How to make a heart for Valentines Day

Yes, it’s that time of year when we affirm our love to…our loved ones, or someone we fancy. It’s meant to be anonymous but my friend told me it’s just protocol to send a card to everyone in your class!! (She thought it was just an American thing, an observation from when she lived in New York), but her son’s class in London, are having to write out 30 cards each! My daughter’s school hasn’t been infected yet it seems!

Considering that St Valentine was a Saint (only a secondary one though according to the Catholic Church- 14th of February to be celebrated in his honour only if something more important wasn’t going on!), Valentine’s day is celebrated all over the world, even those that aren’t Christian will still spend extortionate amounts on a dozen red roses. When I lived in the UAE, it would always bring a smile to my face to see local men and women in their national dress holding hands or going for a candle lit dinner on February the 14th! It is of course hugely commercialised, but none the less it celebrates something that is the essence of life.

When I was about 8, I was in Mr Dugtail’s class. He made the girls pick out of a hat with the boys names, and vice versa. I ended up with Adel’s name, and made him a lovely card, but I can’t honestly say that I loved him. In those days, it didn’t occur to my teacher that it might be a bit insensitive to assume that everyone was heterosexual, but whether heterosexual or not, everyone loves a bit of love. When your young child makes you a card or a Valentine’s Day token of appreciation, it is a truly lovely love that emanates from that gesture.

Lily decided to make me a heart- completely oblivious to Valentine’s Day, or St Valentine, just because a heart is the very first shape that she could draw, and they are generally red and pink, her favourite colours.

She got hold of a wooden heart shaped piece of wood that her sister had bought from our local art shop.

We filled some DoddleBags with Red paint and pink glitter paint, and one with glue, and using the DoddleBrush attachments, she started painting and gluing and sticking…. She had lots of fun. Maybe your little ones will too.