Hearty Heros!
Cupid isn’t the only one who flies around making people fall in love! How about a Valentine’s fairy? Or perhaps a Valentine’s superhero? February is heart month, so help the kids spring into action with some Valentine’s inspired playtime props:
Superhero Wrist Bands:
Supplies: toilet paper roll, aluminum foil, scraps of coloured paper, fabric or ribbon, glue
Directions: Cut toilet paper roll in half cross wise, creating two small cuffs. Snip each cuff vertically, so that child will be able to slip cuff onto wrist. Cover each cuff in tin foil. Cut paper or fabric into stars, hearts, lightning bolts, or other superhero symbols (such as child’s initials) and glue onto cuffs. Let dry, and then let the games begin!
Heart Tipped Fairy Wand:
Supplies: wooden dowel or old wooden spoon, cardboard (e.g. from cereal box), red or pink paper, ribbons, packing tape, glue
Directions: Cut heart shape from cardboard. Lay dowel on heart so that one end is at the centre of the heart, making a handle coming down from tip of heart. Secure in place with packing tape. Glue ribbons to bottom of heart shape to create a ribbon fringe. Cut two identical hearts out of red or pink paper, making hearts slightly larger than cardboard heart. Cover both sides of cardboard heart with the red or pink hearts, pinching edges together to secure around cardboard heart. Let dry.
Made with Love for Valentine’s Day
Help your child create one-of-a kind unique Valentine’s Day Cards with our exclusive Valentine Card making kits . Choose a class pack of 24 mini cards for your child to give to classmates, or standard size cards (packages of 8) to send to close friends and relatives. A crafty way to make Valentine’s Day just a little more special! Check our card selection here .
Have A Laugh!
Not only is laughing a lot of fun to do, but it’s proven to be good for your heart. Your heart rate increases with laughter, and then dips below normal when you stop, giving your heart a workout. And did you know that kids laugh about twenty times as much as adults? That’s 20 giggles for every one of our chuckles. So, get a little crazy with the kids this month, and get laughing! .
Kitchen with Kids – Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
A little bit of (dark) chocolate is good for the heart, as is the fibre provided by delicious red strawberries. Try this simple Valentine’s treat with the kids! .
- Strawberries, washed, but not hulled
• 2 oz semi-sweet bakers chocolate, chopped up, or chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons milk
Melt chocolate in microwave; add chopped chocolate and milk to microwave safe bowl, and heat for 30 seconds. Let stand for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave slightly longer if necessary. When chocolate is melted, cool slightly, and dip strawberries, letting the kids hold them by the hull. Tip: if you prefer to remove the hulls before serving, use corn picks to hold the strawberries for dipping.
Simple Science- Geometry Lesson
Cut several pieces of paper into squares and circles. Can you use the pieces you have cut to make a heart? Note: Pieces can overlap. Use a heart template to make it a little easier for little ones to see what they’re striving for!
Five Minute Fun – Folding Heart Card
Make a quick Valentine card with your child by folding a piece of paper in half and cutting a heart along fold line. Open your heart and decorate with crayons, markers, stickers, and other embellishments. Let dry and then close the heart card, pop it into an envelope, and send it to someone special.
Stick to My Heart
Planning a party this month? Try playing pin the heart on the human! Draw an outline of your child, and draw a heart in the location of the real heart. Give each child a heart stick to the human. Blind fold the child, spin them once or twice, and lead them to the picture, giving them a chance to stick their heart to the picture. Get as close to the real heart as you can! If you need party crafts, check out our supply here