Did you know that February is International Friendship Month? We should celebrate our friends everyday, but setting aside one month gives us a chance to extend our appreciation for our friendships, and to promote new ones.

Use International Friendship Month as a time to celebrate our friends near and far. With the internet it’s easier now than ever to connect with people from all over the world and form bonds that we might never have been able to.

Here’s a few easy ideas for your kids to try:

Make a friendship poster - write your name and your friend’s names on construction paper or poster board and decorate it using glitter, markers and stickers.

Make a ‘friendship collage’ – cut out pictures of you and your friends and arrange them on a piece of cardstock to form a collage.

Make friendship bracelets – shop for friendship bracelet kits below.

Have a picnic for your friends – make their favorite sandwiches and have some fun!

Find a pen-pal - in the spirit of International Friendship Month, find a pen pal from another country. Tell them about your country and it’s customs and learn about theirs.

My Friendship Bracelet Maker The set includes a bracelet maker and 56 precut threads in 14 different colors that are stored inside the Bracelet Maker to keep the strings organized. Simple to use – no tape, pins or bags of messy threads! Great to take along on trips or to summer camp or have a bracelet making birthday party. Price: $15.33

Friendship Bracelets (Klutz) Super-clear directions for ten different kinds of bracelets, with all the colorful floss and beads you need to make all of them. A built-in clipboard provides the ideal work surface for this coolest of crafts. Price: $12.63

Fancy Friendship Bracelets (Klutz) Introducing Fancy Friendship Bracelets, the original Friendship Bracelet’s new best friend. We started with super-simple instructions for a flock of all-new bracelet designs. We added five different colors of cord and more than 200 sparkling beads. Then we threw in some stylish charms for good measure. The result is even better than we hoped. Fans of the first book will love this new one. Price: $9.71

Friendship Bracelets (Kids Can Do It) Inside you will find clear, step-by-step instructions, full-color illustrations and 14 different bracelet patterns. Price: $6.95

How to Make Friendship Bracelets This handbook shows how to create 22 vibrant thread bracelets without any weaving equipment. Using only two basic knots and a safety pin to keep the work taut, crafters can create a host of designs ranging from the simple to more intricate. Price: $8.47

12 Woven Friendship Bracelets in Assorted Colors These yarn bracelets have beautiful ornate weaving and make great gifts and party favors. With stunning vivid colors and detailed designs, these 11″ bracelets are perfect to throw in goody bags or give away as prizes. Price: $2.50

Are your children looking for Valentine craft ideas that are simple and adorable? Here’s a few ideas that older kids can do themselves. Younger kids may need some help from a parent or older sibling.

Gather up the supplies needed before you start so you don’t scramble around looking for that one last thing needed to complete the project. Most of the supplies are probably items you already have on hand.

Scroll down to the end of this post to shop for Valentines crafts and activities from amazon.com.

Box of Love: First, find an small empty box. If you have a box from a bar or soap or a tube of toothpaste, that size would work great. Use Valentine wrapping paper to wrap the outside of the box. Decorate with ribbons, bows, stickers – let the kids use their imagination. Copy this poem onto a small piece of cardstock and attach it to the box. (Older kids can try the one below)

I took an ordinary box,
as empty as can be.
I filled it with a special gift,
and wrapped it carefully.

But please don’t ever open it,
just leave the ribbon
And hold it tightly near your heart,
My love for you’s inside!

Box of Hugs: Like above, gather a small box. Cut a bunch of approximately 2″x 2″ squares from red, pink and/or white  tissue paper. Cut out a lot because you will be covering the whole box!
Water down the glue – 2 parts glue to 1 part water. Lightly brush some glue on the box and stick the tissue paper squares on. You want them to overlap so you do not see the box. Work in small sections until the entire box is covered. Set aside to dry. Once it is dry, you can lightly brush over your box with the glue and water mixture to make it more durable and shiny; however this is optional.

Once dry, tie with ribbons as you would a wrapped present and attached a gift tag which reads:

This is a very special gift
That you can never see
The reason it’s so special is
It’s just for you from me.

Whenever you are lonely
Or are ever feeling blue
You only have to hold this gift
And know I’m hugging you.

You never can unwrap it
Please leave the ribbon tied
Just hold the box close to your heart
It’s filled with hugs inside.

I couldn’t send you flowers
And candy wouldn’t do
And mushy cards just didn’t Say the things
I want them to.
So I got you something special
And here’s the inside scoop
I found you something very rare Its genuine Cupid poop

Thumb One Loves You: This is really cute for the little ones. Cut a piece of white cardstock and fold it over to form a card. Have your child press down both of their thumbs on a red or pink ink pad. Angle them together so they form a heart and press down on the front of the card. On the inside of the card, write “Thumb” one loves you”. You can also write “Thumb one thinks you’re special”.

If you’re looking for more Valentines Day ideas for kids activities and gifts, check our suggestions listed here. Shop with confidence through amazon.com’s secured server.

Peanuts Valentine Craft Kit This craft kit includes everything you need to make your own valentines plus a 32-page storybook adaptation of the classic television special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Price: $24.98

Origami from the Heart Kit Use the art of origami to create unique, personalized cards that recipients will treasure! Price: $9.99

A Make-Your-Own Valentine Card Kit Kit comes with a stencil, 100 stickers, fancy paper, special instructions, and decorating tips! Makes over 45 valentines! Price: $7.90

Valentine Crafts for Kids A treasury of fun holiday crafts, gifts, cards, and decorations can help children turn an ordinary Valentine’s day into a special, heart-filled occasion. Price: $4.74

175 Easy-To-Do Valentine Crafts Price: $9.99

Valentine Crafts (Creative Crafts for Kids) Price: $10.50

Shrinky Dinks I Heart You Cards Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other time you want to say ‘I love you!’ Make twelve handcrafted cards using pre-printed Shrinky Dink designs. Price: $6.98

Wilton Valentine Candy Necklace Kit Wilton Valentine Candy Necklace Kit makes 8 necklaces. Fun Valentine colors and great flavors Price: $2.80

These winter coloring pages for kids can be printed out from your computer. You can shop for fun winter coloring books after the links!

Girl Skating
Boy Skating
Dad And Son Sledding
Bear Skating
Country Snowman
Snowman Family
Winter Moose

Click here for some fabulous Valentine craft ideas!

Winnie the Pooh Super Coloring Book 60+ page coloring book with Pooh, Tiiger, and the rest of his friends. Strengthen hand-eye coordination while providing hours of pure entertainment. Price: $8.85

Raised Line Winter Fun Coloring Book The Raised Line Coloring Book features 10 pages of winter activities such as sledding, ice skating, horse sleighing. Great for helping children to stay within the lines. Price: $11.95

LapTop Winter Wonderland Coloring Book LapTop Coloring Books open like a laptop computer and will easily sit on a child’s lap because of its plastic spiral binding. Price: $5.99

Scented Sticker Coloring Book Price: $0.90

Sesame Street Winter Wonderland Coloring Book This is a 96 page JUMBO coloring and activity book featuring all your favorite Sesame Street characters enjoying the great outdoors in the winter time. Price: $3.97

Bobblesberg Winter Games Coloring Book Bob and his dream-machine team are off to Bobblesberg, where the Winter Games will take place. Price: $2.99

Bear’s Winter Wonderland Coloring Book The weather may be chilly, but Bear and his friends from the Big Blue House have lots to do to keep warm in this coloring book celebrating the wonders of winter. Price: $2.74

Here’s a bunch of winter printables for kids. I’ll have more for you in another post.

~~~** Enjoy! **~~~

Winter Word Search
Snowman Connect The Dots
Snowflake Connect The Dots
Snowman Maze
Design Your Own Mitten
Children Sledding
Make A Snowflake
Make A Snowflake (intermediate)
Make A Snowflake (advanced)

Click here for some fabulous Valentine craft ideas!

If you looking for easy winter crafts for kids (and I do mean easy!), look no further. What I like about this one is that older kids can use more detail, while younger ones can still make a cute craft.

Trace around your child’s hands on a piece of sturdy paper, like cardboard or a file folder. Trace their hand with their fingers closed because you want the shape to look like a mitten. Punch a hole at the top of each mitten cut out.

Your child can now decorate each mitten however they want. They can glue fabric scraps or buttons on them or color them with crayons or markers. You can even draw a pattern for them to color it.

Tie ribbon through the holes and hang up to decorate.

Click here for some fabulous Valentine craft ideas!