Mother's Day is THIS Sunday? - Cards and Projects

Lofty ideas about an initial post to start this blog were in the works and are likely to appear…eventually…but then Mother’s Day was coming fast, and the thought of teachers like me scrambling between now and Sunday for a card or craft turned into Post #1. My Denver child is here this week, and, anticipating his visit, I did an uncharacteristic thing and prepared ahead for Mother’s Day, so I have the luxury of doing this instead of scrambling!

Some years my class of preschoolers have made a craft or given a small gift, but our typical project is coloring Mother’s Day cards. Since this is my very first attempt at a blog post, it's time for Plan B where there would have been an attachment or link to a sample card in my files. This will take more time than printing out a document would have, but it isn't hard. Free greeting card templates are available online. I haven't test-driven any of them, so take your pick. It's also possible to build a template using MSWord text boxes, which is what I did.

For the coloring art for the front of the card, also head to the Internet. Zillions...well, a lot...of free coloring images and pages are easy to find. Go to Google, and chose “Images” at the top left. Type into the search window, “coloring Mother’s Day.” You can limit the results even further by selecting “line drawings” from the menu on the left when the first results page appears. The heart with flowers that would have been on the sample can be, I hope, found here. "Mommy" can be placed in the heart using a text box, and this is the message we used inside:

Flowers for how nice you are;

A heart to help me say,

“I love you, Mommy!

You’re the best!

Happy Mother’s Day!”

Our card also had Proverbs 31:29a printed on the page opposite the verse. Look up your favorite version at www.biblegateway.com, hopefully here.

Another easy and practical idea that is very budget friendly recognizes the custom of displaying treasured child accomplishments on refrigerators. Supplies are economy-grade clear sheet protectors, one per child, and a roll or two of adhesive magnetic strip. Each child needs 4 magnet pieces cut about an inch long. It would be easy to be way ahead of me here and on the way out the door to buy supplies, but, just in case, here are the directions:

Ahead of time, trim the punch-hole section from each sheet protector, being careful not to cut into the seam. (You may need to pull out a tiny remaining strip of white.) This is a scissors task even older children would find hard to do successfully. All ages can mount the magnet strips, but younger ones may need help with proper placement, and it does matter. Place one magnet strip snugly in each corner on the side that is to be the back. The display sleeve is ready to show off school papers, art projects, etc. Insert a Mother’s Day-themed coloring sheet the child has colored, and it’s suddenly a personalized gift for Mom!

By itself or as the insert for the sheet protector project above, your class can create a simple handprint memento. Have the children outline both hands with crayon on a sheet of card stock with this poem already centered near the top of the page:

Jesus’ hands were once

About the size mine are today.

He used His hands the way I do,

To help, to work, to play,

But Jesus never hit or pinched

or pushed to get his way.

Not once, when He was just my size,

Did Jesus disobey.

A Mother’s Day idea we enjoyed a few years ago costs more than printing supplies but not a king’s ransom. This one is just a gift, not a project. You bring the goods, and the children happily hand off to Mom!

 
Purchase glass vases about 3-inches tall. (My Wal-Mart carries the one pictured and ordered the number I needed for my class. Last time I checked, they cost a little over a dollar each. The first ones I bought were about 60-cents each, but we digress...) The vase that inspired the idea was a wedding reception favor, and it turned out to be a genius device when Sara was little. We called it our “dandelion vase.” When it was full, that was it for dandelions until the next day! The rest got to stay in the yard at least 24 hours longer. The children presented their vases with this poem on a small piece of paper, rolled and tucked inside:

Children love to bring in flowers

To light up Mommy’s face,

So every Mommy needs to have

A dandelion vase.

If you have time, good weather, and a sudden wave of bravery, take the children outside to pick dandelions for their vases.  

Happy teaching on Mother’s Day!

I am forced by copyright regulations to say this post is c.2011NeciaSneedRamsey. Thanks!