Materials

• Polymer Clay (Fimo, Sculpey or similar brands)
• Heart shaped cookie cutter or old butter knife
• Rolling pin
• Thin piece of dowel or bamboo skewer
• Glitter
• Craft tray
• Clay board
• Smock
• Glitter

Cooking

• Baking sheet
• Tin foil

Finishing

• Exterior grade sealant
• Paint brush
• Permanent marker

Key Rings

• Key rings (you can buy these at craft, dollar or hardware stores)
• Binder rings
• Beads

Directions

• Follow the directions on the clay product that you choose.  This is an activity that may require adult assistance in the kneading to prepare the clay.

• Roll out the clay to the thickness described in the product cooking directions on a clay board or surface used for craft materials (e.g., craft tray).  You may decide to mix colours, as our daughter did.

• We added a bit of glitter.

• Cut out your hearts with a cookie cutter or better yet, make your own heart with a butter knife.

• Make a hole  (or holes) with the end of your dowel or skewer.

• Put your hearts spaced out on a piece of tin foil on your cookie sheet and bake according to the product directions. (As described on the product instructions, this portion of the activity should be done by an adult.)

• Allow to cool.

• We then painted our hearts with a thin layer of sealant on one side, allowed it to dry overnight and then painted the other side and allowed it to dry overnight.

• You can write a small message or the child’s name on the back in permanent marker, should you like.

• Create a key chain, necklace or small garland with your hearts. (We used binder clips to loop the hearts and the beads onto the key chain so it would be kid-friendly.)  Ours were quite stiff and would be difficult to re-open, but if yours are not, consider gluing them closed.)

Purpose

• Developing fine motor skills, working with various materials and tools.

Safety Notes

• Wear a smock and use a craft tray as some of these types of materials may cause staining.
• An oven should be used by an adult and assure that the hearts have completely cooled before handling.
• A butter knife should be handled with care, direct adult supervision and transported with the point downwards.
• Cord, lace etc. can be a strangulation hazard and therefore should not be used for play, but rather with direct adult supervision.  Remove your necklace when on a playground or use a release clasp depending on the age of your child.)
• Beads, rings etc. can be a choking hazard and should not be within reach of children ages 0-3 or those that tend to put things in their mouths.
• Be sure to wash your hands after handling the clay (the product we used was listed as non-toxic) and glitter as well.
• We recommend having an adult cut the point off of the end of a bamboo skewer prior to use as they can be sharp and work more effectively in creating a uniform hole when flat.
• We suggest using tin foil on your cookie tray to avoid product contact with a surface that you use for food (or use an inexpensive tray solely for this type of activity.)

This activity was featured on The Crafty Crow!  Check them out for more Valentine’s Day fun!

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2015/02/hugs-kisses-valentine-garland.html

Materials

• Burlap, twine (we received this as a kit for Christmas from a craft store, but you could easily cut and sew the edges of regular burlap or use scrap fabric)
• Felt
• Fabric scissors
• Needle
• Beads (optional)
• Embellishments (embroidery floss, gems, sequins etc.)
• Sewing marker
• Small lids (One larger and one smaller)
• Fabric glue
• Ruler

Directions

• On your felt, trace around 2 lids to make the “O”s.   The larger lid makes the outside circle of the “O” and the smaller makes the inner circle to cut out.  Fold the felt in half to make a incision for cutting out the inner circle.

• A simple way to make the “X”s is to draw out strips of felt the width of a ruler, cut them in half and cross them over each other in an “X” formation, putting a dot of fabric glue to hold them together.

• Glue or sew your letters onto the burlap banner flags. (make sure you put the glue on the side with the fabric marker, so it is concealed.)

• Add any embellishments that you may like on or surrounding the letters (sewing, sequins etc.) and lace (with a needle) the flags onto your cord, adding beads in between should you like.

Purpose

• Recognizing symbols associated with various seasons or celebrations.
• Cutting various materials.

Safety Notes

• Fabric scissors and needles can be sharp.  Exercise caution and use with direct adult supervision.
• Be sure to wear to wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces from the fabric glue.
• Beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years or those that tend to put things into their mouths.

Materials

• Wrapped floral wire or thin pieces of dowel or bamboo skewers with the point cut off.
• Yarn (a few colours)
• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Tape

Directions

• There are many innovative ways to make pom-poms.  This one is easy for young children.  Have an adult cut out a rectangle of cardboard.  (Your child might be able to do this, however, cutting cardboard tends to be a bit tricky and may require large scissors.) Cut a smaller rectangle out of one of the sides (as seen in the photograph).

• Tape one end of your yarn to the cardboard as shown.  Wrap your yarn around the cardboard.  The more you wrap, the fuller your pom-pom will be.

• Cut a small piece of yarn (we used another colour just so you could see it more clearly).  Put it under your wrapped yarn through the small rectangular window (as seen in the photograph) and knot it securely.

• Gently slide your wrapped yarn off your cardboard.  Trim the ends of the loops with your fabric scissors, making them uniform.

• Repeat for the number of blooms you would like in your bouquet.

• Insert the wire into the centre.  (You may want to put a bit of fabric glue on the end of the wire, depending how tightly wound your pom poms are.)

• Give these beauties to a friend!

Purpose

• Creating opportunities for developing fine motor skills (wrapping, tying etc.)

Safety Notes

• Yarn or similar materials can be a strangulation hazard, therefore it is not a toy and should be used withe direct adult supervision.
• Wire can be sharp.  Exercise care when using it.

Materials

• Blank T-shirt
• Cardboard
• Pencil/eraser
• Scissors
• Fabric paint
• Craft glue
• Paint brush
• Craft tray
• Smock
• Paint tray
• Optional embellishments (sequins, beads, embroidery floss etc.)

Directions

• Draw or write the shapes and/or letters on cardboard that you want to make into stamps.

• Have an adult (as this can be tricky with cardboard), cut out the letters for you.

• Cut some small squares of cardboard and glue them together and on the back of your shape to make a little handle.  Allow to dry overnight. (You could also use a glue gun for a speedy version of this.)

• Put a large piece of cardboard into your shirt.  (This will prevent your bag from being “glued” together with your fabric paint.)

• Don your smock.  Put your paint into your tray.  We used a brush and brushed the paint on the stamp for an even coat, but you could also try dipping your stamp if you like.

• Apply it carefully to your shirt.  Allow to dry overnight.

• Once dry, remove your cardboard insert.

• You could add details around your letters should you like- a bit of sewing, or use fabric glue and add gems or sequins.

Purpose

• Learning a variety of ways to make stamps
• Learning the symbols of various celebrations

Safety Notes

• Be sure to wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect clothing and surfaces.
• Make sure an adult uses the glue gun if you go with this option for the handles.

Materials

• Seed beads
• Craft glue in a bottle
• Paper
• Craft tray
• Blank card set OR fold cardstock and make your own
• Smock
• Pencil

Directions

• Put your paper sheet on your craft tray.  This will catch any excess beads.

• Lightly draw a heart or shape of your choice in the centre of your card.

• Trace over your heart using glue.  (To make a thin line, only open the nozzle on your glue half way, depending on the model.)

• Sprinkle your seed beads into the glue.

• Shake off the excess onto the paper in your craft tray.

• Roll the paper into a funnel shape and then put the beads back into the container.

• Allow your card to dry overnight, write a special message inside and then give it to a friend, teacher, neighbour or relative.

Purpose

• Making interesting materials for written communication.

Safety Notes

• Use a craft tray and a smock to protect surfaces from damage that may occur with glue.
• Beads can be a choking hazard.  Be sure to keep them out of reach from children ages 0-3 years or those that tend to put things in their mouths.

Here is one idea:

Materials

• Primary ruled index cards (you could also use name plates or sentence strips cut up.  These are available at educational stores, craft stores and dollar stores)
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Heart stickers
• Hole punch
• Ribbon (to attach)

Directions

• Our biggest suggestion with making Valentine cards is to start early (In January!).  This allows you to work on a few of them each day or every few days (so the task is not overwhelming).  Gauge your child’s energy and be sure to keep it positive. (Even if it it 1 name per day.)  At the end of Valentine’s Day this year, consider buying a few sets while they are on sale for next year and then you have them ready to go.  Be sure to buy a few extra to account for errors that are expected to occur with children this age.

• Create a clear workspace such as a table or desk that you can sit at together. Have all your supplies handy beforehand.

• In learning how to write there are many products that assist in helping children to form their letters effectively and clearly.  When you use primary ruled cards such as the ones shown they give perameters as to where a part of a letter starts and stops (so for example the circular part of a capital “P” sits between the middle dotted line and the top line and the line portion (or “stick” as our kids tend to call it) extends down to the bottom line.  Ruled cards come in many colours and can be embellished in many ways.  You could add stickers as we did, you could draw a picture on the blank side, a splash of paint etc.  The choosing of colours and adding items like stickers breaks up the actual writing portion of the task into smaller portions.

• When learning to write, a pencil allows for corrections.  Some younger children benefit from thicker pencils and/or special grips that slide onto the pencil (which can be purchased inexpensively at educational stores).  As a teacher, I always found the white style of eraser most forgiving and easiest to use for the children.  As erasers tend to get misplaced because of their size, cut them in half or thirds.  Back-to-school sales allow you to stock up on these types of things (or look for even greater clearance sales post back-to-school in some areas).  For some children a fancy pencil can be an incentive to use, while for others it can be a distraction.

• Some pre-school or Kindergarten teachers will ask that you only put your child’s name on the Valentine so as assist in the large task of passing them out (not having to look through each one and decipher the names.)  Be sure to ask for a class list and check what his/her requests are.

• We show you one example of something to pass out for Valentine’s Day: books.  We purchased these as a large set and then took the set apart and the kids could pick one for each classmate.  If your child is older they could write in the books themselves (or you could glue in an index card) or write on labels and attach them to the books as we have also done in the past.  Each of the books worked out to be less than 50 cents.  Other inexpensive, useful options could include play dough, pencils etc.  You certainly don’t have to include a small token- our kids most kept Valentines from their friends are the homemade cards!

• If your child is learning how to form letters, make little dots (as shown) for them to trace.

• Attach your index card to your gift with a bit of ribbon and share them with your friends!

Purpose

• Learning to write one’s name

Safety Notes

• Erasers can be choking hazards therefore keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 or those that tend to put things in their mouths.

Materials

• Felt (2 colours)
• Pinking shears (optional)
• Fabric scissors
• Plastic pellets (Polyfil type material.  You can by these at craft and dollar stores.)
• Sewing materials (you can sew these by hand or by machine)
• Funnel
• Plastic zip bag
• Ruler & sewing marker *optional

Directions

• Cut three copies of a rectangle out of your felt- two of one colour and one of another.  We used pinking shears, but you could use regular fabric scissors. (Depending on your child’s age and abilities you may need to use a sewing marker to draw out the rectangle beforehand or you could pin a paper rectangle to the felt, making a template, cutting around it.)  We found layering the cut one on top of the next piece of felt made them the same size.  Our pinking shears were quite sharp so we were able to cut out two layers at once, with an adult helping to hold it taut.

• Fold one of the same colour pieces of felt in half lengthwise and cut out a heart, using the fold at the middle.

• Place this on top of the different coloured piece of felt and sew around the edge of the heart and the edges of the rectangle as shown on the left below.  The heart will  peek out

• Layer this on top of your last piece of felt and then sew around the edges, leaving a gap that would be big enough to fit your funnel.  We suggest a thicker stitch to withstand all the tossing!

• Slip your funnel into the gap in the bean bag sewing and fill your bean bags with plastic pebbles inside a clear plastic bag so you can see what you are doing and so that the pebbles stay contained.  You may want to use a scoop or spoon or some children will enjoy the sensory experience of using their hands to fill the funnel.  (You may also want to have a vacuum on hand!)

• Carefully sew up the gap.  (Move the beads to the other side of the bean bag to avoid breaking your sewing machine needle.)

• Have fun tossing your beanbags to a friend or to a target!

Purpose

• Make props to promote activity.

Safety Notes

• Be sure to keep plastic pellets away from small children (0-3 years) to prevent consumption.
• A sewing machine is recommended for adult use or based on your child’s age and abilities, with direct supervision.

This activity was featured on The Crafty Crow’s round-up of Valentine’s Day projects for preschoolers!  Looking for other inspirations?  Check them out!

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2015/02/valentine-crafts-for-preschoolers.html

Materials

Paper Hearts

• Heart punch OR a pencil/eraser and scissors
• Cardstock
• Paint
• Craft tray
• Smock
• Small spoon (*Optional)

Wreath Base

• Scissors
• Cardboard
• 2 plates, bowls or lids (one smaller than the other)
• Pencil/ eraser
• Craft glue
• Paint (*Optional)
• Paint brush

Directions

Wreath Base

• Have an adult cut a wreath base out of cardboard for you.  You may want to use two sizes of a large lid or plate if you decide to make your wreath circular in shape. (With the larger lid for the outside circle and the smaller lid for the inside.)

• Flip the cardboard base over to a side that does not have text or printing.  Paint the base if you like.

• Punch out your hearts from cardstock. (Or for older children, draw and cut them out, reflecting your personal style.)

• Fold your hearts in half as shown.

• Put little dots of paint on your hearts (depending on your paint bottles, a small spoon might be helpful for this) and fold your hearts in half again , assuring contact with both sides, “smooshing” the paint to the edges.

• Carefully open your hearts.  (As our daughter would say, “What a beauty!”)

• Make many to create your wreath, a garland or hearts to glue to notes etc. (Or just to enjoy the process!)

• Allow to dry overnight.

• Glue your hearts onto your wreath base.  Allow to dry overnight.  Give to a friend, teacher, neighbour or hang on your door etc.

Purpose

• Re-imagining items (re-cycling the cardboard)
• Identifying common symbols of various celebrations
• Experimenting with various painting techniques

Safety Notes

• It is recommended that an adult cut the cardboard for the wreath base, as it can be tricky.
• Be sure to wear a smock and use a craft tray to protect your clothing and surfaces from glue and paint.