I enjoy putting together little open-ended invitations to play for my two boys for a couple of reasons.
One, they're easy to set up and use materials I have on hand. Just some manipulatives, some markers, and a mirror can go a long way. See here and here, for instance.
Two, they allow for some imagination and creativity. What will they create? How will they use the materials? What kind of stories will they engage in? Will they use the materials in new and unexpected ways?
Three, I love to see how my boys take the same set of materials and use them in different ways. It's a great way to see their individual personalities at play! Sometimes they do similar things or copy one another, but other times it's a surprise what they'll do.
Finally, invitations to play, such as this Valentine's Day heart and mirror activity, generally keep my boys engaged for a long period of time. And I call that a win any day!
A version of this post originally appeared on the CBC Parents website.
Valentine's Day Heart & Mirror Activity: What You'll Need
For this simple heart themed invitation to play, we used:
- Small mirror - I recently picked up two 11" x 14" mirrors at the dollar store for $1.25 so we used them for this activity.
- Window markers or dry erase markers - Ideally in Valentine's Day colors like red and pink. I prefer window markers over dry erase markers for activities like this as I find that dry erase markers rub off too easily when the kids are drawing or moving objects around on the mirrors.
- Heart manipulatives, in various sizes (ideally transparent ones similar to those shown in the photos, but not necessary) - The ones we used are from the dollar store. You could use heart shaped cookie cutters or foam hearts as an alternative.
Simply set out the mirror alongside your window or dry erase markers. Then place a few hearts on the mirror (see below) and it's ready for play and exploration.
Your Toddlers & Preschoolers Will Love this Valentine's Day Mirror Play!
So why mirrors and not just a dry erase board? Well, mirrors are fun and engaging (see more mirror play ideas here). They can help kids discover and learn about self-awareness, reflection, and light. Plus, two year old K is in love with his reflection in mirrors. He loves to get right up close to check himself out...
From there, K spent most of his time building fine motor skills by doing some scribbling and drawing with the markers.
He then tried to trace his own hand onto the mirror. He tried really, really hard, but eventually asked me to help him out, which, of course, I obliged.
As for four year old J, he was more into tracing the hearts...
...and eventually his hand.
J then started getting a bit more creative, using one of the small hearts as the basis for drawing a person. He first drew a little smiley face inside the heart. Then he traced around the outer edge of the heart. And then he finished it off with some little legs and arms.
Once he was done drawing, he simply removed the heart and revealed an adorable little heart shaped person. Awe, isn't it cute?
So, that's it for our Valentine's Day heart and mirror activity. Are you going to give it a try?
