- Before you start, consider your child's attention span and general interest in crafts. You don't want to lose his attention after the first few cards if you need to make 20. For some children, it might be a good idea to break the project up into parts, perhaps decorating the cards one day and signing them and putting them into envelopes the next.
- Hearts are, of course, the traditional Valentine's Day theme. You could cut the cards into heart shapes, in which case you'll need construction paper and scissors. A good way to do this is to fold a piece of paper in half and trace half a heart for your child to cut out. Alternatively, you could use stationery printed with hearts or cupids, or decorate plain paper with heart stickers. The cards can also be decorated with crayons, markers, glitter or rubber stamps. Make sure that you allow time to for things like paint or glue to dry.
- You may want to help your preschooler write a message on the cards. "Happy Valentine's Day" is the most obvious and innocuous. Other appropriate messages for school might be phrases like "Enjoy the day," "Celebrate love" or "For a friend on Valentine's Day." For a child too young to write a message or sign his own name, consider using plain address labels to print out merssages or name stickers. He can then place a sticker on each card. Also, it is a good idea to help your child write the recipients' names on the envelopes before inserting the Valentine cards if the cards will be bumpy or uneven.
- It is popular, though usually optional, to include a treat with kids' Valentines for school. Fnd out if your preschool has any policies on this ahead of time. Due to increasing rates of food allergies, many preschools have policies against sending in any treats containing nuts, and some frown on sugary treats altogether. Some nonfood alternatives could be stickers, pencils or large heart-shaped erasers. Avoid anything, food or nonfood, that might pose a choking hazard.
