Simple (and Fast) Valentine Envelopes

Today we had lots of fun making simple envelopes that we will use next week when we deliver our valentines.  Each child laid out paper doilies and various hearts that we found around our class on a piece of white construction paper.

  Next, they sprayed the paper with liquid watercolors.  The kids then carefully removed the items and voila…wonderful heart prints.  

The kid's paintings were prettier than my sample because they used more paint (although too much sometimes went right through the doily)

I then simply folded the paper in half and used colorful duck tape to tape up the sides. I've done this type of painting before using blue contractor's tape or contact paper.  Unfortunately, I can't find where I recently saw the idea to use doilies and hearts (but it's so pretty and much faster than tape:)

Character is our Superpower!

            I surprised the kids with a special "Superhero Day" earlier this week.  It was so much fun!  We have been talking about ways we show others our character since MLK's birthday.  I saw a bulletin board on Barbara's Corner on Character Blog titled "Character is our Superpower" and a post about Superhero capes by Sandi on her blog Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes.  I decided to combine the two for a special day.  I told the kids that we would be having a special day but not what we would be doing.  Most guessed that we would be looking for dinosaur bones...we are in the middle of our dinosaur unit so it was a good guess.

           My kids love superheroes, but I thought a one day extravaganza would be enough.  When the kids came in they walked through streamers hung from the ceiling to find a big sign that said Welcome Superheroes.  During circle time we read Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod.  This is a fun book that my boys (and girls) always love.

             We had superhero gummies for snack and then divided into groups.  Half of the class went with our Creative Movement teacher to work on a Superhero training course.  They first had to pop bubbles to get their chosen superpower (several picked the ability to fly but my favorite was "the ability to find things"...now that's a superpower I could use recently).  After the training course (an obstacle course), they had to work together to defeat a villain in a cooperative chase game.  I wish I had more details and pictures.  The kids came back to the class super excited!

            Meanwhile, the other half worked with me on their superhero capes.  I had cut the capes out of red plastic tablecloths from the Dollar Store.   

I got 8 capes from each tablecloth and just kept the tablecloth folded so I could cut 4 out at a time (along the fold I cut out 1/2 capes). 

I also bought stars at the Dollar Spot at Target and had written the children's first initials backwards on rectangles of fun foam.

The kids cut out their letter and then used glue dots to attach the letter to the star and the star to the cape.  They then used fun foam shapes and letters to further decorate their capes.  I used velcro to put the capes together.  Next time I will just leave the top of the cape together.  I had cut the front so they wouldn't choke, but the velcro was much stronger than the plastic and it ripped the plastic if they weren't very careful taking the cape off. 

  I also took picture of each child in a "flying position."   I cut out the picture and glued it onto a page that had clouds (from Google images) and the words "I (a way they demonstrate their good character)" "I am Super (Name)." 

A Superhero pose.

...and now she's flying!

The kids love their flying pictures and I love our "Character is our Superpower." display.  

All in all, a "Super Special Day."

Oh, and in keeping with the Superhero Day, these were the super cute Valentines I gave out today. The template came from here.

UPDATE: This year, inspired by Barbara Gruener's book What's Under Your Cape?,  I am going to use superheroes to teach character in a more deliberate manner.  This is the welcome bulletin board in our classroom. On the first day of school, I took pictures of each child wearing a mask.

22 Reasons I Love My Class

             I have this list on my refrigerator door and it makes me happy every time I see it. I gave it to my class on Valentine's Day (in addition to adorable dinosaur valentines I found on Pinterest).  I've also done something like this at the end of the year.  Another version that I did with my own children was a 70th Birthday Present: "70 Reasons We Love MumMum."  Everyone likes to know that they are loved (and why).