Children love to join in the spirit of holidays, and Valentine’s Day is no exception. They see mom and dad give each other flowers and chocolate, cook a special dinner, and exchange cards. Kids want to send messages of love on Valentine’s Day, too. These Valentine’s Day crafts to do with your kids will help get them involved and keep them occupied on winter days at home.
I Love You This Much Card
(Inspired by the Day in the Life blog)
What you’ll need:
- Red, pink, or white card stock
- White construction paper
- Non-toxic glue or glue stick
- Non-toxic kid’s paint kit or markers
A simple craft that transforms the Thanksgiving hand turkey tracing into a sweet card from your child. Have your kids trace their handprint twice on red card stock or heavy construction paper. Carefully cut out the hearts.
Using markers or non-toxic paints, have your kids write “I Love You” on the front of one of the hearts. Then, take a strip of white paper and fold it accordion style. Make enough folds to be able to write “this much” on the strip, with one letter in each segment of the strip.
Glue one end of the strip to the back of the “I Love You” heart, and the other end to the inside (back) of the blank heart. Carefully refold the accordion strip.
When the recipient opens the card, they’ll get the “this much” message, just as if your child was making the “this much” gesture with their two hands.
“Invisible Ink” Card
(Inspired by Small and Friendly)
What you’ll need:
- White or pink 8 ½ x 11-inch card stock
- Non-toxic red watercolor paint
- White crayon
- Pencil
- Small paintbrushes from a child’s paint kit
- Scissors
Fold a piece of 8 ½ x 11-inch card stock in half to form a card. Using the pencil, draw a small to medium- sized heart shape on the front and fill it in thickly with red watercolor paint. Allow the paint to dry.
On the inside of the card, use the white crayon to write a Valentine’s message of love, wishing the intended recipient a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Press hard to ensure the wax of the crayon is thick enough to avoid gaps in the message.
Cut two slits in the front of the card on either side of the heart and slip a small, child’s paint kit paintbrush through them to hold the brush in place. Be creative by making the slits on a diagonal so the brush will appear like a cupid’s arrow through the red heart.
Write “Dip this brush in water, and then into the red heart. Paint the inside of the card to reveal your secret Valentine’s message!” When the recipient coats the inside of the card with red paint, the message will appear!
Write a Love Story
What you’ll need:
- Red construction paper or oversized card stock
- White construction paper
- Markers, crayons, or pens
- Scissors
- Booklet or long-reach stapler
Encourage your kids to create their own “love story.” It could be the tale of how your family found your rescue pet, or a retelling of what you’ve told your kids about the day they were born and how you fell instantly in love with them. Create a heart-shaped book by folding red construction paper or oversized card stock in half, and cutting a large half-heart shape. Open the fold.
Make as many heart-shaped pages as you may need to transfer the story to the pages. Nest the pages inside each other, and bind the “book” in the center, saddle-stitch style, with a booklet stapler or a long-reach stapler.
Have your kids write their story one sentence at a time on white paper in a space that will fit on the heart-shaped pages. Write a title on the outside front cover, and “by” with your child’s name on the inside front cover. Start the story sentences on the first facing page. Cut out the sentences and glue one per page until the story is done. Write “The End” on the inside back cover.
Fingerprint Heart Tree
(Inspired by Easy Peasy and Fun)
What you’ll need:
- White construction paper
- Stamp pads in red and pink
- Black marker or black, fast drying non-toxic paint
- Scissors
- Pencil
Make a heart shape by folding white construction paper in half and cutting a half heart. Open the fold. Use the heart as a stencil to draw a heart shape with the pencil on another piece of white paper. Remove the stencil.
Paint or draw a bare tree trunk with several branches inside the heart shape. Then let your kids use their fingers and thumbs as stamps to dot red and pink “leaves” all over the heart-shaped tree.
To add a special touch, buy appropriately-sized wooden craft frames and decorate with foam hearts, pom poms, Valentine’s themed stickers, or glitter. Present the framed masterpieces to grandparents, siblings, cousins, or your partner in parenting.
Heart-shaped Bird Feeders
(Many recipes for these can be found in many places online).
This is a good craft for the little nature lover in your life, but this craft is not for babies who still put everything in their mouths! Make sure you supervise your kids when they press the sticky, seedy mixture into the cookie cutters or molds.
What you’ll need:
- Bird seed
- Gelatin
- Corn syrup
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter or mold
- Straw
Combine ½ cup water, 3 tablespoons corn syrup, 4 cups of bird seed, and 1 packet of unflavored gelatin in a bowl. Press the mixture into heart-shaped cookie cutters or molds. Pack tightly. Use the straw to make a hole near the “v” of the heart, so you can run a ribbon or twine through it when the mixture solidifies. Leave the seed mix in the cutters or mold overnight, until it dries and hardens.
Remove cookie cutters carefully by holding down the seed hearts, or, if you used a silicon mold, gently poke the hearts out. Run a piece of ribbon or twine through the hearts and hang on a tree in your backyard.
This is a great cold weather craft. Some who make this report that gelatin will melt in warm weather, and that corn syrup isn’t the greatest thing to feed birds. These feeders are also prone to mold, so check them regularly and take them down if they get moldy.
We hope you enjoy these Valentine’s Day crafts to make with your kids. There are many more fun and easy ideas online and in your local craft store.
