I love to make a big deal about holidays and make holidays accessible to my son Liam who is deafblind. Valentine’s Day is no exception! Here are some of the activities we did last year and I am excited and already planning what we are going to do this year for Valentine’s Day! Here are the activities for the day:
1. Heart-shaped food all day long!
- heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast
- heart sandwich or toast for lunch
- heart-shaped snack bowl
- heart-shaped cheese (kids can help cut out the heart shapes using heart cookie cutters)
- heart-shaped baked cinnamon and sugar chips we made together. (http://www.momables.com/cinnamon-sugar-baked-chips/ )
- heart pizza for dinner
*Adaptation Tip: If your child is going to help you make any of the fun foods above, label the ingredients ahead of time in braille. Also, you could also braille a “recipe’”card for your child to follow, depending on their level and interest. You could use braille and/or object symbols for your recipe.
2. Create a heart book:
Both of my boys create “Heart” books. They get to place their own stickers and words on their books. They enjoy reading and sharing their books over and over again.
Ideas of items to include:
- pre-made, blank, cardboard books
- variety of different textured heart stickers separated in their own small bowls
- heart doilies and glue sticks
- pre-made (or the child can help ahead of time depending on level) braille strips with valentine words or sayings. Our book used the word “heart”.
- pre-made valentines, to which braille can be added
