Easy Valentine’s Day Cards for Your Kids to Make
It’s February 13th and you’re poking around in your child’s school bag in search of a pencil, so you can write your grocery list. You come across a crumbled sheet of paper at the bottom of the bag. On it is printed a list of 28 names. Don’t panic. This isn’t a hit list- it’s your child’s Valentine’s list.
You present this list to your child.
They give you a half-hearted shrug. “Oh yeah, I need to give them Valentine’s Day cards- tomorrow.”
You launch into panic-mode.
Sound familiar?
So, you found your child’s Valentine’s Day class list. Now what?
The Truth Behind that Valentine’s Day Class List
The good news is the Valentine’s Day class list only happens in the elementary school younger grades. The official take is that teachers don’t want kids to get left out. Some may not have friends at all, while others are the social queen bee. So, they came up with the idea of cards for all.
In elementary school (k-2, sometimes 3), they make little mailboxes or decorate paper bags, and everyone brings cards for each other. No one is left with an empty mailbox/bag. To ensure this happens, the teacher creates a list of all the students in the class and sends it home with each child.
The Valentine’s Day class list won’t be on a large, noticeable sheet of paper that is likely to grab your attention because these teachers are on a budget. They’ll cram that list ten times on an A-4 paper to save paper. And they’ll cut it up, sending home the narrow paper of names to be lost or forgotten, which is usually the case..until it’s found by you- hopefully before Valentine’s Day.
You Found the Valentine’s Class List, Now What?
Before you go into a panic, take a deep breath. You’ve got this.
What You Should NOT Do:
- Don’t spend a bundle on Valentine’s Day Cards for kids. Seriously. You can get decent ones at any dollar store. Unless it’s your child’s best friend, kids won’t appreciate the extra effort.
What You Can Do:
- The experienced mom whips down to the local store and scoops up a box of cards for kids- they are located near that Valentine’s candy. The card count is on the outside of the box. Inside are sheets of 4 rectangles printed with cute puppies or princesses or some superhero that has nothing to do with Valentine’s day- but really, what else would your child pass around? It’s more like trading cards- for kids. If you find out about the dreaded Valentine’s list late, the selection will be slim. Don’t fret. The truth is, unless your child is real friends with the recipients, those cards will be discarded by the time they reach home, if not before (sorry, the truth DOES hurt!).
- Once at home, you attempt to tear apart those rectangle sheets without damaging the cards and unless you’re one of those people who can successfully tear the payment coupon off of your electric/mortgage/doctor’s bill perfectly, you may want to use scissors to make it an easier task.
- Did you make it to the store on the eve of Valentine’s Day only to find all the hearts on the shelves replaced with Easter baskets? Check out the video below for a quick and easy (and affordable) Valentine’s Card your child can make. Parenting is not easy, and we have so many chaotic moments, so anything that can make it simpler….
- You’ll need to get your child to write their names and the recipients on cards.
- Your child may not want to do this. They may not actually like all the kids in their class. Try not to be too shocked- just because your still friend’s with little Reagan’s mom from the mommy-and me group 3 years ago doesn’t mean Reagan and your child are still friends. You remember how you were forced to kiss your mom’s smelly distant cousin, Maisie, and revolted against it? Yeah, it’s like that. Perhaps it’s the kid they argue with in class. Or the kid that teased them about their clothes. Or even a kid they DO like! There may have been another reason why that list ended up crumpled in the bottom of their bag! Tell them they are practicing their handwriting skills.
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What a Savvy Mom Knows About Valentine’s Day & Kids
Candy is the way to a kid’s heart. The card is only a means of transport. All those kids in your child’s class will remember the lollipop or smarties that was attached to the card, not the card itself unless they are obsessed with puppies, princesses or superheroes – or besties with your child.
So, grab a bag of candy and some cello tape on your Valentine’s card shopping mission to make that card more memorable. Make sure to write the names (get your child to) on the cards before you tape on that candy- it’s easier that way.
Give your child two bags of Valentine’s Day Cards to take to school. One for the class and another that they can give out to friends, not in their class, otherwise you’ll find your generous child has passed out all the Valentine’s Day cards before they even reach the classroom! (I can attest to this- everyone becomes your friend when there is candy at stake!)
Easy Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids Tutorial
Materials You Will Need:
(These can be purchased at any dollar/grocery store)
- Colored Construction Paper
- Lollipops
- Scissors
- Markers
Helpful hint- use Valentine’s Day colors like pinks, reds & purples.
The good thing is, once you’ve faced that first Valentine’s Day class list, you’ll be ready to look out for the next with a: “So, did the teacher give you that list yet?” Then you can plan ahead and take your kids to the store to pick out their cards before they get replaced by Easter eggs. Or you can feel free to be more creative with making ones from home, in a more relaxed, not time-crunched atmosphere. And rest assured, by the time they reach those teen years, their special Valentine’s moment will be a nod and a ‘hey’ to/from the girl or guy they like and then it’s into dating…but that’s a whole other ball game!
What did you do when you found that class list? Let us know in the comments below, or join our Facebook community for a chat.
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