Edible Valentine Cookie Craft

[Candace]

Here is a valentine cookie craft for elementary school children, who love to
bring cards for everyone. Why not make a cookie for each child, instead of a
paper card?
Your child comes home with a class list. Valentine's Day is less than a week
away. You could go out and buy a box of paper cards or you could gather your
creative strengths and make paper cards at home. Either way you and your
child will have to write them out.
An even better idea would be to bake Valentine Day cookies, decorate them
and hand them out in place of paper cards.
Valentine's Day is an occasion to show people how much you care about them.
Allowing your child the opportunity to offer each of his classmates their own
edible card will make everyone's Valentine's Day special.
This activity can be performed with all of your children simultaneously. The
children, regardless of their age, will decorate their cookie cards at their
own level.
You will need the following before you begin:
* a recipe for sugar cookies or a couple of packages of premade cookie
dough, depending on how enthusiastic you are and how much time you wish to devote
* tubes/containers of colored icing. The smaller tubes are great for fine
details, while the bigger containers are great for icing the whole cookie.
* small decorations (sprinkles and mini candies)
* plastic wrap and ribbon
* small cards (optional if older kids want to include a card indicating who
each cookie is for and who they are from)
Whether you are making your cookies from scratch or slicing a roll of
premade dough, the children can participate in this step towards celebrating
Valentine's Day.
Using heart shaped cookie cutters will add to the essence of love and
friendship these cookies are intended to express.
After the cookies have baked and cooled, they are ready to be decorated.
Display the icing tubes, containers and candies on the work surface. Allow the
children to use their own imaginations, but offer a sample before giving them
the green light to start.
When enough cookies have been decorated for each child's class, the
remaining can be made for family members or to be decorated and eaten right away.
There is nothing more rewarding than being able to sample your tasty creation.
Let the cookies air dry before wrapping them in the plastic wrap. Use enough
wrap per cookie, to be able to tie a ribbon at one end of the cookie.
If the children still have enough energy, encourage them to write a card.
For younger children, who are handing out a cookie to each of their classmates,
only their name is required. For older kids who have made special
decorations for particular friends, they will need to write both To and From on their
cards.
The recipients will be honored to receive such delicious cards and your
children will be pleased with their efforts.
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