- Show kids how to make cards with fancy paper, stamps, stencils and paints. Stencils, stamps and patterned paper are great tools to help even the smallest children make homemade birthday cards. Ask the children about their teacher's favorite color or animal, and try to work those elements into the card design. Experiment with making your own stencils and paper for extra personalization. Encourage students to think through their designs in pencil before cutting, painting or writing in ink to allow for changes.
- Bake your child's teacher a birthday card cookie or cake. Use a mold to make a specific shape your teacher will like, or personalize your birthday card treat with sprinkles, candies and messages in colored icings. To help small children, look for pre-made decorations to fasten to the edible card. Double-check the spelling of the teacher's name before applying icing or sprinkles. Take into account the teacher's preferences and dietary restrictions.
- Use digital pictures, clip art or art your child creates on the computer to make printable birthday greetings. Open up your favorite design program and experiment with different images and fonts. Test-print your design in black and white to avoid wasting expensive color print cartridges. Skip printing altogether and design a card to email. Test send the email to your own or a friend's email address to make sure your card opens correctly. Some printable templates and cards available for free online (resources 2 and 3).
- Help your child select birthday-appropriate music and burn a birthday CD. Make your teacher a personalized CD and decorate its case with birthday wishes. Better yet, practice a birthday song, or a song the teacher, likes with your child and record your child singing it with your computer. Burn the track to a CD for the teacher. Make sure to give the teacher a track list so he knows what songs are on the CD, as well as who is singing them.
Handmade Cards
Edible Cards
Computer-designed Cards
Musical Cards
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