Tot School: Love + DIY Crayon Hearts

Welcome! I hope you & your family had a wonderful Valentine's Day.  I understand some people don't like to celebrate Valentine's but we sure do!  We don't do the conventional candy though as Reagan doesn't really have a sweet tooth thankfully.  We do however, talk about love & ways we can show others we care. We make homemade Valentine cards for our friends & family & decorate our home with hearts because what's not to love about little hearts?

We read many books on the Valentine's & love subject this week.  They include:

1. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney.  This popular children's book about two Nutbrown Hares who try to out show the other how much they love them.  Daddy always tells Reagan & I that he loves us "to the moon & back" so this story is indeed close to our hearts.
2. Mama Do You Love Me by Barbara M. Joosse.  Another book close to my heart.  This story of a girl's independence & testing her mother's love, was a story my mother read to me.  It's heartwarming that I'm now doing the same to my own child.
3. Peppa Pig and the I Love You Game by Candlewick Press. If your child is a fan of Peppa, then they'll love this story about the things Peppa & her family love most of all.
4. Mr. Goat's Valentine by Eve Bunting. Realizing it's Valentine's day, Mr. Goat goes in search of special gifts for his first love.  This has a sweet little ending!
5. Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Love by James Dean.  Reagan loves his Pete the Cat books & this one is filled with famous love quotes along with Pete's tips on how to be a good friend.
6. Bunny Roo, I Love You by Melissa Marr.  I absolutely adore the illustrations in this story about a newborn & their mama.
7. Mirabel's Missing Valentine by Janet Lawler.  Another book with beautiful illustrations.  Little Mirabel mouse loses her Valentine's & they're found by those who need them most.
8. I Love You Just Like This by Sesame Workshop.  Sesame Street lovers, just how many ways can Elmo's mommy say she loves Elmo?

We did a few things this week to show love to those we care about.  First, we passed out handmade Valentine's to our friends, then we made daddy mommy's special Coffee + Bailey's truffles (which I'll make a separate post for), & we attended the Sweetheart Party at our local Gymboree Play & Music where we decorated hearts, sang songs, & gathered for a special treat with our friends.  Reagan adores his Gymboree family & we love seeing them all together during special events.

Our "love" themed crafts this week included:

1. Melted Crayon Hearts.  For this project you'll need:
1. Silicone heart-shaped mold. You can find these at Michael's or on Amazon.
2. Broken crayons.  I've heard Crayola works best, but I used a mix of cheap & Crayola & didn't notice any difference.
3. Cutting board (preferably one designated for crafts because I found it impossible to get wax residue off mine).
4. Knife to chop crayons.
1. Preheat oven to 200 F.
2. Have your child take the wrapping off the crayons & place on a cutting board
3. An adult can cut the crayons into small pieces.  
4. Have your child place pieces into mold.  It's ok if the pieces overfill the mold a bit because the wax will melt down.  You can mix & match your colors too; we chose to do three color combinations for ours: pinks/red/purple, green/blue/white, & orange/yellow/gold.
5. Parents, place the mold on a baking sheet & place in oven.  Watch for all the wax to melt, ours took about 20 minutes.
6. Take out & cool for an hour before attempting to remove the hearts from the mold.

1. "Stained Glass" Heart.  For this project you'll need:
1. Contact paper.
2. Colored craft paper in either pink, red, or white
3. Tissue paper in pink, red, & white
1. Cut a heart out of craft paper & cut the middle out too.
2. Trace the outside of the heart on the removable side of the contact paper & cut.
3. Peel contact paper backing off & adhere to the back of your craft paper heart.
4. Cut a bunch of small pieces of tissue.
5. Tape heart to a window & let your child place the tissue on the contact paper.

What did you guys do for Valentine's Day? Are you a full blown Valentine lover or think it's totally cliché? Let me know below in the comments & as always, follow my Tot School Pinterest Board for more fun ideas to do with your littles!