-red construction paper -scissors -black Sharpie -index cards -list of all your students' names -hat -crayons (red, pink, and white) -Valentine's day stickers -heart template (optional)
(Materials for modifiers) -glitter (red, pink, or white)
Modifiers/Scaffold
For an easier challenge: -Either peel the back of the stickers for the earlier children, or just let them use the crayons
For most children: -Ask, "What are some nice things you could tell someone?"
For a trickier challenge: -Include glue and glitter so they can put glitter on their decorations. -Have these students cut out the hearts themselves
Follow-up Ideas
-You can have the students practice writing their names by letting the students sign the cards themselves.
-You can also create a kindness tree with your students. Make a tree out of construction paper and place it on the wall. Then, cut out tiny pink hearts. During circle time, ask them what they could do to help out a sad friend. Write their suggestions down on each heart and have the students place them on the tree.
Originating Idea
I know my children love to get Valentine's day cards, so I wanted to create an activity that's not only creative, fun, and loving, but helps my children express and show empathy for each other.
How to Make It
You take your Sharpie, index cards, and list, and write one of your children's names on each card. If you have an odd number of children, include an assistant's name in the mix too. Then fold all the cards in half and place them all into the hat. Then, take the red construction paper and cut out a big heart (if you need it, copy and print the template below).
Then, with the Sharpie, write on each card:
"Dear ___________, I love you because you are___________________! From, ___________ P.S.: Happy Valentine's Day!"
How to Implement It
During circle time, the teacher brings out the hat and asks, "Who knows what holiday we're celebrating?" After listening and responding to their answers, say, "Well, today we're going to make Valentine's day cards! In this hat are different names. During free choice, I'm going to call your name. When I call your name, you're going to come up, pull a name out of this hat. Then I want you to tell me something special about that person! Then, you get to decorate the card so it looks beautiful! Let's call names for friends to go enjoy a little free time!" After the teacher lets the students go for free choice, she goes to her teacher's table with her hat and starts calling students names (she will probably want to start with a student who would really enjoys making crafts). Then, she lets that student pull a name out of the hat. She will then ask, "What do you love about this student?" She should encourage a positive and loving conversation, and may need to help earlier children come up with things to say about what they love about their friends. Later students will probably come up with several things to say about their friends. Once the teacher and student comes up with something nice about the other student, the teacher will fill in the names and nice thing to say. She will then direct the student to the table and have them decorate the back of the card.
Most students will be able to use the stickers will a little help, while the later students will probably not need any help removing the backs off the stickers. Earlier students will either need the backs removed on their stickers, or should stick to using just crayons.
Once the children are done making their cards, they should take the card to their friend's cubbie. Sometimes they will go and tell the other student that they made the card for them, and tell them what they said Once all the students are done with their project, the teachers will clean the table and prepare for morning snack.