Children can use these projects to decorate a sign for their bedroom door, a doorknob hanger, a book cover, a bookmark or bookplate, or any other items they’d like to give a personalized touch. Kids can be creative and use permanent markers to write their name over white shoelaces. There will be no questions about who owns an item when kids cover an object with colorful, name-oriented embellishments.
Write a Name Acrostic
Children write their names in a vertical column down a piece of paper. Children can use their first name, first and last names, or a nickname. For each letter in their name, they think of a word or phrase that describes their interests or personality that also begins with the individual letters of their name. If they really get stumped for words, they can use whatever words they’d like.
If they write (or rewrite) their acrostic poem, adding color and decorating the page, this poem becomes a piece of art that can be framed and hung in the child’s room. Children can even make a name acrostic for a sibling, relative, or friend. Decorated and framed, this makes a great personalized gift.
Name Art
Children can get creative with their names, writing their name over and over, using different colors, various types of hand lettering, or both, decorating an entire page. They can start by sketching their name in pencil and then coloring over the letters in marker. Try different techniques, such as writing their name over and over, wrapping it around the page and working in toward the center of the page. They could write their name in a pattern resembling a crossword puzzle pattern.
In contrast, they can write their name in letters large enough to fill the page and then color within the letters as they wish, focusing on fun colors and patterns. Write the name in bubble, balloon, or blocky lettering so there is space to add decoration.
Initial Art
In this piece of art, the child will just decorate the first letter of his first name. Draw the letter lightly in pencil while drawing it large enough to nearly fill a piece of white paper. (Leave a margin of at least one inch all the way around in case the parent decides to frame the piece.) Outline the letter, so there is space within the letter’s shape to color or decorate.
A child can decorate within the initial letter of her name with hand-drawn images of her interests – drawings of sports equipment, musical instruments, favorite foods, much loved animals, etc.
Hidden Words Game
Children write their full name at the top of a piece of paper. Then, the child looks at their name for words that use the same letters in the child’s name. The letters can be scrambled in any order. Letters from first, middle, and last name can be mixed together to form words. Children can only use the letters provided. If they have one "e" in their name they can only use it once in a word, so they couldn’t list "need."
"Susan Caplan" breaks down into a, an, plan, cap sap, lap, nap, clap, slap … and so on.
Children can have fun creating art and a poem with their name. These pieces can personalize a child’s room. The projects can also be used in creating gifts for others, featuring their names.
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