Valentine's Day Crafts for Young Children

Have kids make Valentine's Day cards for their friends at home.

Kids can make a variety of Valentine's Day crafts to give as gifts or to add to the Valentine's Day cards they hand out to their friends. Kids can draw, glue, decorate and even bake crafts in preparation for a Valentine's Day celebration. For any craft, let very young children do the drawing and decorating, and then help them out with any necessary cutting.

Custom Chocolate Bar Wrappers

For a customized Valentine gift that children can hand out to friends, make or purchase a batch of chocolate bars and have the children decorate homemade candy wrappers. Use small pieces of Valentine-themed wrapping paper to wrap the chocolate bar and have a young child decorate paper hearts to glue on the wrappers. Alternatively, give children rectangular pieces of paper and have them decorate with glitter, stickers or crayons. Wrap the papers around the chocolate bars and add a heart-shaped cutout with a note for your valentine.

Heart-Shaped Lollipops or Cookies

Kids can turn regular lollipops into heart-shaped flowers to add to Valentine's Day cards. Have them trace hearts onto red, pink and purple construction paper or cardstock and cut out the shapes. Next, trace small leaves on green construction paper or cardstock and cut out the leaves for the lollipops. Glue one heart shape onto a lollipop and then glue two leaves onto the lollipop stick. Alternatively, kids can also make heart-shaped sugar cookies on a stick, wrap each cookie in cellophane wrap and tie it closed with a bow.

Teddy Bear Brooch

Make an animal-shaped pin for Valentine's Day gift to give to a friend or family member. The craft is simple enough that even young children can make the pin under the supervision of an adult. Choose a shape for the brooch, such as a teddy bear, and trace the shape onto a small piece of leather and cut out the shape. Trace a small heart onto a red piece of leather and cut out the heart. Glue the heart onto the center of the teddy bear. Paint on the teddy bear's eyes or glue on googly eyes. Turn the bear over and glue on a brooch base to the back.

Valentine's Day Card Holders

Kids can make a mailbox using cardboard and a rectangular piece of foam for friends and family to leave Valentine's Day cards. Fold the foam to make a "U" shape to make the top and long sides of the mailbox and cut the bottom and short sides from a piece of cardboard. Cut out an opening in one of the short sides and glue the pieces together. Decorate the mailbox with fabric glitter pens and felt shapes.

References

• Artists Helping Children: Valentine's Day Chocolate Bar Wrapper Card
• Disney Family Fun: Lollipop Flowers
• Artists Helping Children: How to Make a Valentine Gift Box with a Bear Heart Brooch Pin - Part 1
• Free Kid Crafts: Lovely Mailbox