Fun and Easy Valentine Crafts for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Celebrate your love for your child and Valentine’s Day with special preschool Valentine crafts. You and your preschooler will have fun and learn by doing heart crafts, making handmade Valentines, and creating mailboxes.



Toddlers and babies can also have fun creating Valentine crafts for parents and grandparents. With close supervision (watch those mouths!), kids as young as 12 months can hold a crayon and make scribbles on a special Valentine heart. Or…take a picture of your toddler or baby in a Valentine outfit and include in a card for Grandma and Grandpa.

With a few easy and inexpensive craft supplies, your preschooler or toddler will love creating the Valentine crafts below. Supplies for these easy crafts include: paper (red, white, pink), markers, crayons, doilies (available at party supply) & craft stores), heart or Valentine stickers or “foamies” (also available at craft stores).

Have fun and Happy “Heart” Day!


Doily Valentines
Supplies

• Doilies
• Pink & red paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Markers or crayons

Directions

1. Cut out various sized hearts from the pink and red paper (do this for toddlers and younger preschoolers)
2. Allow your child to be creative when decorating his valentine
• Glue the doilly onto a full sheet of paper or just use the doilly
• Decorate the doilly by gluing on the different sized hearts, drawing with markers or crayons, use stickers or stamps
3. Depending on your child’s age and ability, write or have her write “Happy Valentine’s Day” and sign her name

Notes

• Any Grandma will love this handmade Valentine from her favorite preschooler

• Plain paper
• Contrasting color of paint
• A paint brush
• Shallow dish (paper plates work well)
• Your child’s hands
• A cloth or sink to clean off hands

Directions

1. Place the paint in the dish in a thin layer
2. Dip both of your preschooler’s hands in the paint
3. Place one hand and then the next on the piece of paper, overlapping to make a heart as pictured
4. Write your child’s name and the date and print out or write the poem to include with the heart

This isn't just a valentine
As you can plainly see
It is of course my handprint
Which is a part of me
It's bigger than the last one
Smaller than the next will be
Given to you with lots of love
From sweet and precious me
-Origin Unknown

• Pink, red, and white paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Markers or crayons

Directions

1. Cut out various sized hearts from the pink, white and red paper (do this for toddlers and younger preschoolers)
• At least one large heart for a head
• 5+ small hearts for eyes, nose, ears, horns...
• 5+ medium hearts for hands, feets, mouth
2. Cut several strips of each color of paper
• Younger preschoolers can practice their cutting skills by helping (draw lines for them to follow across a sheet of paper)
3. Allow your child to be creative while creating her “monster”
• Show her how to fold the strips of paper back and forth to make accordion arms and legs
• Talk about what body parts “monsters” might have that we don’t

Picture Valentines
Supplies

• Camera
• Paper or poster board
• Computer
• Markers, stickers, and/or crayons

Directions

1. Print out or write (or have your preschooler write) "Happy Valentine’s Day" or "Be My Valentine" on the paper or poster board
2. Have you child decorate the Valentine poster with his name, stickers, markers, and crayons
3. Have your preschooler, toddler, or baby (or all of your kids) sit and hold the sign while you take a picture

Notes

• A great toddler Valentine craft
• We sent out Valentine’s (and birthday greetings) like these when our kids were babies
• Print out the pictures to send or email or post digital photos to your blog!

• Clear contact paper
• Small pieces of paper, confetti, or tissue paper

Directions
Prep:

1. Cut 2 identically sized pieces of contact paper
2. Place paper, confetti, or tissue paper in a container
3. Decide what the final shape of the project will be and get a pattern if needed
4. Peel the back off of 1 piece of the contact paper

With your Toddler:

1. Place 1 piece of contact paper sticky side up in front of your toddler
2. Allow toddler to stick paper, confetti, or tissue paper on the contact paper (without moving any of it!!)
3. When he is finished, place the second piece of contact paper onto the first
4. Trace (find a heart printable) or draw a heart shape onto the contact paper and cut it out

• Box (shoe boxes, cereal boxes, or tissue boxes all work well for this preschool Valentine craft)
• Paper or wrapping paper
• Markers, crayons, stamps, stickers, foamies

Directions

1. To prep for this preschool craft, wrap the box in plain or wrapping paper and cut a slit in one side
2. Allow your child to decorate his “mailbox” with stickers, stamps, crayons, markers, or cut out construction paper hearts
3. Your valentine mailbox is complete and ready for a great game of “post office”

Notes

• A great family activity! Have each member of your family decorate a mailbox…
• Encourage everyone to write notes, draw pictures, or send Valentines to each other…
• If you want to be able to look at the Valentines as they are sent, be sure to leave an opening in the bottom or back to remove them!
• Get creative with more Valentine box ideas

• Various envelopes
• Stickers
• Markers, crayons, or pencils

Directions

1. Talk to your preschooler about how to address a letter. Show her a letter with an address, return address, and stamp.
2. Give her supplies to “address” her own letters
3. Use stickers for stamps
4. Encourage her to write her name for the return address (or draw a picture of herself)
5. Have her draw a picture or write the name of the recipient
6. Have fun “sending” each other letters

• Did you know that “pretend” writing (like writing lines for words) is actually a sign of developing and understanding writing skills?
• Encourage your child to do this Valentine activity independently. She will surprise you with her creativity and skills.

Preschool Learning and Crafts Home