Oh, Brother!

Do you and your brother or sister sometimes like to tease each like Bud and Lily do in the cartoon strip? Valentine’s Day is a great time to put the teasing aside and share positive and complimentary comments about one another. Create this box today and start sending secret “In-House Valentines” you’ll get to read on February 14th.

Here’s the stuff you’ll need:
• 1 empty shoe box
• 1 small notepad and pencil on a string
• Festive Valentine art supplies such as doilies, heart stickers, tissue paper, etc.
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape

Here’s the fun:
1. Cut a 3-inch slot down the middle of a shoe-box lid. Cover and decorate the lid and the box separately with colorful paper, leaving the slot open. For extra fun, cut out alphabet letters or words from the newspaper to create simple sayings and glue them on too. Place the lid on the box and tape the sides together. Next, tape the notepad and pencil or pen on a string to the top.
2. Set the box on your kitchen table. Encourage all family members, and even friends who stop by, to pull a piece of paper off the notepad and jot down special Valentine’s notes to each member of the family. Keep the comments coming, and encourage one another to be positive!
Notes might include comments such as: “Katie, you bake great cookies! Love, Dad” or “Mom, thanks for coming to my basketball games. Jessie.”
3. As the excitement mounts, open the box at dinnertime on February 14, and take turns reading the big stack of “love” notes.

CRAFT TALK:
Ask your parents if they got Valentine cards from friends at their schools when they were your age. Maybe they’ll have a fun story to tell you.