Valentines Day

Soon it will be Valentines Day and now is the time to get little hands busy with paper, scissors, glue and markers, glitter and lace. MotherGoose.com offers a number of creative valentine activities. You can design your own valentines and print them out; make Mr. & Mrs. Heart, a loving couple made entirely of hearts; construct Victor, the Valentine Snake...a big hit with little boys and for girls, his friend Victoria is a lot of fun too. You can print and color your own valentines, and find lots of vintage valentine clip art to add extra romantic pizzazz to your projects.

Dear Abby has lately published a number of letters by readers who were upset to learn that some people don't appreciate hand-made cards, and instead only place value on store-bought ones. There are certainly lovely cards for sale, and I'm sure they are much appreciated when received, but if you have a chance to make something yourself, and to teach a child to fold paper, decorate it and write a kind greeting, please do!

An easy and full-proof greeting card can be made with one piece of printer paper and a black marker. Fold the paper in half, then in half again. This makes a sturdy card that can stand on its own for display. Ask your child to draw a picture on the front with the black marker. The picture can be of anything...a fun design of hearts, a self-portrait, a picture of your home, or of a flower or favorite pet. Open the card and on the inside, write a simple greeting such as "Happy Valentine's Day!" Use lots of exclamation points and other decorations like stars, dots, wiggly lines, tiny hearts and flowers. Ask you child to sign the card with "Sincerely, " or "I love you," or "Best Wishes," and their name.

The card is now ready to give...or you can use crayons paint or markers to color-in the drawing, add sparkle with glitter and stickers, even glue fabric or buttons on for extra dimension. Then hand your lovely creation to a dear friend to wish them well.