How to Make Age Appropriate Valentine's Day Crafts

Valentine crafts can be lots of fun for kids, especially if you choose crafts they can make themselves. How age-appropriate a craft is depends on the patience, interest and skills of a particular child, how much help you want to offer and how much clean-up you’re willing to do. Here are some ideas for simple Valentine crafts for three different age groups. You may not need all of the supplies listed, depending on which craft you pick.

Things You'll Need

• Red and pink paper
• Crayons, markers or colored pencils
• Finger paint
• Heart stickers
• Scissors
• Glue or tape
• Small cardboard box or empty tissue box
• Paper brads
• Hole punch

Instructions

Valentine Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

1. Choose crafts with materials young children can use themselves, such as paper, stickers, crayons, coloring pages, or simple foam kits.

2. Avoid crafts that require scissors, fine motor skills, or small pieces such as beads.

3. For a simple craft, give the children paper, stickers and crayons and let them decorate their own cards for family members.

4. For a Valentine basket kids can make with assistance, cut out two large hearts from red or pink paper and glue them together along the side and bottom edges, leaving the top open. Cut a narrow strip of paper and glue the ends to the tops of the hearts for a handle. Let the children decorate the paper basket with crayons and stickers, or small pre-cut hearts.

5. For a keepsake craft, let the kids put both of their hands in finger paint and press their hands on a piece of paper. If you have them put their thumbs and index fingers close together, the area between the hands can look like a heart. Help write the child’s name and the date on the paper.

Valentine Crafts for Ages 5 to 9

1. Choose crafts that are simple enough for kids to make mostly on their own, but creative enough to keep them challenged and interested.

2. Avoid crafts that are difficult to assemble or require a lot of patience. Be prepared to help with writing and spelling.

3. For a simple craft, provide a small cardboard box. Have the kids cover the box with paper and decorate it to make a card holder.

4. For a craft kids can make with assistance, have the kids cut two medium sized hearts, one tall heart, and one small heart from paper. Glue the pointed ends of all four hearts together to make a “love bug.” Decorate the medium hearts (wings), small heart (face) and large heart (body).

5. For a keepsake craft, help the child trace one hand on a piece of pink paper. Cut out the hand and glue the back of the hand, thumb, index, and pinky fingers to a red piece of paper. Fold the middle and ring fingers down and glue the tips to the palm of the hand to make an “I Love You” sign.

Valentine Crafts for Ages 10 and Up

1. Choose crafts that are fun for older kids to make and have lasting value, such as creative card holders, bracelets or necklaces, picture frames, or gifts for family and friends.

2. Avoid crafts that are too juvenile or, for a mixed group, too girly.

3. To make a Valentine pinwheel, fold a square of red or pink paper in half diagonally, then fold it half diagonally again.

4. Unfold the paper and cut along each fold about three-quarters of the way, leaving the paper connected at the center.

5. Bring every other point of the paper toward the center and punch through all four points and the center of the paper with a hole punch.

6. Cut a tall, narrow strip of paper for a handle.

7. Punch a hole near the top of the handle’s center. Attach the pinwheel to the handle with a paper brad.

8. Roll the paper into a cylinder and tape the edges together.

9. Write Valentine’s messages on the paper pinwheel, such as “The wind may come, the wind may go, but that I love you, you’ll always know.”

Tips & Warnings

• Let the kids do as much of the craft by themselves as they can, but be prepared to help as needed.