Shamrock Pins

I'm always looking for lightweight items my kids can make and send in the mail to their aging great-grandparents (or other family members who we don't get to see very often). I think of it as a good opportunity for my children to remember who my grandparents are and take a few minutes to do some "service" for them. We usually make cards too; I try to write down exactly the words that my children want to say on the cards, so the communication will feel more real for them. I wouldn't say that they love, love, love the whole process, but I would say that they enjoy it pretty well and I enjoy knowing that we've taken some time to try and brighten other people's lives.

This time, in lieu of March, I had found a pin-making kit at the craft store that enabled us to easily create shamrock pins for St. Patty's day. Relatively flat, lightweight, decently small--perfect for postal sending. So we brought 'em home and got to work. I highly recommend a glance around the $1 section, clearance section, or bargain section at the craft store, or a "dollar store" has some pretty great buys for this type of item. My kids always enjoy these little kits and they amount to very little prep time for me since all the materials are already put together. Plus, I find that the amount of time necessary to complete the little packet or kit is usually equal to the amount of attention span my kids are capable of, so it's a good fit. Sometimes we get a necklace kit, or a beading kit, or a shrinky-dink kit, or those little deals where you put in the little salty stuff and then bake it to look like stained glass...etc. You know what I'm talking about. Anyway, in my opinion, the best part is that the kits really are CHEAP, so you don't feel bad throwing away whatever you've made after a few weeks (or however long your kids stay interested in the item), which means less crap to pile up around my house.

Sendable, cheap, quick, no prep, fun, lots of variety, and tossable--all qualities that I can be excited about!