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entertaining u newspaper: your monthly guide to entertainment
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Romance on a Budget
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Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
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by kellie abrahamson
kabrahamson1@aol.com
The countdown to Valentine’s Day is here and most parents of school-age children will be heading to the store to buy some cutesy, pre-made cards with their favorite cartoon character on them to give to their classmates. But you’re not one of those parents are you? No, you’re the type of parent who wants to do something different this year. You want your kid’s valentines to be the talk of the playground, am I right? Well, it will take a bit more money and a couple of hours, but making your own creative valentines is a lot more fun for you and your child and a lot more memorable for those on the receiving end. Here are some ideas to get you started:
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Hallmark and those other big greeting card companies figured out long ago that a good (or just decent) pun is all you need to make a great valentine. From a train puffing “Choo-Choo-Choose Me” to an adorable squirrel declaring “I’m Nuts for You,” store shelves are loaded with these punny, and often cheesy, sentiments. They may be considered the lowest form of comedy, but kids love this stuff, particularly the ones young enough to be doing valentine exchanges at school. When making your own, start with a simple, easy to make or acquire object and think of a pun to go with it. A plastic shovel, for example, could have a note that says “I dig you” or “Here’s the scoop- it’s Valentine’s Day.” Attach a small bag of candy and you have a quick, delightful little gift kids will love. Do the same thing with rulers (“You rule, Valentine!”), seed packets (“You’ve really grown on me”) or pencils (“You’ve got the write stuff”) and you’re kid’s Valentine’s will be a big hit.
Yeah, that’s right, I said it. Despite what retailers want you to think, Valentine’s Day is not about boxes of chocolate or candy conversation hearts. In fact, with childhood obesity on the rise the last thing our kids need is more sugar. Instead, have your child make their friends personalized bookmarks out of card stock or teach them to make friendship bracelets out of embroidery thread. These special gifts take time and effort and are better than a roll of Smarties any day.
If you’re still itching to pass out sweet treats, go natural- give fruit. Find out what kind of fruits the kids prefer (either have your child poll them or ask the teacher to help you out), place the pieces in cellophane bags, attach a cute message (“You’re the apple of my eye,” “I go bananas over you,” “Orange you glad it’s Valentine’s Day?”), and you’ve got a quick, easy, healthy treat kids and their parents will appreciate.
Maybe you’ve already found some cute crafts on the web and would like to make them for your kid’s class. Before you head out to pick up doilies and glitter, fill your child in on what you’re thinking. They might have an idea to make it better or they may hate your idea altogether and have something else in mind. Either way, once you’ve got a solid game plan, let your child do the bulk of the work. Like science projects and dioramas, be there in case they need you but try not to take over. This should be something fun to do together but it’s also a time for your child to show off their creativity if they want to.
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