In my online search for these party favor/toy machine games, I had absolutely no idea what to call them: Plastic disk rolling ball hole game? or Plastic disk tray chain face game? And then I found them and was today years old when I learned that these are called dexterity games or puzzles, or handheld dexterity games to be precise. There are so many amazing vintage ones that would make a super fun collection…here’s a cool history if you are interested!

I bought these coin protectors on Amazon for another project and I knew I was going to make mini dexterity games for something…and what’s better than a unique Valentine? Here are three super fun versions, all in time for some last minute Valentines!

You can find all of the materials on my Amazon storefront page!

YOU ARE MY PERFECT MATCH!

Materials:

• White cardstock
• Coin protector
• Heart confetti or Shrinky Dink Paper
• Colored pencils
• Tacky glue or glue dots
• 1 1/2″ circle punch (optional)
• Envelopes
• Template

1. Print out template for as many valentines as you need and cut them out.
2. Cut circles from white cardstock.
3. If you are using confetti, trace the heart in the middle of each circle and draw an arrow through it. If you are using shrinky dinks, color in hearts that are about 1.5″, cut them out, and shrink them according to package instructions. Once they are shrunk, trace them onto paper circles and drawn an arrow through it.
4. Glue the paper circle into the coin protector, place the confetti on top and close.
5. Use a glue dot or a small dot of tacky glue to attach the game to the card.
6. Sign your name and stick them in envelopes!

WHO NOSE?

Materials:

• Colored cardstock
• Coin protector
• Thin chain
• Tacky glue or glue dots
• 1 1/2″ circle punch (optional)
• Envelopes
• Card template and insert template

1. Print out templates for as many valentines as you need and cut them out.
2. Cut out the heart-in-hand insert into a 1 1/2″ circle.
3. Glue the paper circle into the coin protector.
4. Drop your ball on top. (We colored a piece of Israeli couscous pink!)
5. Use a glue dot or a small dot of tacky glue to attach the game to the card.
6. Sign your name and stick them in envelopes!

ROCK N ROLL

Materials:

• White cardstock
• Coin protector
• Small beads, round sprinkles or any round grain
• Tacky glue or glue dots
• 1 1/2″ circle punch (optional)
• Envelopes
• Card template and insert template

1. Print out templates for as many valentines as you need and cut them out.
2. Cut out the heart-in-hand insert into a 1 1/2″ circle.
3. Glue the paper circle into the coin protector.
4. Drop your ball on top. (We colored a piece of Israeli couscous pink!)
5. Use a glue dot or a small dot of tacky glue to attach the game to the card.
6. Sign your name and stick them in envelopes!

(1) Print out the target page for every member of your family. (Print this out too so you don’t have to open your phone or computer.) Grab a pen or pencil for each person.

(2) The target is divided into three sections by the arrows, so think of up to three things you wish had gone differently. These can be things that affected others or things that only affected you (’cuz we have to ask ourselves for forgiveness too!). Write those things in the blue stripe.

(3) Now think of what you could have done to acheive your goal. How could you have approached that situation differently? Could you have asked for help? Could you have been more prepared? Use the green, yellow, and pink spaces to brainstorm small steps towards getting it right.

(4) In the red center, write the ideal outcome.

Whenever I write letters to my kids at camp, I inevitably write something like “sending hugs” or “sending kisses” or “sending good vibes.” But do they actually feel my hugs, kisses, and good vibes?

This year, I sent an actual hug to my daughter at sleep-away camp! The craft is so simple, you won’t believe it.

1. First trace your hands onto cardstock.
2. Decorate the hands with colored fingernails, rings, freckles, tattoos…anything that will make the hands feel like yours!
3. Cut a piece of string or ribbon that is the length of your arm span. (Fun fact: our arm span is usually pretty dang close to our actual height!)
4. Glue the ribbon or string to the wrist area of each hand, and then write your message on the palm-side of the hands. Write some funny instructions like “Put one hand over your left shoulder, wrap the ribbon around you body, close your eyes, and feel my hug!”

When should you send a hug in the mail? Here are some ideas:

• Grandparents Day
• For a cousin who just went off to college
• Valentine’s Day (duh!)
• An “I’m thinking of you” moment
• Congratulations on making the soccer team!

These Accordion-Book Boxes Are the Perfect Craft Project for Book Lovers

Is it a box? Is it a book? Is it a craft? It’s all three!

Surprise — it’s a box with a book inside! Turn a ho-hum gift box from your gift-wrap stash into an art book keepsake. Get creative with your page-turning masterpiece — comic books, counting books, and photo albums are all fair game! These can also be made as elaborate birthday or holiday cards for special loved ones. You can write a long message or tell a fun story like a comical history of your friendship. The options are limitless!

What you’ll need:

• 2-piece gift box
• Paper roll 
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Felt
• Tacky Glue
• Letter stamps
• Ink Pad
• Markers
• Crayons
• Colored pencils

Make it:

Cut a long strip of paper the same height as the inside height of the box. Accordion-fold the paper so that each “page” matches the width of the box. 

Cut a piece of felt that matches the height of the box and is about one to two inches wider than the depth of the box. 

Glue the felt to the top of the box, and wrap it around to glue to the back — but not too tight! Leave a little slack in the fabric so it curves out a bit around the “spine” of your book box.

Give your book a title! If you have small letter stamps and an inkpad, use them for the title. You can also write the title on the front with a marker or colored pencil. 

Use stamps, drawing utensils, or collaged paper to create your pages. These books can be scrapbooks, comic books, or story books. You can even print small photos to make a memory book.

Use the glue stick to adhere the first page to the bottom of the box.

Pipe cleaner crafts are like a beginner course in Wire Sculpture 101. They are lightweight and easy to shape into whatever you dream up. This craft is a super-fun way for kids to explore facial features…making round eyes, short noses, long ears—all at the bend of a pipe cleaner! And because this craft does not require glue, there are no mess-ups. Just give it a facelift and start again!

What you’ll need:

• Thin wire hanger
• Pipe cleaners (edit note: or would you rather say chenille stems?)
• Large beads
• Scissors
• Thick yarn

Make it:

1. Stretch out your wire hanger until it forms a head shape. An adult might need to help a child with this step!
2. Use pipe cleaners to make the facial features.
   1. Nose: For a long nose, you’ll need two pipe cleaners. Twist one to either side of the base of the hanger’s hook. Twist them together about halfway down and then form the pipe cleaner into a nose shape at the bottom; twist to close.
   2. Eyes: Slip a bead over the end of a pipe cleaner and wrap the pipe cleaner around the bead and into the other hole. Cut another pipe cleaner in half and form a circle. Twist each end onto the eyeball pipe cleaner to form an eye shape. (Eyebrows and eyelashes are optional!)
   3. Mouth: Form a pipe cleaner into a mouth shape. Twist a straight pipe cleaner to the bottom lip and twist around the hanger. Trim off excess.
   4. Ears: Cut a pipe cleaner in half. Bend each end over the wire hanger on the sides of the head.
3. To make the hair, cut 4-inch strands and knot them onto the top edge of the hanger head. Experiment and play with bangs, ponytails, and various fun hairdos!

These are so lightweight that you can hang with a dash of washi tape!