Free Valentine's Day Classroom Exchange Card Printables

Are you still needing to find Valentine's Day Exchange Cards for your kid's classroom? Or maybe you just don't like the ones at Target or Walmart? Check out these four options available as a digital file to print and attach to an age-appropriate treat!

My son is only 1.5, so many of the treats available at the big box stores are not age appropriate to send to school and I did not like the ones that were age appropriate. So I created my own and taped them to a bag of goldfish for his classmates. I decided to create a couple of other options to share.

So there are two options available to get access to the digital file.

1. Subscribe to my email list and I will email you the file within 24 hours for free.

Click here to subscribe

2. Go to my Etsy shop and purchase the one you are interested in for $2.50.

Click here to Purchase

I know that preparing Valentine's Day Cards is another item on the to-do list of busy moms. So I hope this will give you an easy and cute option.

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!

Ten Reasons to Make the Bed (Plus Five Tips!)

I have never been one to make my bed. I have always thought it was a waste of time because my husband and I are the only ones who see it. But recently, my husband and I decided that we want our son to make his bed every morning. So we decided that we have to make our bed if we are going to expect him to do so.

We started making our bed as a new years resolution, and we have actually stuck with it! We also both like having it made and think that it helps us sleep better. Not to mention it immediately makes our bedroom look cleaner and more put together.

Did you know there are benefits to making your bed every morning?

Benefits of Making Your Bed

According to verywellmind.com and Good Housekeeping, making the bed every minute is beneficial because it give you:

1. A feeling of accomplishment

2. A sense of calm

3. Better sleep

4. Improved focus

5. Relaxation

6. Stress Reducer

7. Helps keeps your bedroom clean

8. An easy habit that can lead to other good habits

9. It is better for your bedding

10. A reason to have nice bedding you enjoy looking at

Making the bed has definitely been a positive new habit my husband and I have started this year, and I would definitely recommend it. My son likes it too! He likes to get on the made bed in the morning and lay on all of the pillows, which is often a fun and cute way to start our day.

Tips

The Spruce and Crane and Canopy, have some tips to make this a new habit including:

1. Purchase bedding you like and want to see

2. Keep a deep and wide basket by your bed to put throw pillows in at night (instead of on the floor)

3. Or skip the throw pillows (and maybe the top sheet) to make it super simple to make the bed

4. Make the bed before you leave your bedroom in the morning

5. Share the load - make your half of the bed so your partner will follow

I also like to include my son in the actual process. I am usually up and out of the room before my husband wakes up. So I bring my son back in while we are getting ready. My son loves to help, so while my husband is getting dressed, my son helps me (by bringing me the throw pillows) make the bed.

Of course, making the bed is a completely personal choice. But I have LOVED this new habit, so I recommend giving it a shot. I love how the room looks now and it is so nice to get into a made bed each night.

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!

Activity Time: Art Project! (Taped Canvases)

Sometimes it can be hard to want to facilitate art projects at home. It can be very messy and a bit of a hassle with all of the supplies, set-up, and clean-up. But it can also be so much fun, and your child benefits from making art from a young age.

Benefits of Art:

According to PBS and The University of Wollongong Australia, children benefit in the following ways from participating in art:

• Develops motor skills

Holding a paintbrush while creating this project will help your child develop fine motor skills

• Language development

As you paint the canvas with your child, talk about the colors they are using the shapes being made with the tape, and just chat about the art using descriptive words.

• Develops decision-making and creativity

As children are exploring, thinking, trying new ideas, and making choices while they create their art, their creativity is also growing.

• Visual Learning

Today's world involves a lot of visual arts (graphics, logos, etc.), and working with art allows children to better understand visual information and make decisions based on that information.

• Inventiveness

Your child can express themselves and take risks while making art and this encourages inventive thinking as they grow.

• Academic Achievement

Research has shown that there is a correlation between art and other academic achievements.

• An opportunity to teach about mistakes

Doing an art project is a great time for parents to teach children that mistakes are okay and mistakes give us an opportunity to learn.

• Art can be calming

Art gives your child an opportunity to express themselves and to reflect on the world around them.

Activity Time

So you may have seen this one on Pinterest or somewhere else on the internet. Perhaps this post will encourage you to try it (I hope so). My son and I had a blast yesterday creating these canvases.

I had seen this idea several times and had just never gotten around to doing it. But last week, I was at Sam's Club and saw canvases and paint and I decided I was finally going to give it a shot. Especially because I wanted to put them up in the new playroom. This project is easy and fun, but the best part is that any age child can do this project (with a varying amount of assistance from you of course).

The set-up:

My son is under two, so I wanted to have everything ready to go. I used a tablecloth that I don't really like anymore so the table would not be covered in paint. If I didn't have a cloth tablecloth to use, I probably would have bought those cheap plastic party tablecloths. Of course, you can put down paper, cardboard boxes, trash bags, or whatever you have around.

I taped the canvases when he was not around, so they would be ready. Note here: 1) Don't worry about the design of the tape - anything will look good. 2) It doesn't have to be canvas. If you have some cardboard boxes you are planning to get rid of, you could break these down so they are flat and tape up the cardboard for your little one to paint on.

(Tip) I also covered my son's chair in trash bags because it seems as if whenever his hands are covered in paint or spaghetti sauce or something super messy, that is when he must touch everything! If you are painting with a little one, I recommend this. It definitely kept my dining room chair from being covered in paint and the trash bag made for easy cleanup.

While I got all of the supplies out before starting, I did not have the paint ready on a plate for him before I sat him down. (Tip) If I do this again, I would have three plates out with different colors for each canvas. He may have stuck a paint-covered paintbrush in his mouth when my back was turned to get more paint.

I used the painter's tape we had at the house to make the lines on the canvases. We only had wide painter's tape. (Tip) I would recommend the thinner tape, though this is just a personal preference.

I dressed my son in clothes that I did not mind getting paint stains on. I did not want to stress either of us out worrying about ruining clothes.

Painting:

My son had so much fun getting to paint and get messy. I put some music on and we danced and painted. He was fully engaged for about 40 minutes. Once he started losing interest, I let him use his fingers to paint and this pulled him back in for a bit.

Tips:

1. If you are concerned about attention span, you may want to do one canvas at a time.

2. Try not to direct them too much (I had a hard time with this), but we want to let kids be creative, express themselves, and explore without us controlling the situation too much.

3. Just have fun - don't worry about the mess or painting "correctly" or the colors (Once I let go, we both had more fun.)

4. If you are doing this with a little one and you do not want the sides plain white, you may want to paint the sides. This was a good way for me to paint too and not invade my son's artistic vision.

5. Remember it's not meant to be perfect.

6. Plan on completing this project before bath time if you are doing it with a really little one - my son was covered (including paint in his hair!)

The Finished Project:

I took the tape off while the paint was still wet because it is supposed to be better for crisp lines. Though with the toddler strokes my son was using, paint definitely got under the tape in some places.

I let them dry and then put them in the playroom to be displayed. I highly recommend displaying your children's artwork, if not this project some other art projects.

Benefits of Displaying Artwork:

I knew when starting this project that I wanted to display the canvases in the playroom. It is a fun touch for a fun space. Did you know that your child benefits from seeing their artwork displayed? There are some cool artwork holders on amazon, and I am just needing to decide (and find the funds for) which one I want. You can get a frame that is easy to open and designed to hold children's artwork or a hanging photo display or a sign with clips. I am sure there are other ideas too, but those are a couple I have looked at for our house to display artwork.

When you display your child's artwork, your child benefits. According to artventure.com and the American Society for the Positive Care of Children (SPCC), children benefit in the following ways from seeing their art displayed:

• It lets them know you value their art and them

• Boosts their confidence and self-esteem

• Encourages a love of art

• Keeps parents engaged - you can see their favorite colors, interests, how their imagination works, and art style.

• Encourages creativity by encouraging them to continue making art

So I hope you will make some art with your child this weekend, whether this project or another.

Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!