Love Fortune Telling With Conversation Hearts

I am always looking for ways to entertain the children that I work with, because when they are happy and occupied they tend to be somewhat less annoying.  This year I was getting them to do web searches by bribing them with conversation hearts.  This didn't go over so well because the hearts taste like sweetened chalk.  I kind of like them, but the kids have more expensive tastes than I do, apparently.  So in order to get rid of the things so that I didn't eat the whole bowl full of them, I told them that you could tell your LOVE FORTUNE with the hearts.  Kids love anything to do with fortunes and romance.  It's a total crowd pleaser.  So I will share with you:

1. Wash your hands, and with *CLEAN HANDS* (emphasized for grubby children) close your eyes and pick 5 conversation hearts at random.

2. Read messages and see what your future holds in LOVE for the next year. (Ooooh!)

3. Eat all 5 candies or your fortune won't come true.

Here are the meanings of some of the conversation heart messages as invented by Madame Gigi, your Love Fortune Teller.

U R CUTE - You're gonna be hot this year.

HUG ME/KISS ME - You will gross people out with your public displays of affection this year.  EW!

MARRY ME - Do I hear wedding bells?  I think I do... (This gets the kids all flustered and makes them yell, "NO!!!"  Hahaha!  Actually, it does the same to me...)

BOOK CLUB - (This is seriously on a conversation heart!) - You will meet your love at the library.  Your dates should NOT be in the library, though. OK?

YES DEAR - Your love might try to boss you around.  Beware!  No, I am NOT your true love, you snarky little brat.

CUTIE PIE - Your love will be a good cook.  YAY!!

SWEET TALK - Your true love will call you up and whisper sweet nothings into your ear.  Awwww...

ALL MINE - If you want to meet your true love, you have to be less selfish and learn to share.  Now give me some candy!

MY GIRL/LET IT BE - You will be listening to the oldies station when you meet your love.  Maybe you'll be at the dentist's office.

WRITE ME - Your true love will write romatic notes to you.  Well, I suppose that means you could meet him in a chat room....  Are you sure he isn't a 50 year old who lives with his parents and looks like Wilford Brimley?  Yeah...you know what?  This one means "Don't meet your love in person".  "Keep it online," that's Miss Gigi's motto.  The mystery is so much more, um, mysterious and romantic.  Don't you think??

Ahem...

As you can see, it was a mostly successful activity.  Try it yourself, make up some fortunes of your own and bask in the sugary fun!

-Gigi 02.17.04