Classroom Valentine Mailbox Ideas

Valentine's Day is a favorite celebration in school classrooms across the country. This holiday comes at a time of year when children are tired of the monotony of winter. Christmas is long past, and spring won't come for another month or two. The break afforded by a Valentine's Day party is significant to these children.

Children enjoy bringing a valentine to each classmate, but the logistics of distributing those cards can be challenging. A method of letting each child make his or her own mailbox allows the teacher to avoid the long drawn-out process of handing out 900 cards! (That's how many cards a class of 30 will be passing out, not counting the teacher's cards.) The mailbox or container forms an excuse for another craft project, which works to decorate the room and provide another chance to practice creative skills and eye-hand coordination.

One of the simplest mailboxes children can make is a decorated lunch sized paper bag. The front can be decorated with the child's name prominently displayed and surrounded by cut out construction paper hearts. Flower, heart, or animal stickers can be used to embellish the bags as well.

Another simply made mailbox idea is made from a large sheet of manilla or construction paper. The child lays the paper before him or her horizontally (landscape - not portrait). The two lower corners are folded up so that the bottom edges meet vertically in the center. A piece of tape is placed along the line where the two sides meet. The top is trimmed into two curves so that the entire paper makes a big heart shaped pocket. The children decorate their heart pockets with hearts, glitter, or stickers, being sure to include their names prominently on the front.

Shoeboxes make good valentine mailboxes. The box (with lid) can be covered in white or colored paper. A slot one inch by five inches can be cut in the top of the box. The box then is decorated with paper hearts and the child's name. Other decorations can be used in making any of these mailboxes. For instance, markers and crayons can be used to draw pictures or write slogans on the boxes. Scraps of felt, fabric, fabric trims or lace can be glued onto the mailbox with plain white school glue.

An alternative to individual mail receptacles is a central "post office" that contains a cubby hole for each child's valentines. This can be made from common boxes of the same size. A possible type of box that is commonly available is that from a seven ounce package of macaroni and cheese. Each child could bring his or her own or the teacher and a few parents could collect them until they had enough for each child to have one. The boxes are glued along the sides together into a unit. A name label is added for each child. The outside surfaces of this "post office" can be covered with colored paper or valentine inspired gift wrap.

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