I remember the days in grammar school when every student brought in a Valentine card for every other student. Handing them out created a bit of chaos in the classroom. Now that my daughter is grammar school age, the teachers utilize a nifty mailbox craft to keep everything organized.



There are several ways that the students can make their own mailbox, but I’m going to just focus on two of them-the shoebox method and the cereal box method.

The Shoebox Method:



Give each child a shoebox and have them cut a slit big enough to slide cards through in the center of the lid. If the children are to young to use sharp enough scissors then you might want to have this done before they arrive.



Supply the kids with Valentine’s Day wrapping paper, red, pink, and purple construction paper, heart-shaped stickers, and a set of markers. Give the children time to decorate the shoebox mailbox any way they desire, but make it a requirement that they must use the markers to label the mailbox with their name.



The Cereal Box Method:



Provide each child with a small cereal box. You can use a large one if that is all you have, but it isn’t necessary since most Valentine’s Day cards are small. Cut around the top sides and front of the box, leaving the back in tact. This creates a flap that the children can just lift up when they want to toss a card inside.



Place a bunch of craft supplies in front of the children and let them decorate each box on their own. You can choose to use construction paper, stickers, and markers as instructed in the shoebox method, or you can allow them to paint the box. Just make sure the children paint their name on the box for easy identification.