Community Cards

What you need:

• old greeting cards
• art materials
• construction paper

What to do:

1. Look at old greeting cards with your child and explain that they are given to people on special occasions or just to say "thank you."
2. Talk with your child about people in the community she has encountered, such as the mail carrier, bus drivers, and shopkeepers. Invite her to make cards for these people so she can show them her appreciation for all they do.
3. Help your child make the cards. Does she want to include a photo or drawing of herself? A photo or drawing of the person the card is for? Ask her to dictate a message to include on the card.
4. Help your child present the cards to the people in the neighborhood.

Learning benefits:

• boosts fine-motor skills
• encourages creativity
• promotes social/emotional development
• celebrates diversity