Oh, the memories of Valentine’s Day spent at school. The classroom parties, the decorated bags, the handcrafted Valentines! What better way to celebrate this lovely holiday with preschoolers than with enjoyable crafts and activities? Pair a science, math, or reading lesson with a cute Valentine’s craft. Since kids will be required to hold small objects, cut along various shape lines, and tie yarn between two holes, many of the projects on our list focus on gross motor skills. See our selection of the top preschool Valentine’s Day crafts!
- Map out your heart
This is one of those Valentine’s Day projects for toddlers that truly speaks to the heart! Kids create a heart-shaped map of their passions with this easy-to-do project, which forces children to reflect on the things that are most important to them.
2. Practice patterns
You can use glue to secure the pom-poms, beads, twine, or buttons to make these pattern cards more durable or reusable. As your kids practise gross motor skills, have them make patterns (red, red, white, red, red, white).
3. Open your arms for a hug
First, have your pupils paint two tiny hearts for the hands and one larger cardboard heart for the body. The construction paper strips for the arms should then be folded by them. Once everything is put together, you’ll have this cute paper hug craft!
4. Create a cuddly teddy
Creating a cuddly teddy bear sounds like a fun project! Here’s a step-by-step guide to make a basic, soft teddy bear:
Materials Needed:
- Fabric: Soft, plush fabric like fleece or minky.
- Stuffing: Polyester fiberfill or other stuffing material.
- Thread: Matching the fabric color.
- Needles: For hand-sewing or a sewing machine.
- Pattern: Teddy bear sewing pattern (you can find many online).
- Safety eyes and nose (optional): For a cute face.
- Embroidery floss or felt: For facial features (if not using safety eyes/nose).
Steps:
- Choose a Pattern:
- Find or create a teddy bear pattern. Simple patterns are usually easier for beginners and can be found in sewing books or online.
- Cut the Fabric:
- Lay out your pattern on the fabric and cut out the pieces. Typically, a teddy bear pattern will include the body, arms, legs, and ears. Make sure to cut two pieces for each part (front and back).
- Sew the Pieces:
- Body: Start by sewing the body pieces together, leaving an opening for stuffing. Sew with a seam allowance, usually about 1/4 inch.
- Arms and Legs: Sew the arms and legs similarly. Turn them inside out and stuff lightly with fiberfill.
- Ears: Attach the ears to the head or body, depending on your pattern.
- Assemble the Bear:
- Attach the arms and legs to the body.
- Sew the body pieces together, making sure to leave an opening for turning and stuffing.
- Stuff the Teddy Bear:
- Gently stuff the bear with fiberfill. Make sure to fill all parts evenly and to your desired firmness.
- Close the Openings:
- Hand-sew the openings closed, making sure the stitches are neat and secure.
- Add Facial Features:
- Safety Eyes/Nose: Attach them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Embroidery: Stitch on the eyes, nose, and mouth using embroidery floss or felt if not using safety features.
- Finish Up:
- Give your teddy bear a final fluff and adjust any stuffing as needed.
- You can add accessories like a ribbon or small shirt if you like.
And there you have it—a cuddly teddy bear ready for hugs! If you need more detailed instructions or tips on any specific part, just let me know!
5. Tell time with a Valentine’s Day clock
Enjoy creating this Valentine’s Day clock with your students as you start teaching them how to tell the time. Paper plates, heart-shaped cutouts, thick paper or foam, paper clips, and, of course, glue and markers are required!
6.Build a tower of conversation heart
This Valentine’s Day STEM exercise is entertaining for young children. For the base, you may use conversation hearts or any kind of stacking block, or you can just have kids try how high they can stack them. Extra candy should be kept on hand because small mouths will definitely steal some!
7. Wear finger props for a Valentine’s Day–themed story time
After your children make these easy finger puppets of hearts, read aloud from a few Valentine’s Day counting books to them while they count along.
8. Practice sorting
You’ll need some adorable heart-shaped containers (there are tonnes of them on Amazon) and a nice combination of red, pink, and white beads. Sort your small ones according to size, colour, or perhaps both. Add some plastic tweezers lastly to give kids a true challenge in honing their gross motor abilities.
9 Make a sponge stamp
Make sure you have some plastic tablecloths and possibly an additional set of adult hands available because this one can get messy. Let your pupils cut out the heart you drew with your sponge, dip it in paint, and use it to make Valentines for their loved ones!
10. Create and solve a name puzzle
This easy activity teaches cutting, spelling, and letter recognition. First, cut construction paper hearts. Next, write the names of your students on them, putting zigzag and curving lines in between the letters. Lastly, have the children cut the puzzle pieces and then attempt to put them back together!
11. Filter the light with hearts
With the help of your kids, construct some adorable light-filtering crafts to decorate your classroom. We really like that your young painters’ hand strength increases when they use hole punchers. Make sure the heart has a hole in the top for the ribbon to pass through, then use painter’s tape to suspend them from the ceiling.
12. Wear your heart on your head
This adorable headband is inexpensive and simple to prepare, and it would be a great craft for a Valentine’s Day celebration. To fit your pupils’ heads, cut poster board into strips and staple them together. Lastly, let the kids use pipe cleaners and foam heart stickers to adorn them.