Sometimes the best memories come wrapped in construction paper. 

That may easily be said for the two to five year old classes at Small Wonders Enrichment Center in White House. For the past 11 years the children’s early learning center has hosted a Valentine Box contest. Parents and children pull out the paste, snip with safety scissors, sprinkle with stickers, or shower cardboard boxes with spray paint, putting their creativity on display.

“We do them so we can encourage an activity with parents and children to get them involved in our classroom, so they can spend time together, brainstorm together,” says Leslie Qualls, Director at Small Wonders. “We spend a lot of time with these kids throughout the day. Often parents don’t get that luxury. This is a way for them to create memories together.”

The boxes range in complexity from simple stickered boxes to life-size game system replicas–each one a reflection of the child’s creativity. “It’s a good bonding experience,” says Leslie of the Valentine Box projects, “parents get to see their kids' minds at work.” 

Mom to a high schooler and a middle schooler, Leslie knows how precious those seasons are. “We have kids that come to visit after they’ve graduated from our program and they talk about how much they loved making those boxes every year.” 

The past few years, Small Wonders has added community judges to the contest. “This helped take the pressure off of our staff,” shares Leslie, “and these community leaders really have a lot of fun seeing the boxes.” From lawyers to librarians, White House professionals show up to cast their votes. Valerie Webb says, “The creativity the kids show amazes me every year!”

Creativity melded with parental supervision. These Valentine boxes are more than artwork. They craft little moments of togetherness into richly embedded memories.