100 Acts of Kindness: Create Something from the Heart

100 Acts of Kindness.

Toddler Approved has a series on it, with many ideas for kindness and how to instill it in our children. 

While we're trying to do our acts of kindness, teaching what kindness is to a three year old seems tough at times. By acting kind to each other, and leading my example, is the only way I can figure out how to teach this concept.

To contribute to Kristina's series, we are sharing a very special gift we made for his Grandpa, in memory of the boys' Grandma.

While this is a more 'elaborate' project than a quick kindness gesture. May I just suggest creating something from the heart for someone you love as an act of kindness.

I first was inspired to do this project by this piece of art that Paint Cut Paste made to welcome a new baby. I switched it up a bit as a collaborative art piece with my sister-in-laws. We each had our oldest child [they are the ones that knew Grandma] paint a special piece of art of their liking to be included in one master piece of art.

I can only show you what Henry and I did on our end for the project, because the others did theirs at their place. 

Henry and I thought it would be neat to paint over a heart doily to make a neat print.

We thought the heart would be a nice touch.

Not so much. 

It didn't turn out the way we had hoped, so Henry kept painting away.

He added glue and glitter to his piece.

There was a bit that looked like a start of a heart, so I added to it to complete the heart and this became the centerpiece of our collaborative artwork.

With each of the kids' artwork... 

... it was now my turn to take control of the project.

Grandma was a quilter, so we decided on a simple 9-block pattern. 

I cut up the artwork [so hard to cut up kids art by the way!] into squares and glued them together on a larger 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper.

Each of the adults in our families wrote a few sentences about her; what we remember of her, what we miss about her, and so on. 

This became the border of the 'quilt'.

This was a work in progress for quite some time.

It encouraged me to talk with Henry about his Grandma and why we were giving this to Grandpa.

While Henry doesn't quite understand all the details of what this project means. He knew it was something special. And it was something special just for Grandpa.

Kindness is only a bonus reason for this project. 

But its definitely a major one.

Check out all the 100 Acts of Kindness series this month on Toddler Approved!

Henry is 3 years. George is 1 year.

Current sponsors :  Fudoo Boards  :  A Mom with a Lesson Plan  :  CraftProjectIdeas.com

Design your own party invitations at Vistaprint.com