Homemade Cards

I had never made cards before last night.  It was alot of fun, but my creativity is definitely lacking.  Since it seemed I got to have all the fun last night, the boys asked if they could make some cards this morning.  It was super easy and kept them entertained for quite a while.

Materials to Gather...

• various colors and types of paper
• scrapbooking pages with designs that can be cut out
• stickers
• ribbon
• crayons
• glue sticks
• scissors (regular and "fancy")
• any other fun stuff you can think of AND have on hand

Directions...

1. Fold several sheets of construction or scrapbooking paper in half.  These folded sheets of paper will be the cards.  Considering making them different sizes.
2. Lay out all of the materials on the table.
3. Allow your child to use his/her best creative juices to create the card of hie/her dreams.
4. Once the cards are decorated assist your child in writing a message on the inside of each card.
5. Place the card/s in an envelope and mail to the appropriate recipient.

Benefits of This Simple Activity...

• learning about the mail system (addressing an envelop, what a mail carrier does for the community, etc.)
• letter writing (the actual format... dear__... from __, etc)
• cutting practice:  This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the correct way to hold a pair of scissors.  I always say... 3 Fingers to Cut...  I show them which 3 fingers are placed in the scissors and where to put those fingers.  Fingers Point to Cut.  I show them how to hold the scissors facing away from the body.  Hold and turn the paper.  Scissors stay put.
• how to hold a pencil correctly: 3 Fingers to Write... I show the children how to lay the pencil in front of them (point facing the belly) and use 2 fingers (thumb and first finger) to pick (it up) and flip.  Pick & Flip means you pick up the pencil with 2 fingers and use the first finger of the other hand to flip the pencil back into its place.  The children love this.
• creativity:  Never underestimate the value of letting the inner artist out to play. 

Hope you have fun making cards with your own children.  We had a blast.  Off to mail our cards!