Valentine puzzle card
In today's digital world we hardly send any postcards by regular mail anymore. But everybody still (even more so now) loves to receive a personalised handwritten card. So this year, make that extra effort and send a real card to your Valentine. You can make it even more special by cutting the card into small pieces so it becomes a puzzle, great fun for the sender as well as the receiver. It will definitely add to the 'mystery' that is surrounding the sending of Valentine's cards, as the receiver needs to work to find out who has send them a card.
Age
From 1,5 years
What you need
Heavy weight paper (A5 size)
Crayons, colouring pens or pencils
Computer
Printer
Scissors
Ruler
Preparation
Search online for a Valentine colouring page you like and print it off on heavy weight paper.
Play
Have your child colour in the card and write a personal message or name on the front or back of the card. Divide the card into pieces of the same size using a ruler. You can decide the size of the puzzle pieces, bearing in mind the receivers' age. The smaller the puzzle pieces, the more difficult the puzzle becomes. Cut out the pieces and your card is ready to be sent off.
Add-ons for more fun play
Clean up
As this is not a messy activity there is not much to be cleaned up. Only the crayons/colouring pens and the scissors need to stored again.
Educational
There are a few ways to make this activity educational. Choose how depending on the age of your children. A few ideas are:
Age
From 1,5 years
What you need
Heavy weight paper (A5 size)
Crayons, colouring pens or pencils
Computer
Printer
Scissors
Ruler
Preparation
Search online for a Valentine colouring page you like and print it off on heavy weight paper.
Play
Have your child colour in the card and write a personal message or name on the front or back of the card. Divide the card into pieces of the same size using a ruler. You can decide the size of the puzzle pieces, bearing in mind the receivers' age. The smaller the puzzle pieces, the more difficult the puzzle becomes. Cut out the pieces and your card is ready to be sent off.
Add-ons for more fun play
- Wear some red lipstick and put a 'real' kiss on your card.
- Did you know that you can send a secret message using a white crayon? Write your name or message with a white crayon on white paper and the message will not show until the receiver paints over it with water colour paint (don't forget to mention the instructions or only a small hint!).
- Your kids can also make their own drawing on the card and/or decorate it with glitter, stamps, or stickers.
- Add a funny line to your card; “You are the icing on the cake” on a card with a cake or cupcakes, “I’d always pick you” on a card with a bouquet of flowers, or “You mean the world to me” on a card with a world map on it.
Clean up
As this is not a messy activity there is not much to be cleaned up. Only the crayons/colouring pens and the scissors need to stored again.
Educational
There are a few ways to make this activity educational. Choose how depending on the age of your children. A few ideas are:
- Develop scissor cutting skills of your kids by letting them cut the cards into pieces.
- Have your child write the cards so they can practise their writing.
- Talk about the different kinds of love and ask your child why they love specific persons in their live.
- Tell your kids the story of Saint Valentine and the origins of Valentine's day.