Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Thursday!

Valentine's Day Week

Thursday!

Crafts:

• Woven Heart Pocket: White and red poster board, seasonal ribbons, scissors, decorative edging scissors, glue, pencil, thin cardboard

1. Make a large heart template and a slightly smaller one from a piece of thin cardboard.
2. Trace the larger heart onto white poster board.
3. Trace the smaller heart onto red poster board; then cut it out.
4. Fold the red heart in half.  Cut slits in the heart, about a 1/2" to the edge, spacing them one-half inch apart.
5. Unfold the heart and then weave lengths of ribbon through the slits in an alternating pattern.  Trim the excess ribbon.
6. Glue the edges of the red heart to the white heart, leaving the top open to create a pocket.
7. You can use their heart pocket to collect valentines.  Or have him fill it with an edible treat to give to a loved one.

• Bouquet of Love: Thin cardboard, laundry detergent bottle lid, pipe cleaners(cut about 1" longer than the lid height), polystyrene foam block cut to fit inside the lid, craft foam(pink, white, red), pencil or pen, heart confetti or punch-outs, scissors, craft glue

1. Make tracers: Draw a few different heart and flower sizes onto cardboard; then cut them out. 
2. To make a vase, decorate the lid with the ribbon and heart confetti.
3. Trace several hearts and/or flowers on the craft foam; then cut out each shape.  Use a pencil to make a pilot hole in each.
4. Gently poke one end of a pipe cleaner into each cutout.
5. Use a pencil to poke one hole(per flower) into the foam block.  Then insert the free end of each pipe cleaner into the foam block.
6. Press the foam block firmly into the bottom of the vase.
7. Spread out, bend, and turn the hearts and/or blooms to arrange.
8. You can have your child decorate the hearts and flowers with glitter, sequins, and seasonal confetti before putting them in the foam block.

• Candy Kiss: Thin cardboard pieces, white construction paper, 12" square of aluminum foil, permanent markers, scissors, glue, tape

1. Draw a candy kiss onto a piece of cardboard.  Kind of like a heart-shape without the indention of the heart, like the top section was cut off.
2. Trace the candy kiss onto another piece of cardboard.  Cut out.
3. Then gently wrap the foil, shiny side up, around the kiss.  Glue the edges of the foil to the back.
4. Cut out a ribbon shape from white construction paper.  Tape the ribbon to the back of the kiss.
5. Use markers to write your child's name or another name on the ribbon and draw a face on the candy.

• Oracle of Love(Magic 8-Ball): 1-inch diameter styrofoam ball, scissors, white craft foam, permanent marker, hot glue gun; small, clean glass jar with lid(like a baby food jar), teflon tape(if needed), crayola model magic clay

1. Gently form the styrofoam ball into a cube by pressing it against a table with your thumb.
2. Cut six hearts from the craft foam and write an answer with permanent marker on each one, such as "Yes," "No," or "You bet."  Attach these hearts to the cube with hot glue.
3. Place the answer cube in the jar and fill the jar with water right to the top.  Close the lid tightly and test for leaks.  If your jar isn't watertight, wrap Teflon tape around the jar's threads before closing the lid.
4. Cover the jar with Model Magic clay, leaving the bottom of the jar clear. Roll small pieces of Model Magic into snakes, and use them to decorate the outside of your oracle with hearts.
5. To use your oracle, keep it lid-side as you ask your question, then turn it over to learn the answer.
6. Model Magic is recommended for this project because it stays slightly flexible after it dries.  Other clays can crack.
7. Craft was found at www.FamilyFun.com or in the February 2010 edition of Disney Family Fun Magazine.

Activities:

• Hearts and Spades: 2 Decks of Cards

Setup: 

• Remove all the hearts and all the spades from each deck of cards.  You will use only 26 cards from each deck (52 total). Keep the cards from the two decks separate.

Play:

• Shuffle each of these small decks of cards.  Place one deck facedown in the middle of the table.  Using the second deck (dealer's deck), deal four cards face-up in front of each player.
• Players take turns turning over a card from the deck on the table and matching the cards in their hand.  When a match is made, the player puts these two cards facedown on the table and is dealt one more card from the dealer's deck so that each player has a hand of four cards at all times. (If no match is made, the child may place this matchless card facedown at the bottom of the dealer's deck and take another card.) The game continues until all the cards (in both players' hands) have been matched.
• Use a full deck of cards for older children, who are skilled at discerning the difference between spades and clubs or hearts and diamonds. 

• Jigsaw Plate: Sturdy dinner-sized paper plates, Pencil, Markers or Crayons, Scissors

1. Decorate the plate with heart, flowers, etc.  
2. Carefully cut the plate apart into puzzle-shaped pieces.  You might want to lightly sketch outlines of the pieces before you begin cutting.
3. Use a second plate as a base on which to reassemble the puzzle. You may want to draw the shapes  of the pieces on the base plate if it is going to be for younger children.  Store your puzzle in a plastic bag.
4. Could also cut the puzzle pieces into geometric shapes.  Or write a message on the puzzle and give it to a secret pal to put together. 

Snack/Food:

• Mini Grilled Cheese Hearts and Tomato Soup: 

1. Make grilled cheese sandwiches and then use a heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut out mini sandwiches. 
2. Make tomato soup to go with your heart shaped sandwiches.
3. Serve with crackers.
4. For a great creamy tomato soup recipe from all you magazine

Education: 

Letters/Words:

• Word of the Day: Index Cards, Pen

1. And
2. Practice this word with your child. Have them practice spelling it.
3. Write the word on an index card and store it in an index box holder.
4. When reading a story have your child say the word.  

• Rhyme Puzzles: Thin Cardboards, Construction Paper or Writing Paper, Glue, Markers

1. Glue paper onto thin pieces of cardboard.  Let dry.
2. Divide each cardboard into 4 or 5 sections, going down, about 2 inches wide.
3. Down the middle of each section, draw a line, then a shape like a triangle, square, rectangle, then another line. So that each section has a shape dividing it in half.
4. Then on each section, write one word on one half and a rhyming word on the other half.  like Cat on one side and Mat on the other side.  
5. Then cut out each section and cut the halves too.
6. Have your child try to match the puzzles pieces with the rhyming words and the shapes.

• Word Coloring Pages: Coloring pages, pencils, crayons, piece of paper

1. Write rhyming words down on a piece of paper like: cat, bat, hat, mat, pat, fat, nat add color key-codes to each word. Like cat=blue; bat=red; hat=purple, etc.
2. Then have your child color their page according to the color key-code.

Numbers: 

• Magic Wand Fun: Paper towel tube, different colored ribbons or yarn, glue, glitter or confetti

1. Wrap the tube roll with different colored ribbon or yarn.  Draw designs with glue around the wand; then sprinkle on glitter or confetti for a magical sparkling look.
2. Have your child pretend that you are a magician who changes objects with the touch of your magic wand.  Then, look around the room and gently tap 2 things your child sees that are red. Saying one, two, three-presto! What would your child change those 2 red things into?
3. Now have your child move into another room and use their wand to tap 2 things that are blue.
4. Tap 2 things that are round; then 2 things that are square. 

• Three Party: 3 small plastic cups, 3 finger foods(raisins, chocolate chips, peanuts), 2 stuffed animals or dolls

1. Arrange your child's stuffed animals on their bed or table or blanket on the floor near them.
2. Put 1 cup in front of each of their stuffed animals and 1 in front of your child.
3. Have your child count how many cups there are; then have your child place one of each different kind of food in each of the cups, counting each one as they place in cup.  
4. Spill out the treats from each cup, one at a time, counting and eating each piece of food as you go.  Be sure to help the animals eat their treats, too!

• Sort out the remaining foods so that only 1 food is in each cup.  They may want to sort all the raisins in 1 cup and all the peanuts in another.  What other ways can you sort your foods? By color? By shape? Rough or smooth? Salty or sweet? Don't forget to eat your treat!
• Add other types of small foods to the mix; then sort the foods into muffin tins. 

• Writing Numbers: Index cards, Pen, Writing Tablets

1. On the blank side of the 3 index card write the number 1-2-3 on its own index card.  On the other side write the word one-two-three
2. Practice with your child on reading the numbers and words.
3. On three pieces of writing paper, write the numbers one-two-three on its on piece.  Then, have your child practice writing each number word.  

Music: 

• Have your child play their Kazoo they made yesterday and sing Valentine's song.  List on Monday's post.
Reading:
The mitten by Jan Brett
• Glove Puppets: Gray Mittens; Felt(Gray and Pink); 2 small black pom-poms; Pink Pipe Cleaner; Glue; 1 pink pom pom, black string, black permanent marker or black squeeze paint.

1. Cut 2 round gray circles for the mouse's ears.  Cut two pink smaller circles for the inner ear.  Glue together.  Glue onto mittens, one by pinky finger and one by the pointer finger.  
2. Glue a couple pieces of string onto the middle of the mitten for whiskers.
3. Glue a pink pom pom into the middle of the sting. 
4. Glue the eyeballs(2 small black pom poms)
5. Draw a mouth on with a black permanent marker or black squeeze paint.
6. Glue a piece of pipe cleaner onto the side of the mitten for the tail.

Lots of Mitten songs on perpetual preschool

Nursery Rhyme: 
 My Valentine Sing this song to the tune of "The Muffin Man Oh, will you be my valentine? My valentine?  My valentine? Oh, will you be my valentine? And love me every day? Oh, yes, I'll be your valentine, Your valentine, your valentine. Oh, yes, I'll be your valentine, And love you every day. Found on preschool rainbow website
Some ideas were found in the following books:
Big Book of Monthly Arts & Crafts by The Mailbox
Family Fun Magazine
Look What You Can Make With Dozens of Household Items! by Boyds Mill Press
Math Play! by Diane McGowen & Mark Schrooten
Unplugged Play by Bobbi Conner

Valentine's Day Week: Week 21: Thursday!