How We Made 2024 Pre-K Valentine’s Day Memories
One of my favorite holidays is right around the corner: Valentine’s Day!!!! So, I was extremely excited to do this project with my little one because Valentine’s Day isn’t only for romantic lovers but celebrates all forms of love.
He was such a willing and happy participant that I couldn’t help but share a brief snippet about it with you. This year, we created personalized Valentine’s Day cards for all of his 2024 Pre-K classmates, and of course, we didn’t leave out his two fabulous teachers!
We started at the Staples store, walking up and down the aisles to figure out how to make something sturdy and get appropriate colors since there wasn’t a Valentine’s Day card kit available (perhaps that is something I can bring to market next year, ha!). This left me with quite a bit of mix-and-match.
The supplies I ended up with were two packs of pastel-colored paper because one pack didn’t have the right colors altogether, index card dividers to use as the base, which I decided I could easily remove the letter printed tabs from, white Elmer’s glue and the remainder of the supplies I already had at home. A few items, like his paintbrush for the 2024 New Year’s Eve dinosaur wood paint project, were repurposed as a mini-dowel, which we will talk about later.
We did this activity to celebrate the holiday, cherish people in his life, and practice some skills! He practiced his patience, penmanship, and dexterity using his child-friendly scissors and creative eye to disperse the colors as he saw fit. The intense focus while he was penning the cards with his mouth agape was image-worthy, according to my biased opinion!
Our quite literal “heart project” featured a heart-shaped centerpiece using red strips of paper glued down to the index card tabs. Additional strips of red, pink, crème, and purple paper were twirled around his thin dinosaur paintbrush handle to make “spiral florets,” nesting them with more glue within the original heart shape.
Honestly, cutting the strips could have been more entertaining for my son, and the spiraling was my least favorite part of this project. My “brilliant” idea at conception turned into days and hours of tedious mini-sessions; however, the rewards were well worth it. He was so proud when everything was completed and the glue cured; that smile was priceless!!!
This was yet another experience creating memories that draw us closer together. He repeatedly encouraged me, saying, “Great job, Mommy! You are the best mommy in the world!” which melted my heart. There were lots of high-fives, hugs, and kisses when he said, “Thank you for helping me, Mommy!”
As expected, there were a few hiccups along the way. We ran out of Elmer’s glue and switched to glue sticks, which weren’t as elegant. It was also a little messy sometimes, and when our fingers got tired, we called it for the day, so I’m grateful we started early.
The finished cards, each unique with a handcrafted touch, were a testament to our time spent together, a snapshot of a moment during an age of innocence. These activities also teach him how amazing it feels to do something for someone else without any expected return.
My son’s eyes gleamed with pleasure at his labor as we packaged the cards, ready to be taken to school for distribution. Even if the project was more extensive than expected, every minute was worthwhile. We improved his handwriting, cutting, and sticking abilities, but we also helped him learn the value of giving, the joy of creation, and the love that goes into making a simple card.
We wish you a wonderful, happy 2024 Valentine’s Day filled with love, gratitude, and joy from our home to yours! To learn more about the origins of the heart shape, check out “A Symbol of Love: The Heart’s Evolution from Ancient Worlds to Present Day.” Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my cherished moment!
