Homemade “Heart Felt” Stamps
The Man in the Yellow Hat kicks off Valentine's Day with a special treat for Curious George. Full of heart-shaped breakfast food, Curious George is inspired to make the Man in the Yellow Hat a Valentine's Day card. When he's done, he remembers that Valentine's Day is the perfect day to show all of his friends how much he cares about them. With time running out, he's determined to make as many cards as he can — and fast!
Curious George creates his own heart-shaped stamp to make Valentine's Day cards for his friends. Make your own stamp with your child and help them learn about shapes at the same time. Then, encourage your child to put their own personal touch on their cards.
Materials
Directions
Draw a small heart on a piece of cardboard.
Cut out two half circles and two triangles from the craft foam (or another piece of cardboard) that will fit inside the heart.
Invite your child to play with the foam shapes so that they cover the heart on the cardboard.
Next, glue the shapes in place on a piece of cardboard.
Cut off the excess cardboard around the foam.
Glue the back of the cardboard to a cork. You can also use a wooden spool or block, or a thick piece of cardboard. This will be the handle for the stamp. Let the glue dry.
Fold several pieces of paper into cards. Tap the stamp on an ink pad or into a little bit of paint. Stamp the paper with your heart-shaped stamp.
Encourage your child to think about how they can personalize the cards. They can stamp their hand on the paper or create a heart out of two fingerprints. They can write a special message to their friends or add other shapes to the page.
Photographs by Edwin Sherman.
Arts