Valentine Fun

With Valentine's Day only a few weeks away,I thought I'd share some ideas for classroom treats for your children to share with friends as well as some Valentine decor for their rooms. Allowing the kids to help decorate and  put together classroom treats lets their creativity flow.

When my boys were in elementary school, every holiday was a big deal. One year for Valentine's Day, I put together these treats for their classmates. You can read the original post .here. Simply fill candy bags with whatever goodies you like and  secure them to the shovels with a little ribbon. I found these shovels that come with "I dig you " stickers. This is a different, fun idea for class parties.

Need a quick favor for classroom parties? These are ready to hand out as is.

If you are like me, you love to place Valentine decorations around the house. One of my favorite things to do is grab some seasonal garland at the Target dollar spot and use it for the mantle and drape it along the tops of the windows in the kids' rooms. It's a quick,inexpensive way to add just a touch of the holiday into your home. If you can't get to Target, this one is very similar to what they sell.

If you want to convey a message rather than just have plain hearts, these are a fun too.

Another  idea that kids enjoy are these hanging hearts. I used to make my own,which was tedious and time consuming, but you can buy them at any party supply store. After my kids would go to sleep,I'd hang them in front of their doors so when they opened them in the morning,they'd have a fun surprise. Little things to start their day off on a positive note.

Speaking of positive notes, another  thing I did with my boys was to write something positive about them on paper hearts and tape them on their walls each day. These make life easier because they are stickers. I always enjoyed telling them how special they were or how much I liked certain things about them like their ability to make us laugh, their compassion, their determination,etc. It's a great idea for boosting self -esteem. Just write a little something special to them and hang these on their wall or wherever you like.

You can also pick up some really cute signs at any Target or craft store to place around their rooms, but I also find some cute ones online like this .

  With every passing season, we'd always display books that helped get the kids excited about the holiday and about reading. Children are more likely to grab a book when it is highly visible ,so we always made a point of having many of them out as part of their room decor. Placing a few hard covered favorites around is a great way to add some Valentine fun to a room as well as encourage a love of reading. Here are a few that we love and bring out every year. If you don't have any, borrow a few from your local library .

A Cranberry Valentine

Comic Valentine

Who's Your Valentine,Charlie Brown?

Leaving Valentine activity books in their rooms is a great way to get their minds going.

Word Searches

Mazes and Puzzles

There are so many inexpensive,fun ways to make Valentine's Day about more than just chocolate, though a little chocolate thrown into the mix is never a bad thing.  Allowing your kids to get creative, explore books and different activities while sharing all the things you love about them with them, creates memories that last forever. Get them involved, have fun and savor the special moments.

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