We all know how commercialized Valentine's Day is in America, but it's very difficult not to acknowledge the mega popular holiday. Here are four Valentine activities for toddlers chosen with intention.
Creative Play: Tissue Paper Heart Craft
Year Round Play: Fake Flower Bouquet
No Prep Activity: Heart Stick Bouquet
Sensory Play: Valentine Sensory Bottle
💕 Tissue Paper Heart Craft
Kids love making tissue paper window art. The beautiful blend of colors resemble stained glass windows. Just a glimpse at one of these hearts on your window will brighten everyone's day!
Best For | Creative Play
Ages | 2+
Prep | Low
Mess Level | Low
Supplies Needed:
Red, pink, or purple construction paper
Red, pink. or purple tissue paper
Scissors
Clear contact paper- $6.99 Target
Masking tape (optional)
Step 1: Prepare the Heart Freehand
No heart template needed for this one! Simply fold a sheet of construction paper in half and draw half of a heart on the fold.
Keep the paper folded and cut along the line you drew. You should be left with a heart cutout— feel free to set this heart aside for a later project. Open construction paper to reveal the larger heart your kiddo will be using.
Step 2: Cut Up Tissue Paper
Cut various colored tissue paper into small squares and drop them into a bowl or small basket (toddlers will have an easier time picking the pieces up from a container versus on the table).
Step 3: Prepare Contact Paper
Roll out enough contact paper (about 8 in.) to cover the surface of your large heart, then cut it down the line. Repeat a second time. Think of it as a giant sticker over the construction paper.
Next, peel the contact paper and set it down on a table, sticky side facing up towards the ceiling. Next, carefully take the large construction paper heart and press it down onto the contact paper.
Step 4: Kid Takeover
Allow the child to stick the pieces of tissue paper all over the sticky heart in any way they want. It might be tempting to micromanage how many pieces kids stick on, but the more open-ended you keep this activity, the cooler the pieces turn out!
Step 5: Final Touches by Grownup
Once kid is done, check to see if any pieces of tissue paper overflow to the borders of the heart. If so, fold them over or cut them slightly off.
Now it’s time to use the second piece of contact paper you cut earlier. Peel the contact paper. Starting with one section of the contact paper, carefully press it down over the kiddo’s tissue paper heart (doing one section at a time helps reduce any air bubbles).
Finally, cut out the heart, leaving a thin border around the edge of the heart. You can use tape or use contact paper scraps to attach the heart to a window.
Developmental Skills: fine motor development, in particular, spatial reasoning;
Teaches: creativity; patience; imperfection
💐 Fake Flower Bouquet
Flowers are everywhere throughout the Valentine's Day season. But, flowers aren't just relevant to Valentine's Day. This flower bouquet activity can be used all year round (spring activity; summer activity; winter activity to brighten up the season).
Best For | Year round play
Ages | 1 ½ +
Prep | Moderate
Mess Level | Low
Supplies Needed:
Fake flowers -$1.25 per bundle Dollar Tree
Wire cutter - $7.99 Joann Fabrics
Colander - $1.25 Dollar Tree
Fabric placemat (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1: Get Fake Flowers
Pick out a few Valentine themed fake flower bouquets from the Dollar Tree. (Red carnations, purple roses, pink peonies, etc)
Step 2: Use Wire Cutters to Cut the Flowers
Remove the sticky price tag. Then use a crafting pair of wire cutters to cut the stems of the flowers to various lengths.
Repeat the process for each bouquet until you have a mix of flower colors.
Step 3: Kid Takeover
Turnover a colander and allow the child to insert the flowers into the holes of the colander until they’re happy with their flower arrangement.
😊 One time a kid and I liked their arrangement so much, we kept their bouquet intact and used it as a centerpiece during dinner!
Developmental Skills: precision; spatial awareness; color recognition; counting
Teaches: patience; appreciation for nature
❤️ Heart Stick Bouquet (No Prep)
Heart Stick bouquets are very cheap to set up with a trip to the Dollar Tree. Although the sticks are glitter heavy, toddlers tend to spend 20-30 min on this fine motor activity. I've also worked with a few kids that adore using these as wands for dramatic play.
Note: Try spraying a coating of matte mod podge on the hearts to reduce glitter shedding
Best For | Frugal fine motor play
Ages | 1 ½ +
Prep | No prep
Mess Level | Low
Supplies Needed:
Valentine's Day Wooden Glitter Heart Picks
Colander - $1.25 Dollar Tree
Fabric placemat (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1: Buy Heart Sticks
I’ve only been able to find these at the Dollar Tree (labeled as Heart Picks on the packaging)
Step 2: Locate or Buy a Cheap Colander
Either use a colander you have on hand or purchase a red one from the Dollar Tree (labeled as a slotted spoon on the tag)
Step 3: Kid Takeover
Developmental Skills: fine motor development, in particular, spatial reasoning; precision; counting
Teaches: patience
⏳Valentine Sensory Bottle
Perfect for little hands and curious minds, this mesmerizing bottle is filled with red static glitter and decorative gems to offer a calming experience for kids and grownups alike. It's an easy way to incorporate the Valentine theme around the house, while engaging the senses.
Best For | Sensory play
Ages | 1 ½ +
Prep | Low
Mess Level | Low
Supplies Needed:
Empty water bottle
Heart shaped gemstones- $1.25 Dollar Tree or $9.99 on Amazon
Valentine table scatter- $1.25 Dollar Tree
Red & white static glitter - $2.49 Michael’s
Baby oil 20 oz. bottle- $3.99 Target
Clear bin or box for easier cleanup (optional)
Instructions:
Step 1: Locate an empty plastic water bottle
The design of Voss water bottles makes them ideal for sensory bottles. However, most craft stores sell slightly taller, but similar bottles.
Step 2: Pour in static glitter
Static glitter adds an awesome effect to sensory bottles... but sticks to anything and everything! Use a popsicle stick or another long object to push the glitter into the sensory bottle. (This step is when the bin or box is super convenient at collecting spills and makes clean up a lot easier.)
Step 3: Add gems
Add all of your cute gems. Depending on your location and time of the year, you might be able to find heart shaped gemstones or vase filler at the Dollar Tree year round. If not, Dollar Tree's Valentine's Day inventory goes on the display the first week of January. At this time, you can easily find a pack of Valentine table scatter, which includes themed gems.
Step 4: Add baby oil
Pour in enough baby oil to fill up the bottle.
Step 5: Twist lid on tightly and shake
Twist the lid back on the bottle and give it a shake. Observe the movement of the contents inside. Add more glitter if you notice too much empty space.
Step 6: Apply clear packaging tape
Once you're happy with the results, add a clear piece of packaging tape along the lid to prevent leaks. This should also prevent curious kids from opening the bottle.
Developmental Skills: observation; intro to STEM (kinetic energy)
Teaches: perception; curiosity; patience