Tennessee teacher Hilary Statum has a classroom tradition that takes less than 10 minutes but creates the sweetest keepsake. A few years ago, she shared a photo of her students’ hands arranged in the shape of a perfect heart, and teachers loved it! Everyone wanted to know how she did it and how she got the heart shape so perfect.
The trick, it turns out, is wonderfully simple: a piece of chalk, a classroom rug, and kids excited to be part of something cute and meaningful. We asked Hilary to walk us through how she does it and why this little moment of classroom joy has become such a beloved tradition.
You can follow Hilary on Instagram here.
Q: How did you come up with this idea?
I’ve been doing this with my students for so many years and had not seen it anywhere else. I had an aha moment when I was trying to think of how I would get my students’ hands into the perfect shape of a heart. I grabbed some chalk, drew the outline of a heart, and asked them to put their fingertips on it. It turned out perfect!
Q: Why did you decide to try this in your classroom?
We were actually discussing how beautiful all of the skin colors in our room were. The kids were running around and excitedly showing how ALL of our skin colors vary and how gorgeous they were when we held them side by side.
Q: How do you make this activity part of your curriculum?
We discussed this around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I was teaching kindergarten the first time I tried this. We were reading a Scholastic magazine and sitting on the floor together. The kids were appalled to learn just a little about segregation.
This is a very quick activity that you could use to make Valentine’s cards, cards for parent volunteers, administrators, or parents, or keepsakes for students. I have free card templates in my Teachers Pay Teachers store that teachers can insert the picture into.
Q: Walk us through the process—what’s the best way to create a perfect heart with students?
Grab a thick piece of white chalk. I love to use one of those rugs that are divided into squares for students to sit on. I draw the heart to fill a square. Then I instruct students to lie on their bellies and put their fingertips on the chalk outline. I stand on a low (and sturdy) chair to get a good overhead shot. After I take some pics with them facing down, I ask them to turn over, and I get the cutest pictures of their giggly faces!
Q: What do you love most about this activity?
I print one poster=size photo and hang it on a bulletin board. The kids love seeing it up there. They also get a copy of the print. Everyone we have given these cards to really loves them! The kids love seeing how beautiful all of their skin colors are in the shape of a heart.
Q: Have you tried any variations or seen other teachers put their own spin on it?
I’ve had so many teachers send me photos after they try this with their students! It absolutely warms my heart!
Q: If another teacher wants to try this, what advice would you give them?
This is an easy task that won’t take up more than 10 minutes of your time. Your kids will love it!
