Valentine Countdown Chain

Making paper chains are a fun and simple project to do with your preschooler. It's a good way to practice cutting straight lines. If you turn it into a countdown chain, you can also work on number writing.

For our Valentine Countdown Chain, I used pink cardstock and paper scraps from the project I will be posting tomorrow for the Creative Scrapbooking Diva's Valentine Blog Hop. I liked the scrapbook paper because it's double-sided. Both sides of each loop will be pretty and it's good thickness, unlike some paper that's so flimsy it bends all over as you try to cut it. Using a ruler I drew lines to make strips. ER then cut each line to make straight-ish strips. Remember, we're still practicing cutting straight lines, not proficient at it...yet!

A scalloped circle punch was used to make our number markers. I wrote each number for ER and she traced over it. In an ideal world, I do not advocate tracing. However, ER finds numbers very challenging and is more willing to try if she has guidelines to trace. So we traced, because I wanted this to be a fun project and not one that resulted in tears. Don't look too closely at the hand grip on the marker, that's also a work in progress.

To assemble the chain, form circles with strips and place the number over where the two ends met. Staple on top of number to form chain. Continue until the chain is finished. We were going to use ours to countdown the days until Valentine's, but ER decided it was too pretty to use, so it's on display as a decoration. This was a nice project because ER could work on it semi-independently, meaning Mommy got a chance to empty the dishwasher and mop the floors. I know you're thinking my life is pretty glamorous right about now, aren't you☺

Shared on the Weekly Show & Tell Linky Party on my other blog ABC & 123 and Easy Homemade Crafts at Quatro Mama's blog 4tunate.