*Plus photos!*

It’s Valentine’s Day Weekend!

Not only is this a romantic time for you and your sweetheart, it can be a fun time for your toddlers and preschoolers, too! My son and I had a great time picking out special surprises for his little buddies and cousins.  We’re also hosting a little Valentine play date for his friends to come over, exchange valentines and eat some yummy homemade treats. This will also be a fun time for me as I get to chat with the other moms and have some adult conversation (in between trips to the potty, breaking up wrestling matches and wiping icing off of the walls, of course!).

Here are some more Valentine ideas to make this day special for you and your little ones:

1. Shara Lawrence-Weiss of Mommy Perks submitted this idea:  “I used to make home-made V-Day stuff with my son. It’s been a while but…I still love the idea of making a home made card. I have one that he made for me when he was 4 – he wrote out all of the things he loved about me.

For example:

“I love my mom’s hair because ________.”

“I love it when she cooks _________.”

“I love it when she ________.”

Some answers ended up being really funny or sweet. Very simple project but it builds literacy skills, comprehension skills, hand-eye coordination with the writing, etc.

2. Make a fridge magnet with their picture on it for their parents. Submitted by Lauren Garcia.

3. use paper doilies and put the child’s hand prints on it with paint, then glue the doily to a big red construction paper heart. Submitted by Sherrill Yoder, Independent Mary Kay Consultant.

4. Make a pan of brownies, use cookie cutter hearts to cut out brownies, then frost with milk and powdered sugar frosting (died pink or red) and top with a heart shaped chocolate. VERY kid friendly and yummy! Submitted by Sarah Mitchell Slater 

5. Paint toast!  Color milk with pink/red food coloring. “paint” hearts using the colored milk  on white bread with Q-tips or small clean paintbrushes, making sure not to use too much and “drown” the bread. Then toast in toaster. Submitted by Vickie Henman of Little Green Fern.

6. Valentine Craft

*Add 1 part glue to 1 part paint (red and white)

*Drip paint/glue mixture on large sheet of wax paper.

*Child finger paints on wax paper – blending the colors.

*Cover the painting with another sheet of wax paper and flatten.

*Let it dry – when it dries, it will become very stiff.

*Cut out  a heart (or any shape you like to do this craft ANYTIME during the year!)

*Poke hole and thread yarn through the top to hang.

Submitted by Deborah Stewart

of Teach Preschool Online

First Published on Associated Content by MariLee Parrish 2/12/10