Valentines for Preschool

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-pri...

this page might help. It has printable cards for kids.

-K.

I went to dollar tree store and let my daughter pick out a box of valentines for her classmates and a bag of heart suckers to tape onto the back of each one. I spent 2 dollars and she is so excited. I dont know if we are going to put everyones name on them or if we are just going to fill in the from line. She cant read all the names anyways.

In preschool, I just buy the store-bought cards and handle the writing myself (by grade school, they can do the signing). It's asking a lot for a preschooler to do all of the work. I don't bother to include anything with the cards, since most parents don't want the junk or candy that's usually included anyway (saves a bit of money, too). Definitely don't make this assignment any harder or more expensive than it needs to be.

My only suggestion is to make sure your treats (if you use them) are peanut free. As a parent of a peanut allergic child, it's occasions like that where I get worried about what comes into the classroom. Last year we received very nice valentines, but they had peanut butter cups attached to them (ACK!).

We typically have done home made cards, but my son just draws on each one. We do a couple a day the week before valentines.

Good luck!
Jessica

My daughter is in preschool also , I have just got back from Target getting my gifts for the class , they have a whole section dedicated to valentines , I bought a pack of pencils and a pack of little cards with a hole that you can feed the pencil through , they also had box sets with stickers/tattoos in. There is so much stuff to choose from and very cheap aswell. They have many assorted bags of candy aswell but I chose to stay away from that as some parents don't like to give candy to their kids.

Hi T.! I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one to struggle with the valentine issue. Our first year at daycare (with our 6 month old!) we were shocked ot discover they do a Valentine's Day exchange. We scrambled to make valentines for each of the kids in the daycare the night before because we couldn't find any in the stores. Last year we bought okay ones at the store, and this year I bought some from Amazon at the end of January. They are press out vintage valentines from Golden Books. I'll have my little guy (about the same age as your daughter) help me press a few out and maybe "write" his name on them by scribbling with a pen. Don't knock yourself out unless you really want to do an art project. If you do, then check out Crafty Crow
http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow
Crafty Crow has a ton of child appropriate craft projects.

On the gifts, I've found that some parents include something small and some don't. I usually don't because I don't want to give other kids something that their parents wouldn't want them to have.

Good luck and take good care.

I would suggest cutting out 24 little red hearts and taping a little conversation candy heart in the middle. No need to write out 24 little notes to preschoolers who can't read them!! Or, making heart shaped sugar cookies, and putting one cookie per student in a little ziploc baggie? You could even buy the pre-made sugar cookie dough, and make it even easier! Or...just buy the little boxes of candy conversation hearts, and put the students name on them. I think they sell them at the dollar store - 4 for a dollar. I have to do 18 for my daughters Kindergarten class, so I have been thinking about this as well!!
Have fun with your daughter, whatever you choose to do :)

Unless you really love crafts... don't bother to make any, they will only end up in the garbage within a few hours for most of the kids. It is much easier to just buy the regular little ones from the store and sign your childs name. Especially for a 3 year old. Save the fun crafts for grade school. My son is in kindergarten and I will buy the cheap little cards from the grocery store,

I bought 30 prepackaged cards that have seeds in the pape that can be planted laterr, as I don't believe in feeding 3 year olds candy at every holiday. We will stamp the cards together with my daughter's favorite stamps, and I'll address the envelopes. As I see it, this can all be done in an afternoon.

I let my son pick out Valentines for his party and some small treats. I agree to watch for nut allergies but my son is also allergic to Red #40 which is tons of stuff. I'm sure that my son will keep the cards for a few days and play with them and then they will be trashed so I would not spend too much money on them.

I was reading through some of thre responses, and while they were cute ideas (the fruit with I'm bananas over you made me smile) . The only problem with that might be with the daycare center itself. I know that our daycare has specifically told the parents, no opened candy or homemade cookies. Everything has to be store bought and stilll in the original package. If you want each child to have a cookie, Walmart has their little red pink and white decorated ones in 12-packs for sale 2 for $5. Get those and buy one of the premade cards and have your daughter sign her name (or as close as she can get to it), and when the teacher is passing them out, she can hand a cookie with each one.

At three years old, keep it simple. Heart shape paper that you cut out or purchase at the craft store pre cut. Have your child decorate them after your write the To: From:'s. Then tape on a piece of candy. Voila! When my son was three we did his in the shape of trains and cars. You can also make "love bugs" by adding googly eyes and other features. The kids love those.

Crayola sells valentines that they can color and give to friends. I bought some last year on clearance. I think my 2 year old will love to do it with her friends. ( I run an in-home daycare). Simple, fun, and cheap!

All the Valentines don't need to be the same. I normally use my Expression for my preschool but, if you don't have one then just cut our hearts, write Happy Valentines day from___________ and tape a sucker or something to it.

Also if you would like to save the Valentines, i have my preschoolers play with them for a few days then I put them all together, laminate it and then the children will have their own place mat.
M.

I would buy red construction paper and white or pink finger paint and cut out 24 3 inch hearts and have you and her dip your fingers in paint and make fingerprints over the hearts. You both can do it together, make a game of it and be done. That way it is fun activity for your 3 year old and she is giving something she worked on too.

we took some toilet paper rolls and I shaped them like hearts and we dipped them in color paint and stamped some card stock and made cards. Supper easy and fun! At christmas she strung beads on necklesses but only had to make 12 and that took several weeks so I don't know about 24....

I went to the local craft store and bought "blank" notecards and envelops, stickers, ribbon and glittler pens. I printed the notecards on the computer with a simple "Happy Valentine's Day!" on the outside and "Your Friend, JD" on the inside. He's decorating the fronts. Each night we do a couple. My two-year-old LOVES stickers, so we have fun with it! They look adorable and cost me less than $10 for the whole project.

Hi, I am in the same situation. Growing up we always made valentines - but I went to a smaller school and all of the kids and families knew each other well. Last year I just bought little valentines and taped a piece of candy to them, and that is what all of the other parents did too. I would keep the little presents the same for all kids, unless you want to do girl and boy versions. I save the special home-made ones for grandmas and grandpas.

I just finished doing class valentines with my 4 year old. We bought cards and she signed her name on them. Instructions were not to address the cards to any particular child to make the distribution easier. She had 14 to do and was losing gumption at number 10. If she had more than 14 I would have divided it over a couple sessions. We also bought stickers to include with the cards.

At three, I just had my daughter stick a sticker on each card. It is way easier if you don't address each card to children and just sign your daughter's name on them each.

I see you have 29 replies already and I haven't read any of them so sorry if this is a repeat. I just had my child draw or paint a couple of pictures and then cut those pictures up. I then printed some wallet sized photos (on regular paper) and cut those out. My child and I then had a fun time glueing them to her art work. It is quick and easy. It seems like the little kids really love getting a photo as they can't quite read yet but love knowing who the card is from. Happy Valentines Day!

You don't have to make them all the same. My son is almost 7 and has 20 kids in his class. I agree with you...making that many valentines by hand would be quite the chore. What I did was hop on down to my local Wal Mart and purchase a pack of cards (this one was Spongebob :D) and it had 32 cards in it WITH suckers for a whopping...*drumroll* $3. :D You could also check your local dollar store. :D

We are doing the same at my daughter's preschool- I plan to have her sponge paint a bunch of red cardstock. When it dries I will trace and cut it into 20 hearts. Then she can put stickers on them if she wants, and she can sign her own name to as many as she can, and i will sign her name to the rest.

I have been a 'helper' teacher at preschool. It is NOT necessary to put every kids' name on a package, box or treat. It's more important to have one item for each person.

Target has V-Day cards with pencils or tatoos. That's what we got for my preschooler and 1st grader to give out.

We also are bringing Rice Crispy Treats that are individually wrapped from CostCo for the V-Day party.

I hope this helps!

I saw in a magazine something that is healthy and easy.
Take clear gift bags and put in pieces of fruit (orange, banana, apple, whatever). tie with a ribbon in a bow. Put a card shaped like a heart (or whatever strikes your fancy on the ribbon. Notes can be written or stamped on the card> "I'm bananas over you" or "orange you glad we're friends). Your little one could apply their own stamps or stickers to the cards for decorations.

Go to Fred Meyer or Target and buy a box of valentines. They'll come in boxes of 24 or 30, as those a typical class sizes and they'll include a valentine for the teacher as well. She can sign her name to each one and address the envelopes. To make it a project, get some stickers to decorate the envelope. You're not doing presents, you're doing cards. They probably have made a large envelope for their desks for students to put their valentines in, like a mailbox. Don't make this more than what it is. If the norm is 'gifts', go to Costco and buy a big box of conversation hearts and have your daughter sign her name on each box as 'from Suzie' and again she could put a sticker on the outside of the box by her name.

I didn't read thru all of the responses, so I apologize if this is a duplicate. Last year for my son's playgroup, we got a printable butterfly valentine from skiptomylou.org and inserted lollipops or smartees as the butterfly bodies. Took a little time to cut them out, but they were really cute. For his toddler class, we just printed a valentine greeting on colored paper (maybe 6 or 8 per sheet) and then "signed" them by using a small photo. We had gotten a double order of photo Christmas cards, so I cut out my son's face and let him glue them onto the cards. This year we don't have the extra photos, so I'm thinking of printing his name and face on mailing labels to use as the signature.

Why not just go to the store and buy a box of Valentines? Can your daughter write her name? If so, she can sign each O. and she doesn't even have to put the recipient's name on each O.. Then she can pass them out. Am I missing something in your question? If I am, I'm sorry. When my son was in pre-school, when he got tired of writing his name, I just finished up the batch for him.

As a former K-1 teacher, Valentine's day is a biggy in the early grades. For her age buy the cards, and have her make her "mark" or get a stamp that she likes to make her "mark" as a signature, and help stuff them. That is plenty. It will get more complicated as she grows.

I'd just buy some Valentines cards from the store and have her write her name in them. I always spaced out the writing of the name over several days so they didn't get tired of it. If you want to do a little more than that, she can always decorate the cards/envelopes with Valentine themed stickers, my kids always enjoyed "decorating" stuff. And I think ALL of the kids did just the boxed Valentines for the kids. If you'd like to do something "home-aid" then have her make Valentine day card(s) for her teacher(s). The usual heart shape card decorated with stickers or a drawing by your child would be fine. Have fun!

Another suggestion if you don't feel like signing 24 valentines is to have your little one just put a cute stamp onto each card..a heart, smiley face, etc. If you wanted to include something in them maybe add a sticker or two for each one - or perhaps a pencil?

If you dd likes to decorate things- maybe just have her make a card for the teacher of the class, that ways she still has the fun of coloring, using glitter, etc - without having to do it 24 times in a row! :0)

Hope that helps!