By Shelly Bokman



Turn everyday lessons into sweet treats for young minds with these hands-on Valentine's Day activities:

Count Me In
Cut large heart or rain drop shapes out of construction paper. Cut each in half. On one half of the heart or rain drop, write a number. On the other half, draw an equivalent number of little hearts or rain drops. Make lots of puzzle pieces of different colors. Children love to count out the number of objects and match it to the correct numeral.

Sign Here
The ritual of signing Valentine cards can be an excellent opportunity to get your child to practice writing his or her name, and writing it neatly. Even older children, who probably have plenty of typing practice, still benefit from working on their handwriting. While they may declare it old-fashioned, it has not yet gone the way of the dinosaur. Buy a fancy red pen and take advantage of this handwriting opportunity.

Mind Their Manners
Check out Laurie Keller’s newest book, Do Unto Otters. In this colorful book for little ones, Mr. Rabbit and his new neighbors, the Otters, show kids how a simple “please,” “thank you,” or any unexpected kindness can help make—and keep—good friends. A delightful story, available at amazon.com.