Small love notes tucked inside your child's lunchbox or book bag can bring a smile to your child's face. It also reinforces reading skills, models the power of writing and can change the whole mood of the day. If you aren't doing this for your child, now might be the time to get start. It is creative, fun and a written "hug-in-their-day" from you!
These downloadable notes are free from the website: www.readingrockets.org These are ready-to-use note papers featuring whimsical, colourful artwork by well-known children's book illustrators.
Julia Denos uses watercolours and coloured pencils to design her illustrations. She has illustrated "Grandma's Gloves", "Just Being Audrey & Dotty" and you can find more out about her on her blog, "The Cinnamon Rabbit."
Henry Cole illustrated "Rosie's Roses" and "The Worrywarts." These notes feature his illustrations from his newest book, "Katy Duck."
Buket Erdogan's illustrations are from the book, "Hello, Calico. Her other books include the New York ties Best Sellers, "Mouse's First Halloween," Mouse's First Day of School", and "Mouses's First Valentine."
David Small's illustrations have won many top awards including the 1997 Caldecott Honour and The Christopher Medal for "The Gardener" and the 2001 Caldecott Medal for "So, You Want To Be President?" This series of notes features his illustrations from "When Dinosaurs Came with Everything."
Out-of-the-box Lunch Note Ideas:
(Beau Coffron- husband, father, blogger: LunchboxDad.com)
1. The Edible Note:
On a flat food (like a tortilla or a slice of cheese), write a note using edible ink. You can use a toothpick and food colouring or even a food colour marker. If your kids can't have foods with artificial colours you can use natural food colouring instead.
2. The Reusable Note:
Take a small piece of white paper and get it laminated. You can write a special note on it with dry erase marker. For more fun, include the marker in the lunch bag and have your child erase your note and write you a note back.
3. The Picture Riddle Note:
Find small pictures in a magazine of perhaps a human eye, hugs and kisses (xxoo), and random letter "U" and when you place them in the correct order your get the message, I Love You. Put the pictures in an envelope or ziploc to keep the pieces together. Search the web for "rebus puzzles for kids" and use those as a model.
4. A Puzzling Note:
Write a note (or print off a special picture of you and your child, or family pet, vehicle, home etc.) and then cut it into puzzle shaped pieces. Spread the pieces throughout your child's lunchbox and it is their job to discover where the pieces are located and then assemble them to solve the puzzle. If they have attitude feel free to expand the # of puzzle pieces from 10-1000. :)
5. The Week Long Note:
Think of a short phrase: i.e. We are going to a movie on Saturday. Put one word a day in the lunchbox until at the end of the week they get a full message and know what the weekend family activity will be.
6. The Prize Voucher:
Mix it up with a prize voucher instead of a note. Example: This note is worth one free ice cream cone.
7. The Treasure Hunt Notes:
As you get your child ready for school or are en-route there, let your child know there's a special note for them in their lunchbox. Place the note in a Ziploc (to keep it clean) and hide it somewhere amongst the food.
8. The Brain Teaser:
Do an internet search for "puzzle maker" and the great thing about this idea is that you can enter hard or easy words depending on the grade level of your child.
These tips can make you your child's, his classmate's, his teacher's, hero, but the most important thing is that your child will feel very special and loved. Kids don't care so much if the lunch is elaborate, they just care that someone significant adult in their life took a few minutes out of their busy life to say they care and that they are special.
Just Google "Lunch box notes" and stand back.....Wow!! There are a million out there for your downloading pleasure....have fun and I would love feedback of your experiences please.
Read on and read always everyone! Have an amazing day.