25 Easy Valentine’s Day Crafts for Toddlers in 2025

Valentine’s Day crafts for toddlers offer fun, simple activities to celebrate love and creativity. This list presents 25 easy projects using common materials like paper, paint, and household items that young children can enjoy making with minimal adult help.

Easy Valentine’s Day Crafts for Toddlers

Valentine’s Day provides a great opportunity to engage toddlers in creative activities. These crafts help develop fine motor skills, encourage self-expression, and allow young children to make heartfelt gifts for loved ones. Here are some simple yet enjoyable Valentine’s Day craft ideas perfect for toddlers:

1. Heart Stamps

Heart stamps are an easy and fun Valentine’s Day craft for toddlers. You can make stamps using various household items:

• DIY Heart Stamp Art: Use foam heart stickers attached to clothespins as easy-to-grip stampers for little hands.
• Toilet Paper Roll Heart Stamps: Transform empty toilet paper rolls into heart-shaped stamps by bending one end into a heart shape.
• Candy Heart XO: Use large foam letters (X and O) as a base for toddlers to glue candy hearts onto, creating a sweet decoration.

To make heart stamps:

1. Cut a potato in half and carve a heart shape
2. Dip the potato stamp in paint
3. Press onto paper to create heart prints

Toddlers can experiment with different colors and stamp patterns. This activity helps develop hand-eye coordination and color recognition.

2. Handprint Art

Handprint crafts make wonderful keepsakes. Some ideas include:

• Salt Dough Footprint Keepsake: Press baby’s foot into salt dough to create a lasting impression.
• Handprint Frame: Use salt dough to make frames with your child’s handprint, preserving both their handprint and a photo.

These crafts serve as adorable mementos and make great gifts for family members.

To make handprint art:

1. Paint your toddler’s hand with washable paint
2. Press their painted hand onto paper
3. Add details like stems or leaves to turn handprints into flowers

This craft captures your child’s hand size as a keepsake while allowing creative embellishments.

3. Paper Heart Animals

Create cute animal shapes using heart cutouts:

• Cut out different sized hearts from colored paper
• Arrange and glue hearts to form animal shapes like owls, cats, or dogs
• Add googly eyes and other details

This craft helps toddlers practice shapes and colors while making adorable Valentine’s creatures.

Some easy animals to make with heart shapes:

• Owl: Large heart for body, small hearts for eyes
• Cat: Medium heart for face, small hearts for ears
• Dog: Large heart for face, small hearts for ears and nose

Encourage toddlers to be creative with different animal designs using heart shapes.

4. Tissue Paper Suncatchers

Heart-shaped suncatchers add a colorful glow to windows. To make them:

1. Cut out a heart shape from construction paper
2. Cut out the center, leaving a heart frame
3. Cover the open center with clear contact paper
4. Let your toddler stick small pieces of tissue paper onto the sticky side
5. Hang in a sunny window

This craft introduces toddlers to working with different textures. The translucent effect of the tissue paper creates a stained-glass look when light shines through.

5. Valentine’s Day Slime

Slime is always a hit with toddlers. Make Valentine’s-themed slime by:

1. Mixing clear glue, water, baking soda, and saline solution
2. Adding red or pink food coloring
3. Mixing in heart-shaped confetti or glitter for extra sparkle

Supervise closely to ensure toddlers don’t eat the slime. This sensory activity allows for squishing, stretching, and molding while incorporating holiday colors.

Creative Paper Crafts for Valentine’s Day

Paper crafts are versatile, affordable, and easy for toddlers to manage. Here are some paper-based Valentine’s Day projects:

6. Paper Heart Garland

Creating a paper heart garland is a simple yet festive craft:

1. Cut out hearts from colored paper
2. Help your toddler punch holes in each heart
3. Thread string or ribbon through the holes
4. Hang the garland as decoration

This activity helps toddlers practice fine motor skills while creating cheerful decor.

Variations:

• Use different sizes of hearts
• Alternate colors for a pattern
• Add glitter or stickers to decorate hearts

7. Valentine’s Day Cards

Making homemade cards is a classic Valentine’s activity:

1. Fold a piece of construction paper in half
2. Let your toddler decorate the front with stickers, drawings, or glued-on shapes
3. Write a simple message inside

For added fun, try a yarn-wrapped heart card:

1. Cut a heart shape from cardboard
2. Help your toddler wrap colorful yarn around the heart
3. Glue the wrapped heart to the front of a folded card

Encourage toddlers to personalize cards for family members or friends.

8. Paper Plate Love Bugs

Transform paper plates into cute “love bugs”:

1. Paint a paper plate red or pink
2. Cut hearts from construction paper for wings
3. Glue on googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae
4. Draw a smile and add heart stickers

This craft combines several easy steps that toddlers can help with, from painting to sticking on decorations.

Variations:

• Make ladybugs with black spots
• Create bumblebees with yellow and black stripes
• Design butterflies with symmetrical wing patterns

9. Heart-Themed Coloring Pages

Printable Valentine’s Day coloring pages are perfect for toddlers:

1. Print out heart-themed coloring sheets
2. Provide crayons or washable markers
3. Let your toddler color freely

This activity is great for developing color recognition and fine motor control.

To make it more interactive:

• Talk about the colors they’re using
• Count the hearts on the page
• Discuss the shapes they see

10. Torn Paper Heart Collage

Tearing paper helps develop fine motor skills:

1. Provide strips of red, pink, and white paper
2. Show your toddler how to tear the paper into small pieces
3. Draw a large heart outline on paper
4. Have them glue the torn pieces within the heart shape

This craft teaches about texture and helps practice gluing skills.

Painting Activities for Valentine’s Day

Painting crafts allow toddlers to explore colors and textures. Here are some Valentine’s-themed painting ideas:

11. Fingerprint Heart Art

Create sweet heart art using fingerprints:

1. Draw or print a large heart outline
2. Dip your toddler’s finger in washable paint
3. Help them make fingerprints inside the heart
4. Use different colors to create a rainbow effect

This activity is perfect for toddlers to practice finger control and color mixing.

Variations:

• Make fingerprint flowers inside the heart
• Create patterns with alternating colors
• Use thumbprints to make larger prints

12. Q-tip Painted Hearts

Q-tip painting offers a new texture for toddlers to explore:

1. Cut out heart shapes from paper
2. Provide Q-tips and different colors of paint
3. Show your toddler how to dab paint onto the hearts using the Q-tips

This method creates a dotted effect and helps develop hand-eye coordination.

Encourage experimentation:

• Mix colors on the heart
• Create patterns or swirls
• Try painting the background around a white heart

13. Bubble Wrap Heart Printing

Bubble wrap printing creates interesting textures:

1. Cut bubble wrap into a heart shape
2. Dip the bubble side in paint
3. Press onto paper to create a textured heart print

This craft introduces toddlers to cause and effect as they see how the bubbles create patterns.

14. Marbled Paper Hearts

Create beautiful marbled effects with shaving cream:

1. Spread shaving cream on a tray
2. Drop food coloring or liquid watercolors onto the shaving cream
3. Swirl colors gently with a toothpick
4. Press paper hearts onto the marbled shaving cream
5. Scrape off excess to reveal the marbled design

This sensory activity produces unique results each time. Supervise closely to prevent toddlers from eating the shaving cream.

15. Heart Potato Stamping

Potato stamps are easy to make and fun to use:

1. Cut a potato in half
2. Carve a simple heart shape on the cut side
3. Dip in paint and stamp onto paper

Toddlers can create patterns or fill in larger heart shapes with these stamps.

Try different vegetables for variety:

• Use celery stalks for natural heart shapes
• Cut apples in half for a different heart texture
• Experiment with carrots or bell peppers for unique prints

Sensory Valentine’s Day Crafts

Sensory crafts engage multiple senses and are particularly appealing to toddlers. Here are some ideas:

16. Valentine’s Playdough

Make Valentine’s-themed playdough for squishing and molding:

1. Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, and water
2. Add red or pink food coloring
3. Cook until it forms a ball
4. Knead in glitter or vanilla extract for scent

Provide heart-shaped cookie cutters for shaping the playdough.

17. Sensory Valentine’s Bottles

Create calming sensory bottles:

1. Fill clear plastic bottles with water
2. Add red or pink food coloring
3. Put in glitter, heart confetti, and small Valentine’s trinkets
4. Seal tightly and let toddlers shake to watch the items swirl

These bottles are great for quiet time or as a calming tool.

18. Heart-Themed Sensory Bin

Set up a Valentine’s sensory bin:

1. Fill a large container with dried rice or beans
2. Add heart-shaped objects, pink and red items
3. Include scoops, cups, and funnels for play

This activity encourages exploratory play and fine motor skill development.

19. Scented Heart Sachets

Make simple scented sachets:

1. Cut heart shapes from felt
2. Let toddlers fill with dried lavender or rose petals
3. Glue or sew the edges closed

These sachets introduce toddlers to different scents and textures.

20. Textured Heart Art

Create hearts with various textures:

1. Cut heart shapes from cardboard
2. Help toddlers glue on different materials (cotton balls, sandpaper, fabric scraps)
3. Encourage them to feel the different textures

This craft helps develop sensory awareness and vocabulary for describing textures.

Edible Valentine’s Day Crafts

Edible crafts combine creativity with tasty treats. Always supervise closely and be aware of choking hazards.

21. Heart-Shaped Sandwiches

Make lunch fun with heart sandwiches:

1. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter on bread slices
2. Fill with favorite sandwich ingredients
3. Let toddlers help assemble

This activity makes mealtime more engaging and introduces basic food prep skills.

22. Fruit Kabobs

Create healthy Valentine’s snacks:

1. Cut fruits into heart shapes (watermelon, pineapple)
2. Thread onto skewers with other fruits
3. Arrange in a heart shape on a plate

This craft teaches about healthy eating and color recognition.

23. Valentine’s Trail Mix

Mix a festive snack:

1. Provide small amounts of heart-shaped cereals, pretzels, dried fruits
2. Let toddlers mix in a bowl
3. Add a few Valentine’s M&Ms for color

This activity practices counting, sorting, and mixing.

24. Decorated Sugar Cookies

Bake and decorate heart cookies:

1. Use pre-made dough or a simple sugar cookie recipe
2. Cut into heart shapes
3. Once cooled, let toddlers decorate with icing and sprinkles

This craft introduces basic baking concepts and allows for creative expression.

25. Heart-Shaped Fruit Pizzas

Make a healthy dessert pizza:

1. Use a large cookie or flatbread as the base
2. Spread with yogurt or cream cheese
3. Let toddlers arrange heart-shaped fruit slices on top

This activity combines food prep skills with shape recognition.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some safe craft materials for toddlers?
   Safe craft materials for toddlers include washable paints, child-safe scissors, large crayons, play dough, and non-toxic glue sticks. Always supervise toddlers and choose age-appropriate materials.
2. How can I make Valentine’s Day crafts educational for toddlers?
   Incorporate learning by counting hearts, naming colors, practicing shapes, and discussing emotions related to love and friendship while crafting.
3. What are some no-mess Valentine’s Day activities for toddlers?
   No-mess activities include sticker art, magnetic play sets with Valentine’s themes, and coloring with crayons on paper.
4. How can I involve toddlers in making Valentine’s Day gifts for family members?
   Let toddlers create handprint art, decorate picture frames, or make simple cards with stickers and drawings to give as gifts.
5. Are there any Valentine’s Day crafts that help develop fine motor skills?
   Yes, activities like stringing beads for bracelets, using clothespins to clip hearts, and tearing paper for collages all help develop fine motor skills.

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