- Seasonal art for kids
by Rachel Withers
December 20, 2023
Easy valentine crafts that are just right for toddlers. Lots of fun painting, printmaking, and playdough ideas for heart art all month long.
Updated January 2024
If you have a toddler, this list is for you! It’s full of painting, playdough & printing activities that make adorable handmade valentines or heart art for the walls.
And best of all, these are age appropriate crafts that toddlers can make mostly on their own!
So get ready– I think there’s nothing sweeter than watching chubby hands happily painting hearts. Enjoy!
Easy Valentine Crafts
1. DIY Cardboard Valentines
These are so fun to make big or small. We’ve painted big hearts with toddlers at art classes and made small hearts for classroom valentines. Start with cardboard and paint, add pompoms, glitter, sequins, cut paper, straws, etc!
2. How to Make Blot Art Hearts
Whether you know it as smush or symmetry paint or blot art, we find toddlers are wild over it! Beware that once kids get started, it’s hard to stop!
3. Homemade Playdough for Valentine’s Day
Make some homemade playdough with holiday colors. Playdough is a great way for toddlers to develop hand strength and fine motor skills. Plus sculpting is lots of fun! Find some homemade recipes here.
4. Painting Valentines with Watercolors
A sweet and simple heart art activity, especially for toddlers. Cut out a paper heart and set out liquid watercolors. String finished hearts together as a garland or give to friends & family for homemade valentines.
5. Potato Printed Hearts
I’m not sure when potato printing is more fun than for Valentine’s Day with sweet little hearts. Learn how to create your own stamps and easily cut out potato stamps with our favorite tips.
6. Paint Sugar Hearts
A spinoff inspired by Redviolet Studio’s sugar cube version. Use a silicone mold with sugar and enough water so it comes together. Let dry and pop out of the mold. Paint with droppers and liquid watercolors.
7. Paint Hanging Cardboard Hearts
Create a whole gallery of hearts with this idea from CreationSpace. Perfect for a toddler art class, toddler play date, or having fun on your own!
8. Stitch Homemade Valentines
Cut out hearts and paint. Then have children hole punch and stitch the heart.
9. Stacked Cardboard Hearts
Try this easy 3D valentine with recycled cardboard and pouch lids, plus tempera paint sticks.
10. Nature Heart Valentines
A basic weaving project with cardboard, rubber bands, and flowers that’s so fun for kids.
11. Paint Heart Balloons
Try this fun idea from CreationSpace. An interactive painting experience using an unusual canvas.
More Easy Valentines Crafts for Kids
- 30 Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids
- 19 Easy Valentine’s Crafts for Kids
- 12 Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids
- How to Make a DIY Valentine’s Box
- How to Make a Valentine’s Day Garland
- The Best Books for Valentine’s Day
Want even more creative ideas?
Check out our Hearts Activities pack!
We think you’re going to LOVE this sweet collection of adorable heart activities! This 32-page printable eBook is full of coloring pages, drawing prompts, games, and more!
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- Valentine's Day
Rachel Withers
Rachel is the Editorial Manager at The Artful Parent. She is passionate about engaging with kids through art, whether at art groups or through teaching photography at a local elementary school.Rachel lives in Portland, Maine, and loves going on adventures with her family.As a mother of two young kids, she is excited to explore how nature, art, and play combine in a child’s learning and development. Creating art with her kids and hosting a toddler art group are current highlights.
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am an expert and enthusiast. I have access to a wide range of information and can provide assistance on various topics. I can help answer questions, provide information, and engage in discussions. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to ask!
Regarding the article you mentioned, "Seasonal art for kids" by Rachel Withers, it provides easy Valentine crafts for toddlers. The article suggests various painting, printmaking, and playdough ideas for creating heart art throughout the month of February. The crafts are age-appropriate and can be made mostly by toddlers themselves. Let's explore the concepts mentioned in the article:
Easy Valentine Crafts
- DIY Cardboard Valentines: This craft involves painting big or small hearts on cardboard and adding decorations like pompoms, glitter, sequins, cut paper, and straws.
- Blot Art Hearts: Also known as smush or symmetry paint, this activity is popular among toddlers. It involves creating heart shapes using paint smudges or blotting techniques.
- Homemade Playdough for Valentine's Day: Making homemade playdough with holiday colors is a great way for toddlers to develop hand strength and fine motor skills. It can be sculpted into heart shapes.
- Painting Valentines with Watercolors: This activity involves cutting out paper hearts and painting them with liquid watercolors. The finished hearts can be strung together as a garland or given as homemade valentines.
- Potato Printed Hearts: Potato printing is a fun technique for creating heart shapes. The article suggests learning how to create your own stamps and easily cutting out potato stamps.
- Paint Sugar Hearts: Inspired by Redviolet Studio's sugar cube version, this craft involves using a silicone mold with sugar and water to create heart shapes. Once dry, the hearts can be painted with droppers and liquid watercolors.
- Paint Hanging Cardboard Hearts: This idea from CreationSpace allows toddlers to create a gallery of hearts using cardboard. It's suitable for toddler art classes, playdates, or individual fun.
- Stitch Homemade Valentines: After cutting out hearts and painting them, children can hole punch the hearts and stitch them together.
- Stacked Cardboard Hearts: This easy 3D valentine craft involves using recycled cardboard and pouch lids, along with tempera paint sticks.
- Nature Heart Valentines: This project combines weaving with cardboard, rubber bands, and flowers to create heart-shaped valentines.
- Paint Heart Balloons: This interactive painting experience uses balloons as an unusual canvas for creating heart art.
The article also provides additional resources for Valentine's Day crafts and activities for kids, such as Valentine's Day garlands, DIY Valentine's boxes, and books related to Valentine's Day.
I hope this information helps you explore the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any specific questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!
