26 Easy Valentine's Day Crafts for Toddlers, Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

Making Valentine’s Day crafts with your kids can be a great way to add a fun indoor activity to those dreary winter days. As a parent who’s obsessed with making art with my daughter, my post-holiday letdown is soothed by the promise that with Valentine’s Day around the corner, there are still crafts to be made and walls to be decked in seasonal masterpieces.

Crafting with kids is all about connection and play, which is extra important this time of year. “One of the reasons I love doing Valentine’s Day crafts with my kids is because it gives us an easy excuse to slow down and do something hands-on together in the middle of winter, when everyone’s kind of stuck inside and a little stir-crazy,” says Jordyn K.G., a mom of two in Stewartstown, Pennsylvania. And crafting is beneficial in so many ways: “Crafts are a wonderful medium for kids to express themselves while gaining a wide variety of skills,” says Theresa R., an occupational therapist and mom of one in Washington, DC.

Below, we’ve gathered some fun Valentine’s Day crafts for kids of all ages.

Key Takeaways

• Making Valentine’s Day crafts has many benefits, and kids of all ages can participate.
• The crafts below will require varying amounts of adult involvement depending on the age and ability level of the children involved.
• Sometimes, making arts and crafts is more about the process than the product. Remember: Perfection is overrated, and happy accidents are welcome!

Toddler Valentine’s Crafts

Making Valentine’s Day crafts with toddlers is all about letting them have fun with creative play. In my experience, it’s much more enjoyable (and realistic) to do projects that are all about the process of creating, with the finished product coming second in importance. Check out some of our favorite toddler Valentine’s crafts below.

Marble heart painting

Marble painting is the epitome of “process art”—art that emphasizes the process of creative play over the final product. It’s the perfect type of art for the littlest creators, helping toddlers grow in creative confidence and learn that it’s okay to get messy and make mistakes. This Valentine’s Day project by Karimah Henry of Crafting a Fun Life is a super fun and age-appropriate craft for toddlers.

Materials: Washable paint, thick white paper, large cardboard box or plastic bin, marbles, scissors

Instructions: Place a piece of thick white paper at the bottom of a slightly larger box or plastic bin. Have your child squirt paint blobs onto the paper. Next, add marbles to the box, and have the child tilt and shake the box side to side to move the paint around. “Play some fun music and let the kids shake and dance while painting,” says Henry. When your little one has reached a stopping point, take the paper out of the box and place it on a surface to dry. Once it’s dry, cut a large heart shape out of the painted paper, either using a template or freehand.

Valentine’s Day heart suncatcher

Your toddler will love this suncatcher craft by Heidi Kundin of Happiness is Homemade. It’s a fun-to-make craft with a final product that’s both beautiful and giftable. “We love crafts that take basic supplies and turn them into something sweet, meaningful and toddler-approved,” says Kundin. “This project is all about keeping things simple, playful and age-appropriate, because crafting with toddlers should be fun, not overwhelming!”

Materials: Clear contact paper, colored paper, tissue paper squares, other relatively flat embellishments (like glitter and sequins)

Instructions: Make a heart-shaped “frame” out of paper by cutting out a large heart shape and a smaller heart “window” inside of it. Affix the paper heart frame to a larger piece of contact paper, and cut off the excess contact paper outside of the frame. Set up a station with flat craft materials your toddler can place on the contact paper, and let them decorate as they please. When your child is finished, cut out another piece of contact paper to lay over the top. Trim off the excess contact paper around the heart frame. Hang on a window, and enjoy!

Nature heart collage

Toddlers will go crazy for this nature-filled craft by Audrey of Our Days Outside. It combines two of their favorite things: mess and nature! “I love finding crafts that utilize nature and are simple enough for even younger kids to make on their own. These little hearts are versatile and can be given as Valentines or used to make garlands for decorating the house!” says Audrey.

Materials: Cardboard, torn construction paper, assorted natural materials, liquid glue

Instructions: Cut out heart shapes from cardboard. Set up a station with glue and natural materials. Let your child glue the natural materials to the hearts however they’d like. Set aside to dry.

Q-Tip painted hearts

These Q-tip painted hearts, courtesy of Projects with Kids, are a great way to let your toddler experiment with art supplies in an age-appropriate way. Their final products will likely look a bit messier, or perhaps more expressive, than the one in the example photo—and that’s the beauty of it! In my opinion, there’s nothing better than art that’s infused with fun and play.

Materials: Sturdy paper, paint, cotton swabs, scissors

Instructions: Cut out paper hearts for your toddler. Set out a tray with paints and clean cotton swabs. Show them how to dab the cotton swab in paint and applying it to the heart, and let them go wild! Set aside the final product to dry.

Flower heart painting

For another fun way to help toddlers enjoy creative play, this project by Crafting a Fun Life provides a way to make Valentine’s Day art with an unconventional “paintbrush.” “I wanted to give my wilting flowers new life, so I thought it would be cool to use them as paintbrushes. The heart can be turned into a card or decoration,” Henry says.

Materials: Thick white paper, washable paint, flowers, scissors, tray or paper plate for paint

Instructions: Squirt washable paint onto a tray or paper plate. Place a piece of white paper on a surface. Allow your child to dip flowers into the paint and daub them onto the paper to create a fun and unique design. Let the completed painted paper dry, and cut out a large heart shape.

Valentine’s Day Crafts for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are naturally curious and bursting with playful ideas. Valentine’s Day arts and crafts can be a perfect vehicle for letting their creativity shine. See some great Valentine’s Day crafts for preschoolers below!

Hot-glue Valentine’s Day art

For a sensory-forward experience, your preschooler will enjoy this project by Kristina Buskirk of Toddler Approved. It requires a bit of prepwork from an adult, but after that it’s all about creative freedom for your little one. “The raised hot glue lines create tactile feedback as kids create, which makes this project so unique and a cool sensory experience,” says Buskirk.

Materials: Thick white paper, watercolor paint, cup of water, paintbrush, hot glue gun and glue sticks

Instructions: Cut out a large heart from thick white paper. Make designs with hot glue on the paper. If you have a low-temperature glue gun, you can let your preschooler do this step (as long as you supervise them closely). Once the hot glue dries, let your child paint the paper with watercolor paint however they’d like. Set aside to dry.

Flower-weaving heart craft

I love making crafts that incorporate recycled or found materials—like this project by Little Pine Learners. Using cardboard and flowers or other natural materials, your preschooler can create a darling token of love.

Materials: Cardboard, scissors, rubber bands, small flowers

Instructions: Cut out a heart shape from cardboard. Cut several pairs of slits at equal heights down the right and left sides of the cardboard. Place rubber bands around the heart and into the slits opposite each other. Invite your preschooler to weave small flowers into the rubber bands.

Valentine’s Day heart bouquet

Helping your preschooler make a super sweet Valentine’s Day gift is simple and fun thanks to this project by Arty Crafty Kids. It involves materials preschoolers love—like glue and small embellishments like sequins or buttons. And in the end, it makes an adorable gift or centerpiece!

Materials: Construction paper, green pipe cleaners, cut-up tissue paper, other small art odds and ends (like sequins and buttons), hot glue gun

Instructions: Cut out heart shapes for your child in sizes that would go well with a pipe cleaner stem. Encourage your child to place glue on each heart and add decorations of their choosing with the supplies you’ve provided. Set decorated hearts aside and let them dry. Create a stem and leaves with green pipe cleaners—or help your preschooler to do so. When the hearts are dry, hot glue the tops of the stems to the back of the hearts. Arrange the “heart flowers” together for a delightful Valentine’s Day bouquet.

Valentine scrape art

This Valentine’s Day craft by Kristina Buskirk of Toddler Approved is another great example of art play in action. “I’m obsessed with process art ideas that get kids experimenting and exploring instead of focusing on an end product. Each Valentine scrape art creation is different, which makes this a great project to repeat again and again,” says Buskirk.

Materials: Thick white paper, washable paint, Sharpie, piece of cardboard, scissors

Instructions: Draw a large heart on a piece of sturdy white paper. Demonstrate squirting blobs of washable paint on the paper and scraping the paint across the paper with a piece of cardboard to make a unique design. Your preschooler can repeat this process as many times as you desire. Let the painted papers dry, and cut out the hearts if desired.

Pressed-flower heart suncatcher

For a natural twist on a Valentine’s Day suncatcher, Tara Rondinelli of Little Pine Learners suggests using pressed flowers as the decorations. Preschoolers can choose and arrange pressed flowers on their suncatcher, making a wild and memorable craft!

Materials: Dried flowers, wax paper, scissors, twine, ironing board or towel, iron

Instructions: Cut a large piece of wax paper and fold it in half. Draw a large heart on the folded wax paper. Open up the wax paper and place flowers within the outline of the heart. Close the wax paper again and iron it several times to fuse the two halves of the wax paper. Then cut out the heart, and affix the suncatcher to a sunny window.

Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kindergarteners

Kindergarten is a major turning point in the crafting world. Many kindergarteners can handle multi-step tasks—and maybe even sustain focus for the entirety of the crafting project! Either way, crafting with 5- and 6-year-olds can be super fun (as long as you keep your expectations in check). See some great Valentine’s Day crafts for kindergarteners below.

Newspaper heart postcards

This unique Valentine’s Day craft by Bar Rucci of Art Bar Blog makes an eye-catching end product to display or gift to loved ones. It involves painting newspapers, which make for an unconventional canvas and a gorgeous final product.

Materials: Newspaper, watercolor paints, thick paper, glue sticks

Instructions: Paint sheets of newspaper and let them dry. Once dry, cut out heart shapes. “Offer postcard-sized watercolor paper to children to paint with watercolors with warm red, pink and orange tones,” says Rucci. “Glue the newspaper hearts on top with a glue stick. Children can write their messages for classmates or loved ones on the back.”

Puffy-heart craft

Your kindergartener will love making these puffy hearts by Crafting a Fun Life. “The best part of this puffy-heart craft is showing kids that ‘trash’ can become something beautiful. Stuffing the heart is also a great sensory activity for kids," says Henry.

Materials: Paper bag, washable paint, polyester fiber fill (or crunched-up paper), scissors, paintbrush, glitter (optional)

Instructions: Cut out two large identical hearts from a paper grocery bag. Paint both hearts and let them dry. Staple the hearts together halfway, with the painted sides facing out. Stuff the hearts with fiber fill or crunched-up paper. Continue stapling around the hearts to close them up.

Family heart banner

While it’s perfect for kindergarteners, the whole family can join in on this Valentine’s Day craft by Pink Stripey Socks. Making a heart banner for each family member will create a visual reminder of the love you share.

Materials: Thick white paper, construction paper, watercolor paint, paintbrush, yarn, scissors, tape, glue

Instructions: Cut a heart shape out of thick white paper for each member of your family. Paint the hearts. Cut slightly larger heart shapes out of construction paper for each member of your family. When the painted hearts are dry, write the names of your family members on them, and glue each one to a larger construction paper heart. Then, attach the hearts to the yarn with tape to create a banner.

Valentine’s Day centerpiece

The best part of this project by Sandy Toes and Popsicles is that it can be done entirely without adult prepwork. Simply hand your child some yarn and sticks, and watch their creativity soar.

Materials: Yarn in Valentine’s Day colors (reds, pinks, whites), sticks

Instructions: Let your little one pick out sticks to wrap with yarn. Give them assorted yarn in Valentine’s Day colors, and they can wrap the yarn tightly around the sticks. When they’re done, place the wrapped sticks in a jar for a lovely centerpiece.

Craft foam stamps

This Valentine’s Day project by Art Bar Blog involves kids in making both the art supplies and the final art piece. Kindergarteners will love being able to make their mark every step of the way.

Materials: Craft foam, lids or small pieces of cardboard (for stamp base), pigment ink pad, washi tape, scissors, pencil, paper, hot glue gun

Instructions: Use a pencil to draw hearts on craft foam. Cut them out, and hot glue them to a piece of cardboard or other stamp base. Tape the paper you’ll stamp onto a surface. If you tape along the edges, this will also create a border. Your child can now place the heart stamps on the ink pad(s) and create a heart composition on the paper. Remove the tape border to reveal the final work of art.

More Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids

Older kids can really start to explore their crafty talents and interests—and Valentine’s Day crafts provide a lovely opportunity to do so. See below for fun art projects for your older children to enjoy.

Valentines for the class

Using upcycled materials to make Valentines for their whole class is a fun way to let your child express themselves and share love with their classmates. They can fill these fun bags with notes, small goodies like stickers and candy.

Materials: Newspaper, watercolor paints, small paper bags, markers or letter stamps, washi tape

Instructions: First, paint sheets of newspaper with watercolor paints. Let them dry, then cut out heart shapes that are smaller than the brown paper bags. Rucci of Art Bar Blog outlines the next steps: “Tape the newspaper hearts onto little brown paper bags with colorful washi tape. Write or stamp each classmate’s name above. We filled these with some stickers and an ‘I love mom’ tattoo!”

Bleeding-heart painting

This Valentine’s Day project by Meri Cherry & Play Make Create Art Studio in Encino, California, explores the magic and fun of watercolor painting. It’s fun to do and results in a truly impressive piece of wall art.

Materials: Thick white paper (ideally watercolor paper), pencil, watercolor paints, paintbrush

Instructions: On your watercolor paper, lightly draw hearts in pencil. To make your bleeding-heart art look similar to the example, you’ll need five rows of five hearts. Make sure the adjacent hearts are slightly overlapping. Fill each heart with watercolor paints in colors of your choosing, and if you work quickly, the side-by-side hearts will bleed into each other in fun ways. Pro tip: For extra vivid colors like in the example, use liquid watercolors.

Secret message heart harland

I’m a sucker for a “secret message" project, so I love this Valentine’s Day craft by Meghan Hernandez of Electric Mommy. Hernandez agrees that this craft is sure to be fun for the whole family: “This heart garland is one of those projects that looks charming and festive without requiring a lot of time or supplies and is perfect for both kids and adults to make.”

Materials: Thick white paper, white crayon, pencil, watercolor paint, scissors, hole punch, yarn

Instructions: Cut out as many hearts as you’d like to include on the garland. If you want a more uniform look, make a heart template to use for the heart shapes. Write “conversation-heart”-type messages on the hearts with a white crayon. Then paint the hearts and let them dry. Finally, punch two holes at the top of the heart arches, string yarn through them, and hang.

3D paper heart sculpture

This paper heart sculpture project by Red Ted Art is a fun creative challenge for older children. While the paper sculpture in the example project only includes paper hearts, feel free to use your imagination with your paper folds and designs—the world is your oyster!

Materials: Construction paper, scrap piece of cardboard, glue stick

Instructions: Cut a piece of cardboard to any size smaller than a sheet of printer paper. Cut a piece of construction paper to the size of the cardboard piece, and glue it onto the cardboard to create a one-color base. Cut strips of construction paper in colors of your choosing. Fold the paper strips into heart shapes and any other shapes you desire, like zig zags or spirals. Glue your hearts and folded paper pieces onto the cardboard base and each other to create a unique, three-dimensional paper sculpture.

Valentine’s Day thumbprint jar

I love crafts that turn into classy decorations you can pull out every year. These heart jars by It All Started With Paint offer a mix of pretty and whimsy and would make a perfect vase. And who doesn’t love art with their kids’ fingerprints on it?

Materials: Empty glass jar, acrylic paint, paintbrush, tray for paint

Instructions: Paint your glass jar with two coats of acrylic paint. Let dry overnight. To add hearts to the jar, place your thumb into a tray of paint. Then, add two thumbprints to the jar in the shape of a heart. (Adults can use their pinkies instead of thumbs.) Repeat fingerprint hearts around the jar to make a pattern.

Valentine’s Day Craft Kits

Some Valentine’s Day crafts are more DIY than others. If you prefer a lighter lift, you’re in luck. We’ve found a few cute Valentine’s Day craft kits that make getting started a total breeze.

When the winter weather is bringing you down, making Valentine’s Day crafts for kids can be a great way to infuse a bit more joy into your world. And remember: Keep it fun! There’s no pressure or need to be “perfect” in arts and crafts. “The magic of Valentine’s Day is that it doesn’t come with big expectations, so you can do as much or as little as you want,” says Jordyn K.G. To all the craft enthusiasts like me—who plan to be covered in glitter and glue as much as possible this February—happy crafting!