What kind of craft are you doing for your Valentine Party?

[daemom]

I thought I had something, but now I don't think the kids will have enough time to do it. I need to find something that will appeal to both boys and girls (4th grade) have it finished in about 30 minutes and NOT involve food. We can't even play bingo with conversation hearts. I was going to let the kids make short zipper pulls using the method that you would use to make a friendship bracelet. I did it today and I think I did an inch in an hour!! Does anyone have any ideas that both boys and girls would like to do?? Thanks in advance!

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I have a really easy way to make Valentine's mailboxes. Take 2 paper plates. Cut 1 in half. Put the half on top of the bottom of the other plate and it creates a "pouch". You can staple or glue the pouch part onto the plate. The kids then decorate them and can store their Valentines in them. You can provide stickers for the decorations if you want. I have done this with 1st and 2nd graders, but I always noticed thier older brothers and sisters wanted to make one too.

 

[daemom]

Thanks! I really wish that was an option. The teacher told them to bring their mailboxes and decorate them at home. That would have been the perfect craft too!! I'm just completely stumped! I saw a cute suncatcher to make with transparent beads, but with 30 kids in the class I'd end up with much more in it than I want to! (of course I may just be so desperate that I'll end up doing this one)

Thanks for your help Deluxe Princess!!

Any more ideas????

 

[englishteacha]

Pinatas out of cereal boxes? Break the kids into groups, give them an empty cereal box and let them go wild decorating them with paper, glue, glitter, and whatnot. Then fill them with something (confetti, balloons to inflate, pencils, if candy isn't allowed) and smash 'em!

 

[AntePrincess]

Since Valentines and Chinese New Year overlap this year, can you do a craft inspired by both?

I've seen simple picture frames made of chopsticks, for instance. You could paint them red, glue them on a piece of cardboard with colored heart paper doilies making a "picture."

You can make simple felt "fortune cookies" out of pink and red felt. Have them write Valentine's messages to put inside instead of fortunes, and they can pack them all into a Valentines themed takeout container (Michaels sells them).

How about making Valentines coupon books? They can decorate them however they like, maybe make a cardstock or felt cover.

Maybe make hippie love beads, or a contemporary approximation, by getting a big bin of cheap unfinished wood beads and dyeing them (Martha Stewart's page has instructions). You can make a few dye baths from sugar free Kool-Aid. You can use the same "dye" to dye silk scarves, available cheap from Dharma Trading, but that's not really Valentine themed.

Hope that helps! I'd love to hear what you end up doing.

 

[daemom]

Thanks for the great ideas!! They all sound quite fun to do!! I must make a decision today as I'm snowed/iced in. Hopefully I can get out tomorrow and pick up supplies!!

 

[left210]

Ok this isnt a craft but a fun game I did last year in my sons 2nd grade class. I got chopsticks from my local chinese restaurant (they sold them to me pretty cheap) then bought conversation hearts. They had to try to pick up as many as they could in a certain amount of time. It was actually pretty hard although there were a few kids who cheated and just pushed them out instead of picking them up with the chopsticks. They really liked keeping their chopsticks too. You could make it harder for older kids with maybe something smaller to pick up like red hots or something.

 

[Mickey527]

I volunteered to help my grandson's nursary school make a craft for their party on Friday. these kids are from ages 3-5.
I bought some foam hearts and ribbon. We are going to glue two foam hearts together with the ribbon in the middle on each end of the ribbon and make bookmarks for their parents.
I think it is something they can do with out much help and it is a cute gift for them to give mom or dad.
Older kids can probably draw on the foam or write something, maybe even on the ribbon.