by Jen Thorpe

Created on: January 16, 2010

Valentine's Day is a great time to let your toddler make some adorable, vibrant, colorful Valentine's Day crafts.  These make great gifts for Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Caregivers, and whoever else your toddler wants to show some love to.  I spent several years working with toddlers as a day care teacher.  These experiences have taught me what kinds of Valentine's Day crafts are easy, and fun, for toddlers to create.  

(1) Painted Hearts

You will need:

red finger paint

white poster board (or cardboard, or any other type of sturdy paper)

scissors

newspaper 

Step 1:  An adult needs to cut the white poster board into heart shapes.  These can be any size you like.  Larger hearts look nice hanging on the refrigerator.  Smaller hearts are great to put into envelopes, and mail off to a loved one far away. 

Step 2: Cover the table (or floor) where the toddler will be painting with newspaper, to protect it.

Step 3: Pour, or scoop, a little of the finger paint onto the inside of the lid of the jar of finger paint.  Offer this to the toddler, not the entire jar of finger paint at once.  Add more finger paint to the lid as needed.  

Step 4: Let the toddler have fun painting with his or her fingers!  Most toddlers love being allowed to spread paint all over something.  Finger paint is designed to be nontoxic, so, when the toddler eventually ends up covered with paint, (or decides to see what the paint tastes like), it is nothing you need to panic about.  

Optional ideas:  

*Add glitter to the paint as it dries.  Toddlers delight in shaking glitter onto things.  I recommend this only for the brave of heart, those who don't mind finding bits of glitter in their hair hours later, or those who happen to find great pleasure in using a vacuum cleaner.  

* Use a marker to write the name of the person the heart will be given to on the unpainted side of the heart.  I recommend waiting until the paint is completely dry before trying this.  You can even allow the toddler to "sign" his or her name.  

* Have a box of baby wipes nearby, and ready to be used.  I have found that quickly cleaning off a toddler's hands before he or she dashes off to the next activity cuts down on the amount of paint that can potentially be spread everywhere the toddler travels. 

(2) Stamp Designs

You will need:

One package of Crayola Mini-Stampers Markers

White paper (any kind)

newspaper

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