Thursday, February 9, 2012

Valentine Cards = Great teaching moments

Instead of the store bought Valentine cards, why not have your child create their own cards? I am definitely guilty of buying those box Valentine cards, and in fact, already have! My 4 year old spotted the princess cards a mile a way at Target the other day, and I thought, great! That's done! Check that off our list! Just make sure she signs her name and puts the stickers on the cards all by herself to reinforce fine motor! Go me! Not missing that teaching moment.

Well, I did. I missed providing an opportunity for my very creative, art-loving daughter to do her own Valentine cards. Yes, she has made tons of pictures and cut out tons of hearts to give to her grandparents and sometimes even her baby sister (imagine that!), however, I probably should have encouraged her to create her own cards for her classmates. We certainly have plenty of art supplies and stickers!

Well, Mommies, if you are like me and have already bought the pre-written Valentines, don't beat yourself up like I just did. One, your child may not be into art like my daughter is and two, you may not be into it. So if that is case, no worries. You can still use those cards as a teaching lesson. How you might ask? Get them to practice writing their name on each card. Have them stuff the envelopes. Harder for those little hands than you think, but a great way to sharpen fine motor skills. Maybe have them count how many cards they need for their class. Then, for other children, ask them to read the cards or point to the words or letters they recognize. So not only are you enjoying that precious one-on-one time with your child, but you are also getting to be a part of their learning process. Priceless!

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