pre-k teachers:
I love to do Post office this month along with...
Dental health month
mardi gras which is in March sometimes I believe
100th day
Presidents day
Super bowl fun
This year winter olympics
Chinese New year, this year the year of the tiger
and of course Valentine's day
Lace has traditionally been used to create a romantic look. For hundreds of years, it has been used to adorn, fine clothing and linens. In 1834, Joseph Addenbrooke, a worker at a London paper-making company, accidentally brushed a file across a sheet of paper. The result was a lovely raised design that looked like fabric lace. Addenbrooke was convinced that there was a market for it, and soon factories became involved in producing this paper lace to meet an increasing demand.People often had to touch the lace to tell it it was paper or the real thing. For the next 20 years, paper lace valentines were outstandingly beautiful. Many are displayed in museums today.
In my classroom I make a simple version of paper lace for cards. I use a pattern and a hole punch. You need to borrow a lot of hole punches so that children are not waiting. I will post them when they finish them.
Decorating envelopes is lots of fun too but did you know that all cards did not always come with an envelope. Many years valentines were hand-delivered, until in the early 1800's in England the cost of sending a letter was reduced to a penny. This meant that people no longer had to deliver cards in person.
some used sealing wax and wax paper.
In the past I have had a Victorian Valentine tree in my room. It's a perfect place to show off your lacy valentine creations. Find a large fallen branch, in NY the winds have been so often and so strong this is easy to find. Put the branch inside a large recycled shortening or coffee can filled with rocks or sand. The can should be spray pained white and the tree could be also, or cover the can in gift wrap or fabric. I have had children make victorian fans and heart baskets too.
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