Kids love any reason to engage in arts and crafts. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, spend an afternoon creating and constructing a lovely handmade gift that your child can give to a parent, grandparent, friend or teacher. The below activities are appropriate for toddlers to school-age children, but the assistance of a guardian may be necessary for some of these Valentine’s Day crafts.
Don’t forget to check out our blog for more fun holiday themed winter activities and crafts!
Handprint Tree Craft
This fun, 3-dimensional craft is a lovely Valentine’s Day craft for Mom or Grandma. All of the following supplies are available at your local craft store, or can even be found lying around the house. You will need a paper cutter, stapler, scissors, pencil, glue stick and school glue, paper plate, and construction paper (blue, green, brown, and pink).
First, parents should help their children cut 6-inch by ½-inch strips from the pink construction paper. Connect the ends together with a staple and fold a crease to create a heart. To complete the handprint tree, your child will need anywhere from 15-20 paper hearts.
Next, you can focus on constructing the tree. Cut a strip of green construction paper for grass and glue it to the bottom of a piece of blue construction paper. To make the tree, trace your child’s hand and part of their arm on a brown sheet of construction paper. Cut it out and glue it on the blue sheet.
Once you’ve done that, arrange the paper hearts at the top of the handprint tree so you can see where your child would like to glue them. Next, pour a substantial amount of glue in the center of the paper plate. Dip the heart into the glue and then place it on your tree. Continue dipping the hearts into the glue and place them at the top of the handprint tree until all of them are glued. Be careful about moving the tree, as the glue will take several hours to dry.
After the glue has dried, your handprint tree is ready! Alternative ways to construct the Handprint Tree include the Flowering Tree.
Puppy Love Heart
The materials needed for this Valentine’s Day craft are minimal, and only involve red, pink, white, and black construction paper, scissors, glue, and a black marker.
First, cut out one big red heart and a pink heart from construction paper. Cut the pink heart in half, using the pieces to create the dog’s floppy ears. Next, cut out a smaller black heart for the nose and two small white hearts to use as eyes. Add two circles on the white hearts with black marker. Cut out a small pink oval to make a dog tongue sticking out. Next, glue all the paper together, and your puppy heart is complete.
Thumb-body Loves You!
One of the easier Valentine’s Day crafts to complete with your children is this simple “Thumb-body Loves You” craft. The supplies are a piece of white or beige construction paper, non-toxic natural red or pink-colored paint, and a marker. Use the paint to color your child’s thumb and then press it against the construction paper. Repeat with both thumbs. After you’ve cleaned the paint off your child’s hands, use the marker to draw a body, eyes, and smile on the thumbprint. On top of the thumbprints, write “Thumb-body Loves You!” and give to the beneficiary of your child’s choice.
Cardboard Roll Heart Stamp
If you have small children, you’re bound to have a collection of paper towel or toilet paper rolls. Supplies for this Valentine’s Day craft include cardboard rolls, washable tempera paint, paper plate, and heavyweight card stock paper, cut in half. First, press the roll flat and make two creases. Then, invert one of the creases and repeat to make the indent on top of the heart.
Second, fill a paper plate with a generous helping of paint. Place the tube firmly in paint and begin stamping your heavyweight paper. Once that’s been completed and the paint has dried, turn them into cards!
Contact the Nanny Authority for More Information Today!
For more information on Valentine’s Day related arts and crafts and recipes, visit our Valentine’s Day board on Pinterest. To hire a creative, fun nanny, contact us at 973-466-2669 or via e-mail for more information today.