5 Valentine Activities for Kids

Valentine's Day is a special day during the year when we let people we love know how much we care and appreciate them. Lots of people buy flowers, candy, and cards, but sometimes homemade gifts and fun activities are much more meaningful. Here are 5 Valentine activities for kids to try.

Art from a Heart

A simple shape can become glorious art. Cut different size hearts from construction paper. Some hearts can even be cut in half. Arrange these hearts on paper to form people, flowers, butterflies, etc. Half a heart could become fish, whale, or flying bird. Add the details with markers and crayons onto your page. Children can use this creative artwork to make cards or decorations for the home.

Spin Art

Borrow a salad spinner from the kitchen. Place a white paper plate into a spinner and drop dollops of poster paint (tempera) in colors of red, white, and pink. Get the spinner moving quickly to spread the paint into a unique design. Add more paint and repeat if you wish until the plate is covered. Punch a hole at the top, thread with yarn or string and hang these as decorations in your home.

Up, Up, and Away

Make Valentine kites out of construction paper. Make them colorful and add cloth scraps for the tails. On the fronts, decorate with uplifting messages such as "Love Is in the Air," "Valentines Send Me Flying," or "My Heart is on Cloud 9." These make great wall decorations or can be given as giant cards.

Special Packages

Invite the kids to make special packages for friends, parents, and relatives. Provide a small paper lunch-sized bag and have the kids decorate these artistically with art materials. Here are a few ideas of things to put inside the gift bags.

Balloon - Inflate a balloon and write "I Love You" with a permanent marker. Deflate this and put it into the bag. When the recipient receives the balloon, it only takes a few breaths to get the message.

Coupons - Cut out and write coupons that can be redeemed for a hug, kiss, chore, and so on. The recipient enjoys these gifts of love.

Hand - Trace and cut out a handprint from construction paper. Make sure to write the child's name and date on this paper hand, as well as the slogan "Hands grow throughout the Years."

Treat - Add decoratively wrapped candy or cookies make especially for your loved one. Make homemade wrapping paper by stamping hearts on tissue paper (or using cookie cutters dipped into poster paints as additional stamps).

Lace Decorations

Have the kids trace around a plate on white paper and cut out the circle. Then fold this circle in half three times. Draw designs at the fold lines and along the edges. Cut out the designs to make a "lace" circle (just like when cutting out snowflakes). The kid can then glue a circle of red cellophane of the same size to the back of the lace circle. These are not only beautiful sun-catcher decorations, but everyone's design is unique.

These 5 Valentine activities will get the kids into the spirit of the holiday and makes February - a "Sweetheart of a Month."

Source: Personal Experience