Preschool Valentines

Have you ever received a Land of Nod catalog in your mailbox? If not, you need to get online and request one. It is one of my very favorites for dreamy children's rooms and spaces - bedding, decor, toys, play rooms, unique designs, etc. I might even go so far as to say that you will be like "Pottery Barn who?"

I've only ever ordered some wooden puzzles from them (that I can think of) but I can tell you it would be a LOT more if my pocketbook would allow it. Nonetheless, just like with Pottery Barn, it's fun to browse the catalog for ideas. And every so often you'll see on their catalog pages a shout-out to their blog (Honest to Nod - haha!) for tips on how to re-create this look or that craft. So cool of them to share! I don't know why I never popped onto the blog before, but coincidentally, I happened to look in late January for the first time and knew right away that I'd be using one of their Valentine ideas for Will's preschool class.

Bouncy Ball Valentines!

I have absolutely nothing against candy for Valentine's Day, but I knew there would be plenty of it circulating at Will's school party and a small{ish} part of me - the dietitian part - loves the idea of doing a non-sugary treat for the kids. I bought a couple packs of bouncy balls from the party store (they're slightly bigger than the standard sized bouncy balls and I thought that seemed like less of a choking hazard for potential younger siblings) and some small, resealable, plastic baggies in the jewelry section at Michael's. I used the template on Honest to Nod for the bag tags and whatever card stock I had on hand to print them.
I cut out all the tags ahead of time (not a big task) and had Will sign his name to all of them one evening the week before Valentine's Day.

Oh goodness. This child has GOT to work on his handwriting before Kindergarten. He's practicing... but I think it might even look worse than last year. He just doesn't care about putting time and patience into work like this. Even at preschool, my mom says he rushes through coloring and craft projects half-heartedly and wants to move on. :(

Then Will and I worked together to place a bouncy ball in each bag and seal the bag shut.

Whoops! This picture didn't turn. :(

Just like his Aunt Casey... working with his tongue out. Though a little extra-exaggerated here. Haha.

After we had a handful of them filled and sealed, I let him continue stuffing while I started folding the cards and stapling them onto the bags.

These were so easy! They took less than half an hour to make once I'd printed the card stock and cut out the cards. It was no big deal to whip them out between dinner and bath on a week night... while daddy was out playing basketball and mommy was managing the evening solo. That kind of easy.

There were two slogans on the cards. And on the backs of both, it just said "Love, Will".

#1 (appropriate for either gender):

And #2 (more appropriate for a girl):

So fun!