of valentines for your child’s class can seem daunting, but choosing a project that is simple to oversee and appropriate for your child’s skill and age level can be fun and rewarding. When my boys were toddlers, I precut hearts out of paper or used heart-shaped doilies and let them paint or put stickers on each one. Now that they're older, it's helpful that they have a longer attention span and can sign their own cards.
If you need to make a large number of valentines for your child’s class, try to prep as much as possible or break down the task over several days to make it a little easier and less stressful. Depending on the size of my boys’ classes combined, we have had to make at times 40 to 60 valentines! That’s a lot of hearts!
4 projects: Easy, fun and ready to go
Here’s a roundup of previous projects I’ve done with my children, with material and directions ready to go:
• Stamped Valentines
• Make a Love Box
• Colorful Hearts
• Make a Love Book
More hand-made creations
This year, I've got my eye on these crafty valentine project ideas and ways to celebrate:
Valentine Crush Crackers from Kidoinfo contributing writer, Elyse Major of Tinkered Treasures
Valentine Garland from oh so crafty
Valentine scratch cards from blossom kids
Make your own heart shaped crayons (from make and takes) and attach to valentine card (from the Long Thread)
Make heart-shaped potato stamps (from Growing Home) and use them to decorate paper for wrapping paper or a tablecloth or cut the paper into valentines. Heart-shaped cookie cutters also make great stencils for tracing hearts onto paper.
Candy cane hearts from Skip to My Lou
Anisa Raoof is the publisher and founder of Kidoinfo, the parents' guide for Rhode Island and beyond.
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