This secret message Valentine’s Day card and the rooster poem and craft below are from an old book, “Holiday Handicrafts” by Nina Jordan.
Children love the idea of a secret message and this card is simple enough for children in younger grades to make.
A rebus message is a puzzle in which one must decode a message consisting of pictures representing syllables and/or words.
Show young children how to print a simple rebus message for the words, I love you, by drawing an eye, a heart, and the letter U on a chart.
Place the chart close to the students’ work area so they can copy it as they make their craft.
Some children will invent their own rebus message to print under their hearts.
Materials:
- Small and large heart tracers
- Pink or red construction paper
- Black felt marker
- Scissors
- Paper fasteners
- Crayons and felt markers
- chart paper
Procedure:
- Trace a large and small heart with a black (or red) felt marker
- Cut on the outside of the tracing line of the large heart so the black line shows up
- Cut on the inside of the tracing line of the smaller heart so the black line is gone
- Decorate the smaller heart with crayons, felt markers, and/or stickers
- Place the small heart on top of the large heart and connect with a paper fastener (see image)
- Rotate the top heart all the way to the top then copy the “I love you” symbols in the middle of the bottom heart
- Slide the top heart back on to the top
Valentines Day Rooster Art
“This little rooster crows and crows
For you’re my Valentine he knows”
Materials:
- Pictures of roosters with bright colored feathers
- A heart and circle tracer
- Pink or red construction paper
- Scissors
- Black felt marker
- Small orange or red beak triangles
- White cartridge paper
- Bright colors of paint
- Poem printed out (see above)
Procedure:
Children:
- Trace a large heart shape and a circle with a black felt
- Cut on the outside of the black tracing line so it shows up
- Glue on a beak shape
- Assemble and glue rooster on a piece of cartridge paper
- Paint bright colors for a tail, the wattle, and feet
- Paint feathers on the rooster or color with crayons
- Glue poem to picture
Create a Valentine’s Day Post Office Center
Create a post office in your dramatic play center for Valentine’s Day.
- A box from the wine store has cardboard inserts inside that make 10 or 12 post boxes. If you have a large class use two wine boxes. Choose boxes with thicker card inserts and add tape if they are floppy.
- Cover the boxes with colorful paper and put a name sticker tab for each student in the front of the divided sections. Be sure to put one for yourself.
- A mailbag, a hat similar to the one mail carriers wear, paper, old envelopes, pencils, erasers, felt markers, pretend money and stickers for stamps completes the post office center. Mail carrier Mail Carrier dress up clothes are available to buy as well (see picture above).
- The school office will often save used envelopes and junk mail for the children to play with. Provide an opportunity for students to mail a real card to their caregivers.
Children love getting mail in their boxes. Write short notes for each student so they all get letters.