The Kissing Hand

Materials

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Pennpaperpencils or markerslipstick or lips stamp

Instructions

* The first day of a new school year falls sometime in August or earlySeptember.1. Many schools have a classroom visitation day before school starts forchildren and parents to meet the teachers and see the classroom. If yourschool does not have this, send the following note home a week or twobefore school starts and ask parents to respond before the first day ofschool.2. Attach a note to a blank piece of paper explaining that you will bereading The Kissing Hand on the first day of school. Explain that this bookis about a young raccoon that worries about going to school and leavinghis mommy. The mommy kisses his paw and tells him that the kiss willstay with him and keep him safe until they see each other after school.3. Ask parents to write their child a short note about how proud they are ofhim or her and how they hope the first day of school goes well. Askparents to either kiss the note (for moms with bright lipstick) or use a"lips" stamp to "pretend kiss" the note.4. Save all of these notes for the first day of school.5. Start the day by reading the book. Tell the children that there is asurprise for each of them after the book.6. Pull out the letters and read each one aloud and show the kiss onthe note.7. Give the children their notes. Ask them to keep their notes with themuntil they see their mommy or daddy that afternoon.8. This activity brightens the children's faces and makes them less wary ofthe day.