What are some key teacher tips to celebrating Valentine’s Day in the classroom?

So, you need some fun Valentine gift ideas for your classroom this year?  The kids love this season.  The holidays have been over for a while and all kids love passing out Valentines.  Here are some tips to making Valentine’s Day fun for everyone, including you this school year.

Have the kids help make February’s Classroom Calendar.  It doesn’t matter how old the kids are a Calendar, done well, can include everyone.  It can be huge, artistic; all of the kids can color the placement markers for each day that comes.  You could even give individual calendars to the kids to color and create.  This can be a Valentine gift idea as well.

One thing you don’t want is someone to get left out when it is time to exchange their Valentine cards. So here is a Valentine gift idea that allows all the kids to pass out their own Valentine’s and can save the parents money too.  Each year after Valentine’s Day I sneak into Target or a local department store only to find their Valentines up to 75% off. I pick them up and have them for next year.  If you haven’t thought of that remember that they are pretty cheap any ways.  Or you could have the kids design their own. What a fantastic art lesson. You can even have a guest artist come in showing how to make Valentine gift cards.

It is always good to teach kids to give.  Why not have the kids take on this Valentine gift idea.  Have your students send a Valentine to a student that has special needs.  Or you could have your students give Valentine’s to your local veterans.  One year my students made Valentines for a nearby nursing home and I bought bakery fresh Valentine cookies to go with their sweet cards.  Let the kids enjoy blessing others and seeking to put others first.

When the big day comes, have a party but remind the kids that if they pass out one Valentine they must give one to each child in the class.  All words must be kind.  I encourage the kids to not add candy to their card, but instead ask them to bring a store bought treat that we can all enjoy. This helps with clean up and making sure everyone feels special.

Let Valentine’s Day cross the curriculum.  Play heart math games, spell out love words, and research the meaning and history of this special day. No matter what make these Valentine gift ideas for your classroom ones to remember for always.

Homemade Doggie Treat Recipe

Marilyn was never able to have children.  They tried for several years, but it was not meant to be. Life was good though and they adjusted to the idea that there was always going to be just the two of them.  In some ways it brought them closer.

Three of the six women in our office were expecting babies in the next four months. Because we are a close group, it is fun to experience this with them.  We talk about everything.  Mostly everything that has to do with babies . I have four children of my own, so I have lots of stories to share too.

It doesn’t matter if someone has three children or it is their first, we give them a shower. You know. The whole nine yards.  Silly shower games, a pink or blue cake and lots and lots of presents.

Last year Marilyn got a puppy.  She was so thrilled.  She brought pictures and told us every little bark he made.  It was cute.  One day, he even ate her husband’s favorite slippers . He could do no wrong.  He was their baby and they loved him.

It was Christmas time and I was putting together my holiday gift list and when it dawned on me.  After all those baby showers and all the pregnancy talk, Mar never complains and always acts interested.  But when she got her puppy, we only smiled and said “cute”.

Maybe I could do something to acknowledge Mar and her dog at this holiday time.  Since it was my custom to bake all my holiday gifts, I thought I should try making something for Jock.

And so I put my creation in a cute little red tin and brought it to work one morning and sat it on her desk. The card just said JOCK.  As she walked towards her desk, you could see a puzzled look on her face.  As she picked it up and then opened it, her eyes lit up.  Someone at her work had made something for her pride and joy.  Her smile was worth a thousand words.  Mar still works in our office and people continue to have babies and she is always a good sport.  And every once in awhile when I get in the mood to bake, I put together a treat for Jock.

Homemade Dog Treat Recipe Jocks favorite 3 1/2 cup flour 2 cup oats 1 cup milk 1/2 cup hot water 2 beef bouillon cubes 1/2 cup meat drippings Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water. Add milk and drippings and beat. In a separate bowl, mix flour and oatmeal. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well. Press onto a cookie sheet and cut into shapes desired. Bake at 300 for 1 hour.