I loved this idea from Kara's Party Ideas, so I decided to tweak it a bit and make a little present for my son. He hasn't had the most stellar week (even with our focus on being kind) and making him a little present helped me focus on the positive. Next I am going to make one for my husband!
Materials Needed:
- foam sheets (I used white, red, and pink)
- ribbon or yarn
- hole puncher
- scrapbook paper
- scissors
- glue
- pen
Directions:
1. Cut out 10 heart shapes from your foam sheets. You can trace a cookie cutter or just fold the foam in half and cut a half heart (the way I did).
2. Punch two holes in each foam heart.
3. Cut out 10 smaller hearts from your scrapbook paper.
4. Write your love notes on each scrapbook heart. For my husband I am writing, "10 things I love about you" and for my son I wrote "10 things I love to DO with you!" If you have your child make one of these with you (I'm going to have my son make one for his dad and maybe sister?), having younger kids focus on things they love to DO with you is a bit easier and more concrete.
5. Glue each scrapbook heart onto your 10 foam hearts.
6. Let them dry.
7. Lace yarn or ribbon through the hearts to make a long garland.
Pull your kiddo onto your lap and tell them how much you love them and read them all 10 things you love to do with them (or 10 things you love about them). If you wrote 10 things you love to do with them... have them pick an activity that you can do together!
I am planning to use our heart garland all weekend (and probably next week too). Anytime I am finding that I am not being kind (or getting a little frustrated) with my son, I'll pull him aside and get our garland and we'll try and pick an activity to do that we both love to do together.
If You'll be my Valentine by Cynthia Rylant would be a great book to read along with this activity. I love the rhyming format of the book and all the cute ways that the little boy is kind to the people he loves. A perfect way to continue your conversations about kindness during our kindness project!
By the way, if you're doing this week's Kindness challenge, have you finished giving your 10 hearts away yet? You have until Monday!
If you still haven't joined out 100 Acts of Kindness Project, it is not too late! Comment here and let us know you're joining us!
I've just found your Blog through Red Ted Craft, we did a project very similar to this this week, hope you dont mind if I link to your post. What a beautiful idea to do activities, I might do that next year!
What a sweet and very special project! You have so many great activities going on right now! I'd love if you'd share some of the links at my Blog Frog discussion as well: livingmontessorinow.com/community/#/1378313/forum/75899/are-you-participating-in-the-100-acts-of-kindness-project-with-your-students-and-or-family-.html