Portland Metro Area Child Care News

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and this is a wonderful craft that all the kiddos can help with.  While you’re preparing the craft ingredients and putting the wreath together, discuss with your kiddos the importance of reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Explain that the paper towel tubes don’t need to be thrown away when they could be made into beautiful art.  Talk about what recycling is, and where garbage goes.  The earlier you instill the importance of reduce, reuse, recycle, the more apt they are to do it naturally.

What you’ll need:

1. Wire Coat Hanger
2. 7-8 Paper towel rolls cut in half.  Some people use toilet paper rolls, but it’s against the rules for Registered and Certified Family Child Care Providers due to cross contamination of germs from the bathroom to little hands.
3. Valentines Day colored paints such as red, pink, white, and purple.
4. Red, pink, and white construction paper, foam, or, if you have enough time, you can have kids cut heart shapes out of white paper and paint them
5. Tape
6. Glue
7. Scissors
8. Optional-Ribbon

What you’ll do:

1. Teacher or Parent-cut the paper towel rolls
2. Paint the tubes various colors and let them dry
3. Teacher or Parent-bend the coat hangar into a circle.
4. Cut a slit into each roll, but only half way through, so you can slip the roll over the hangar
5. Slip the rolls onto the hangar
6. Tape the rolls together where they meet for stability
7.  Cut heart shapes of all sizes out of the construction paper or foam.  If you’re using white paper and letting the kiddos paint the hearts, make sure they have time to dry before you move to the next step.
8. Glue the hearts to the tubes and voila!  You have a wreath for Valentine’s Day.
9. Decorate the wreath with a ribbon if you would like a little extra pizzazz.