Kids Can Say ‘Be Mine’ with Homemade Gifts
by Tania K. Cowling
When Valentine’s Day rolls around, your child might like to have a little something that’s suitably cute (or pretty or cool) for everyone on her list. But, what’s a love-struck kid to do when allowance doesn’t stretch too far?
How about a more practical way to woo or wow — think homemade gifts from the heart.
Little Puppet (Baby & Toddler)
Puppets are almost universally appealing to young children. They are approachable, interesting, and funny. A wide variety of beautiful commercial puppets is available. However, homemade puppets work just as well and can have more “personality.”
You can make a valentine puppet come alive in a creative way.
• Cut out a 3-inch paper heart and a 1-inch paper heart from red or pink poster board.
• Make two finger holes in the top of the large heart.
• Draw a face on the smaller one.
• Overlap pointed ends of the hearts and glue these together.
• Accordion-fold strips of paper and glue these to the heart for arms.
Place your fingers inside the holes and manipulate this heart puppet to entertain baby. Toddlers will enjoy working the puppet alone. Make up a story together about this valentine puppet.
Food Ideas (Baby & Toddler)
Think “pink” for creative valentine food ideas. What a way to make meals fun for your child and his puppet! A drop of red food coloring can turn your youngster’s breakfast cereal into a pink pool. Serve pink applesauce for lunch. A vanilla pudding turns a pretty shade of pink for dinner’s dessert.
Hide Your Heart (Preschool+)
Conversation Hearts, those little heart-shaped candies with messages on them, were first made by NECCO in 1902. The messages on the candies might have changed over the years, but kids still love them. They’re not only yummy, they’re fun!
Hide several dozen hearts around the house. Give children small paper bags and have them decorate them with markers and scraps of ribbon and lace. Then set out on a hunt!
Half the fun will be reading the messages on the hearts after the kids collect them. Or, you can assign different point values for the different colored hearts. Sorting the hearts and adding up the points will be a good math exercise.
Make a “special handprint” project using conversation hearts as gifts.
• Type or have your kids print the poem that follows on a sheet of paper.
• On a heavy sheet of construction paper (or poster board) either crayon trace or paint print the child’s handprint.
• Write your child’s name and date next to her handprint.
• Now, invite your child to glue on conversation heart candies as fingernails.
• Attach the poem paper to the cardboard handprint with glue. (Trim it to size if necessary.) This makes a memorable gift to give to family and friends.
This isn’t just any handprint as you can plainly see.
For it is a special handprint made with love by me.
Along with this handprint I send hugs and kisses your way.
And wish you a very “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Love Bug (Preschool+)
You know those pesky “love bugs” that fly in the air? Well, here is a paper love bug that your kids will adore.
• Paint or cover an empty toilet paper tube with pink paper to make the body of the bug.
• Cut two hearts from construction paper.
• Attach these with tape or glue on either side of the body.
• Encourage your child to draw a face on the top of the tube.
• Pipe cleaners make great antennae.
• Write a cute message on the wings such as “Valentine, you make my heart flutter.”
‘Cool’ Valentine (School Age)
Nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” with quite as much spirit as a homemade card. In a world of cell phones and e-mail, there’s something reassuringly special about a greeting card you can actually hold in your hand — and display in your favorite place.
Provide the kids with construction paper and loads of decorating materials. Here are a few ideas to make your cards different and “cool.”
• “You light up my life!” Use an outline of a light bulb.
• “You’re priceless!” Use a For Sale column from the newspaper.
• “For Mom, my need-le never ends.” Enclose a packet of sewing needles inside the card.
• “Dad’s an old smoothie — never rough on me.” Use sandpaper and satin.
• “I’d like a corn-ner in your heart.” Glue a dried corn kernel in the corner of a heart card.
• “Where have you “bean” all my life? Glue on a dried bean.
Together, discuss the word usage and meaning of each of these sayings. Have fun making up new ones.
Projects (School Age)
Extend your lessons about love beyond your family and friends. February, or any month for that matter, is a good time to talk about loving your community. Some projects you can do together:
• Make Valentine cards for elderly patients in nursing homes. As you “cut, paste and decorate,” talk about the value of volunteering.
• Encourage your child to pick out some of his toys, books, CD’s, etc. to donate to a children’s charity. It’s an important lesson about sharing.
• Demonstrate how you love the Earth by planting a new tree. Or, you might want to enlist your child’s help in a cleanup project by picking up trash at a local park. This is a lesson in “giving of yourself.”
Tania Cowling is a freelance writer.