Valentine's Day Cards

I don't know about you, but I LOVE getting real mail, you know the kind that requires actual paper, an envelope, and a stamp. It's such a joy to see in between those piles of bills and junk mail a letter from a real person that I know and love (or even like).

So, for Valentine's Day my goal is to send cards out to all our family and friends. I have the perfect excuse to be corny and cute after all--I have a kid :)

Here's what we're doing:

Materials to gather:
-paint
-butcher paper (we have a whole roll from IKEA that was quite cheap)
-digital camera
-a child (after all, this wouldn't be as cute with big adult feet)

Procedure:
1) pour paint into a shallow plate or bowl
2) dip your child's feet and hands into the paint and make footprints and handprints on the butcher paper
3) allow your child to add stickers, scribble with crayons, or paint as they please to finish up the picture.
4) take a picture of it
5) give the actual piece of artwork to your spouse
6) print out cards on the computer using the picture of the artwork as the front cover
7) under the picture write (or have your child write) I love you from the tips of my fingers to the tips of my toes.
8) mail out to friends and family in time for Valentine's Day. Kids usually love putting things in the mail so let them walk it out to the mailbox and put it in.

Extensions:
You might want to extend this lesson for preschool age children to talk about how the mail works and how to address and stamp a letter.