17 pages.

These puzzles will help your students practice counting to 10, counting backwards from 10 to 1, as well as skip count by 10's to 100.

4 pages.

To save time, simply print and fill in your information. 

5 pages.

This is a simple, quick and easy valentine card that your students will enjoying making.  A black and white as well as full color template are included + directions of how to make a heart-shaped thumbprint paperweight or magnet.

18 pages

Here are some public domain vintage valentines for you to print for your students or that special someone. Various sizes included to conserve ink.

4 pages.

Run off the heart pattern on a variety of pastel colors of construction paper, or for more pizzazz, print it off on patterned scrapbook paper that has a plain flip side.  Students cut out their heart and then fold it on the dashed lines, creating an envelope!  Encourage students to write something inside,  or give them a poem or writing prompt.   I've included a page of suggestions.

6 pages.

You can simply have children cut on the bold line of their folded paper (they will be amazed to see they have created a whole heart when they unfold it) or you can have children cut the heart and "scrap" paper in half and glue them to another sheet of paper to make a positive-negative reverse piece of art. 

1-2-3 Come Make Some Valentines With Me

Since Valentine's Day is Friday, this will be my last blog post with heart-themed "stuff" 'til next year.  It's time to move on to President's Day. 

Before I do though, I wanted to whip together a few special valentine things for you. 

I always sent a Valentine's Day Party information note home, as well as a list of their child's classmates, followed up by a thank you note to anyone who helped with the party, or donated something. 

I thought perhapes you could use a time-saving template for those things.  Simply print and then fill in your own info.  Click on the link to view/download the Valentine Note Packet.

Since the mustache craze continues, and so many teachers have that as a theme in their classrooms,  I thought I'd make a mustache valentine. 

Before I design anything new, I surf the net to see if anyone has done what I'm thinking about; no sense reinventing the wheel. 

Erin had done just that, as I found a simply adorable mustache valentine FREEBIE over at:  I Love Naptime! 

Aren't they cute?  I love how she inserted the sucker so that it looks like a nose.  Your kiddos can trim off the writing and wear their mustache while they slurp away, which makes for a sweet photo op.  Click on the link above to grab her FREEBIE. 

The Internet provided all sorts of examples of old-fashoned, vintage, and handmade valentines.  A few hours quickly slipped away, as I flitted from one site to the next.

One of my favorite finds was made by Kristen over at Yellow Bliss Road. She overlayed the word love on top of one of my favorite Bible verses.  Click on the link to get this lovely FREEBIE, suitable for framing.

If you're looking for vintage valentines, you definitely need to click on the link that will take you to Lisa Thorarinson's Pinterest board. She has over 600 exquisite examples!  Many are in the public domain.

Another great site that's less overwhelming, has 70 vintage valentine FREEBIES  and can be found at Sweetly Scrapped. 

I really enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane, as my grandmother collected all sorts of valentine postcards from the early 1900's.  I fondly remember paging through her scrapbooks. 

To save you time, I used a  few free clips to make a vintage valentine packet.

I've laid them out so there are minis you can print for all of your kiddos, as well as a larger one with only one valentine on the page, to print and give to that special someone.  Click on the link for my Vintage Valentine packet.

I was pleasantly surprised at the popularity of ALL of the writing prompt valentines that I've been posting.   They have been the most downloaded items these past few days. 

TeachWithMe is mainly geared towards early elementary, but most of the writing prompts can be tweaked up, and some, I specifically designed for older students. 

With that in mind, I decided to make a folded heart envelope, which my crafty grandma Lydia, taught me a zillion years ago.  Give older students a writing prompt or have them record whatever they want inside. 

I've also included a few poem ideas they could use as well, or challenge them to write their own poetry. There's a heart pattern that includes one of my favorite "love" quotes, which I used for  "my special saying" that went under my senior yearbook picture. 

Run off the heart pattern on a variety of pastel colored construction paper, or for especially pretty "envelopes" print on patterned scrapbook paper that has a plain flip side. Click on the link to view/download the Folded Heart Envelope Valentine Writing Prompt.

Finally, since yesterday's keepsake "Blow a Kiss!" craftivity was such a big hit, I wanted to design a few more "keepers."

While surfing the net, I came across the idea of making thumbprints look like hearts; they were posted on a variety of bridal pin boards. I LOVED this idea, so I had my husband press his thumb on a bronze stamp pad and then I pressed mine next to his, so that it looked like a heart. 

I cut out my construction paper heart and glued it to a circle of textured scrapbook paper, which I glued to the back of a paperweight. 

I thought it turned out really cute.  I got the paperweight from Michael's Craft Store for only a dollar, but you could buy a bag of the clear glass, flat-backed stones to make this an inexpensive project.  Simple hot glue a magnet to the back. 

I also designed a sweet "thumb body" loves you valentine, for your kiddos to do the same thing on.  There's a color as well as a black and white pattern. Click on the link to view/download the Keepsake Thumbprint Valentine.

I hope you found a few things here that you can do personally, or with your students to make your Valentine's Day extra special. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.

"Love wasn't put in your heart to stay; love's only love when you give it away." -Rogers and Hammerstein

3 pages.

"Blow A Kiss" is a quick, easy and fun "craftivity" your students can make on Valentine's Day.  It's sure to become a keepsake.

14 pages.

For a creative writing prompt for Valentine's Day, have students choose a friend to make some "paper love" for.  Children complete the prompt: Why do I like you?  Let me count the ways... When they are finished, they color the picture. 

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Valentine Activities With Me

I had a special request from Iesha, in Michigan, for some 10-frame cards with hearts on them.  Since this was also on my "to do" list, I got right to it.  

All of the new 10-frames packets include extra tiles, so that students can use them as manipulatives to make groups/sets to match the number on the cards, sort the tiles or pattern with them.  Click on the link to view/download the Valentine 10-Frames packet.

1-2-3 Count Valentines With Me compliments the cards, as this easy reader booklet is based on a 10-frame and covers all sorts of standards. 

Students read, trace and write the numbers and number words, circle the number in the sequence, dot that many spots on the 10-frame, then cut and glue the appropriate picture showing a group of that many. 

The new "Count With Me" booklets, also have students add end punctuation to the simple sentences.  Each packet also includes several worksheets. Click on the link to view/download the 1-2-3 Count Valentines With Me packet. 

When I'm diddling around designing, an idea sometimes happens because of the adorable graphics done by really creative artists, like Laura Strickland (mycutegraphics) and DJ Inkers. 

Why Do I Like You?  Let Me Count The Ways... was one of those ideas. D.J. Inkers clip art of a  little boy and girl holding a huge heart, simply begged to be filled with something. 

When I taught high school, my students enjoyed a variety of poetry that I shared with them.  How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning,  was a personal favorite. 

I thought this would make an interesting writing prompt for students. Just incase you'd like to share the original poem, I've included it in the packet.

Instead of love, I substituted the word like.  Students can choose to complete the prompt for someone they are close to, or to promote friendship and build self-esteem within your class, have students choose a classmate.  Students write things they like about that person, or things that person does that they like etc. 

To jumpstart your students' creative minds, make one about your best friend, sister, brother, husband or wife to share as an example.  I've also included a bookmark in color, that teachers can fill out for each student.  Write the child's name on the heart and then list a few things of why you enjoy having them in your class.  Click on the link to view/download the How Do I Like Thee? Valentine Writing Prompt packet. 

I didn't have much time to design more valentine crafts this year, but I did want to make a few valentines that your kiddos could make and take home to their families. 

Moms especially LOVE the cute "paper love" keepsakes that their child makes at school.  With that in mind, I designed the "Blow A Kiss!" keepsake card. 

The original idea came from "Life Is Sweet."  She painted her baby's hand and pressed it on some paper for grandma and grampa.  Here's my version:

Run off my template on white construction paper, or for more pizzazz, print it on regular copy paper and then have students trim and glue their card to their favorite color.

Students pick a partner and take turns tracing each other's hand.  For PK kids, have a room helper do the tracing and cutting.

Draw a little tab at the base of the palm, so that the hand has a "hinge" and then cut out.  Glue the hinge to the back, of the bottom of the card, so that it flips down, to reveal the sentiment. 

I made a page of lip tiles (kisses), so that students can glue their "kiss" to the middle of their flopped over hand.  For that finishing touch, add a school photo and some glitter.  Click on the link to view/download the "Blow A Kiss" Keepsake Valentine Card.

Another quick valentine craft is a simple positive-negative reverse picture.  My Y5's were always amazed when they folded the half-heart template, cut on the solid line and then unfolded a whole heart!

Most of them didn't even realize that they were cutting a heart out, and I didn't spoil the "surprise."   I loved their excited exclamations over this scissor "magic."  

Turn this into an interesting writing prompt for older students:  "Half of me enjoys _______ and half of me enjoys ____________."  I had a lot of fun writing a sample for you that will help to explain the lesson. 

For more pizzazz, I cut my photo in half and arranged it on my "heartwork."

To get in some keyboard practice, have students write their rough draft, and then type up their final copy and mount it on construction paper.  Completed projects make an awesome February bulletin board. 

Click on the link to view/download the Folded Heart Writing Prompt Packet.

Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN away.  I hope you have a simply spectacular Valentine's Day! 

"The educated differ from the uneducated, as much as the living from the dead." -Aristotle