Harlow Boll, left, and James Kenney look for their favorite valentines from other states with Webster City Daycare Director Hillary Lang.

There are many ways to spread love.

A hug.

A kiss.

Or a card.

The Webster City Daycare Center is hoping for a mailbox full of the latter — and maybe a little bit of love from all over the United States as it participates in the “Hearts around the USA” project.

This project, and similarly named projects, was started a few years ago. There are at least two social media groups promoting the idea of connecting children to other parts of the country.

Hillary Lang, director of the Webster City Daycare Center, is the coordinator of the local project. She is a member of an online group of daycare center managers and that is where she first heard about the project.

“Connecting with other kids and other people from different areas is good for our kids, even the ones that are a little too young to understand,” she said. “They all enjoy opening the mail!

“We’ve received 22 already and they are on the map already,” Lang said.

Those 22 cards represent 15 different states; the goal is a card from each state. They are marked on the map with a heart. Some children come in every day and look for new cards and new hearts.

“The school-aged children are more into the project, as they identify the states each card represents.”

“Hearts around the USA” was initiated by teachers, schools and parents who wanted to make a greater connection with the geography in the United States for children. When cards are received, a heart goes on a map of the United States. Each card or letter is a celebration of togetherness and love.

“Afterwards, we’ll have the kids draw pictures and send thank yous to the groups or families who sent cards,” Lang said.

The project doesn’t stop there. Webster City Daycare is also sending out cards.

“We’ve sent out 23 or 24 cards to other communities,” she said. “A lot have gone to preschool classrooms and some area daycares.”

Webster City Daycare, located on Beach Street in Webster city, has 91 children enrolled. This includes 20 infants up to 24 months, seven children in the two-year-old program, 20 to 24 in the three- and four-year-old classrooms, and about 40 school-age children up to age 12.

“We have room for more students,” Lang said. “We just don’t have staff for more students.”

Webster City Daycare currently has two classrooms which are not being used, and are trying to hire additional staff.

Anyone who wants to participate in supporting “Hearts around the USA” can mail cards or letters to:

Webster City Daycare Center

P.O. Box 942

Webster City, IA 50595