valentine's day ideas for kids
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30 Ideas to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Kids

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It’s almost here, one of the best months of the entire year. If you’re into all things love and happiness like I am, then these Valentine’s Day ideas for kids will be right up your alley. 

Growing up as a Jehovah Witness we didn’t celebrate many holidays, so making Valentine’s Day special for kids is something I love to do. It fills my heart with so much joy watching their faces light up as we do crafts together or they read why their momma loves them so much! I’m sure there’s an extra little push somewhere in there to make up for the things I missed out on. But who’s actually keeping track?

Valentine’s Day Craft Ideas

Creating crafts with my kids is always loads of fun. Sike. Who am I kidding? I can’t stand it. My perfectionism kits in and I end up overwhelmed and overstimulated from the “mess.” But since I’m a momma, I suffer through it anyway. That is until I found some valentine crafts for kids that are actually fun. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still messes to be made, but at least you can enjoy the mess and actually make some good memories.  

For these arts and crafts to do with kids on Valentine’s Day grab some hot cocoa with the little marshmallows, let go of the need for everything to be perfect, and enjoy your kids. I’m speaking mostly to myself here, however feel free to heed the above advice as well. I know it’s easier said than done, though. 

heart shapes for Valentine

1.  Paper Heart Mobile or Garland

Setting aside the millions of pieces of construction paper you may have laying around afterwards, this craft is on the cleaner side. Grab any color (or multiple) of construction paper you’d like, string (fishing lure if you’d like it to be invisible), tape (double sided if you’re fancy) and scissors. 

The best part about this, hearts come in so many different sizes and shapes that embracing the inevitability of our kids creating misshapen hearts will actually make this craft better! Bring on the creativity and even cut inside some of the hearts to make “heart frames”. The number of hearts you create will depend on how long you want your garland to be. 

After the hearts have been cut out, lay out the string on a flat surface. Place each heart along the string, making the spacing between them as close to even as possible. No biggie if it isn’t though. Since this will be hanging no one will notice. Once everything has been laid out, tape the hearts on, hang, ignore the lopsided hearts, construction paper that somehow made it into your child’s hair and enjoy! 

2.  Heart-Shaped Crayon Wreath

Okay, so I think you’ll like this one for sure. No construction paper or cutting involved at all. Already off to a good start, right! To make this craft, you can purchase a heart shaped wreath or use cardstock and create your own. Once you have your base (the wreath) grab the crayons. Get creative and make a pattern using only red, pink and white or use every color and make it a rainbow heart. Either way you can’t go wrong. You are going to glue the crayons onto the base. Again here you can’t really go wrong. I’d recommend gluing them all in one direction but rotating might look just as cool. To make this easier, a hot glue gun would work well, but super glue is also an option. 

3.  Painted “You Rock” Valentines Rocks

A huge fan of painting rocks, my oldest absolutely loves this. With there being several ways to go about it, the level of mess here is really up to you. There are kits you can purchase that come with the perfect rocks, paint, and even gemstones. If you are more on the adventurous side ( and by this I mean you have the patience to do so), go outside and find some rocks. The smoother the easier they are to paint. Pro Tip: The closer to a body of water you find them the smoother they will be. Rock paint (and markers) can be found at your local craft store too. Once you have all the supplies, lay out some trash bags, put on some smocks and let the kids go at it. These typically take a few hours to dry. 

4.  Homemade Valentines Box

No matter what you plan to use it for, we give our kids “love letters” the entire month of February so making DIY valentine boxes work out perfect for us. Or if you child needs one for school, this is a fun craft that can easily take on a life of its own. From something simple to a box that is more involved and has tons of details the possibilities and mess level, are endless here. Pro Tip: Take some of the work off your own hands and buy a premade box so you only need to decorate it. 

crafts for kids

5.  Painted Noodle Necklaces

If you’re an adult, you’ve probably made a noodle necklace at least once in your life. And if not, then now is as good of a time as ever. Supplies outside of noodles of course, include paint, string, and any additional decorations you think your child may like. This can include gems, beads, different shapes, really anything. Pro Tip:  Keep in mind that when it comes to making a necklace, the bigger the noodle the easier it is to string. Especially for small hands, so rigatoni is a good choice here. This one can get kind of messy, but putting down trash bags (or brown paper bags) or some type of protectant on the floor will make that less likely. And don’t forget paint smocks. 

6.  Button & Bead Picture Frame

Another classic from my childhood and I know I’m dating myself here. Here me out, while this is probably one of the messier ones, and ultimately will need more patience, it is also one of the sweetest. I mean, what grandparent doesn’t want to display a picture of their grandchild in the picture frame made by said grandchild. 

For this, head to your local craft store and get an array of buttons, beads, and other small accessories. Varying the sizes and color of each will make this even more fun. While you’re at it, go ahead and mentally prepare yourself to be finding beads for weeks to come. In some of the strangest places too. 

For the actual frame you can choose paper or wood. I suggest laying out the pattern or design the beads and buttons will be in before gluing anything down. That way, if anything needs to be adjusted or moved you can do so easily. Once your child has everything laid out just how they’d like, start gluing. A hot glue gun or super glue could work for either frame choice above. 

Valentine Gift Ideas For Kids

When it comes to valentine goodies for kids my first thought is always candy. Chocolate actually. And while there isn’t anything wrong with giving chocolate or any other candy, if you’re looking for some none treat based alternatives, check out the list below:

7. The Gift of Time

One thing we can never get back is our time. It is something that is so precious but often taken for granted. Gift your child the gift of some special one on one time for valentine’s day. Maybe you guys head out on a date, or have a movie night right in your living room. Whatever it is, remember it’s not the activity as much as it is the experience. So worry less about making it fun, and focus solely on loving on them, and speaking their love language. 

8. “All About You” Gift Baskets

Who knows your child better than you? No one right! So making them an all about you gift basket is the perfect way to show this. Get a few of their favorite things, things they’ve been asking for, and even some things that remind you of them and put them in a basket. Nothing says I love you more than a personalized basket full of gifts picked out specifically for someone. And guess what, since no child is involved in making this, the possibility of a mess is very low. 

valentine's day ideas for kids

9. Fancy Family Photoshoot

Valentine Photoshoots are so much fun! And they don’t have to be in a studio either. Get creative and have fun in the process. This year we took ours to Target. It was so much fun playing around in their Valentine decor while making memories with the kids. 

10. Friendship Bracelet Kit 

My daughter loves anything that involves a bracelet and I’m a huge fan of the variety this craft offers. You can make bracelets that need no other supplies beside string, add some beads if you’re in the mood to be picking them up for the next few weeks, or go for less on the accessories, which means less of a mess, while still delivering a big bang. Finally, you can also purchase some pre-made ones and make everyone’s life easier. 

11. Hot Cocoa Bombs

These are newer, well at least to me, and definitely something I want to try and make. From reading different recipes it doesn’t seem too hard. Now with me being about as good at baking as I am at keeping plants alive (which has been an absolute disaster) I am not at all about to pretend I can walk you through making these. Instead check out this recipe here

Kid-Friendly Valentine Decoration Inspiration 

Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be any fun without valentine decorations for kids. It’s a way to really get the kids excited for the day. But also, who doesn’t love pops of red and pink all over their home. One way to make Valentine’s Day special for kids is to even decorate their rooms. Most of these decorations can be used in multiple places. 

12. Foam Heart Walls

Easy and quick with a huge impact, foam hearts are an easy way to decorate any wall. They come in a variety of sizes too! Bonus for the easy set up and clean up. Add an extra dose of love and write affirmations on a few of  them. 

13. Deck the Doors with Hearts

This is one of my favorite Valentines traditions. Every year for the entire month of February we put heart shaped loved notes on our kids doors. Then in the morning they get to read their new note. You may think it would be hard to come up with 28 new things to love about your child every day, and sometimes I struggle. When I’m having trouble I do a quick Google search of different ways to tell your child you love them. 

14. DIY Posters

What’s cuter than a homemade poster to hang in your room from your mom? Easy to assemble, especially if you have a cricut, create an entire poster dedicated to how amazing and special your child is!  Another great option is to create something on Canva and have it printed somewhere. 

candy filled mason jars as valentine's day ideas for kids

15. Candy-Filled Mason Jars

I know, I know, I mentioned earlier I would refrain from anything candy related, but how could you blame me. Anything that involves a mason jar is basically mandatory. You can line your fireplace, add some to your entryway table, or use the jars as part of your Valentine tablescape. Use red and pink colored candies like M&M’s, gumballs, or any other candies that are the right colors. Use a Valentine Day themed cupcake wrapper secured with some twine to make it extra cute. 

16. Melted Crayon Heart Art

So first, as I’m sure you don’t already own one of these, you are going to need a heart shaped silicone baking tray. You will be happy to know, this is on the lower end of mess. Literally just taking crayons, removing the paper wrapping and putting them into the baking dish. From there let them melt in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes at 250 degrees. Talk about easy. Oh, don’t forget to break the crayons (if you’re lucky enough to even have whole crayons in your home). But don’t be like me and feel bad for it. I don’t know why but for some reason I always feel like I’m about to get in trouble for breaking crayons. And no, do not ask how often I’m breaking crayons. 

17. Heart Doilies Tablescape 

I have found memories of paper doilies from my childhood. So a tablescape made with heart shaped doilies holds a special place in my heart. Decorate your table in a variety of ways with paper doilies and don’t be afraid to add other things. Such as those melted crayon hearts I mentioned earlier. 

Valentine’s Day Meal Ideas

Of course Valentine’s means a special meal. Making some fun valentine’s day recipes for the kids will definitely make them feel loved. No matter if you are making valentine treats for little kids or Valentine day lunches for your school aged kids, they are sure to love it. 

18. Heart Pretzels

Here’s another chance to use that baking mold you just got! If you haven’t tried baked pancakes, it’s a thing. An amazing thing at that. But if you’re more of a stovetop person, you can still create heart shaped pancakes. Actually, you have options. Choose from a cookie cutter or a pan that has hearts already molded into it. 

19. Pink Milk

Add natural red food coloring to your favorite milk for a fun Valentine day drink. Or even use it for a bowl of cereal for some extra giggles. 

20. Heart-Shaped Fruit Salad

Grab the heart shaped cookie cutters and have some fun! Watermelon and strawberries are perfect fruit for cutting into hearts. Add some cherries, blueberries and a little pineapple for some texture and pops of color. 

21. Love-Themed Waffle Bar for Breakfast

The words waffle and bar literally give me so much joy. Grab all your favorite toppings, your waffle maker, whip up some batter and call everyone down for breakfast. It’s that simple! Fruits, chocolate, preserves, whatever you can imagine. Don’t forget the powdered sugar, syrup and honey. Warning you now, this will result in lots of mess but also lots of laughs. 

22. Chocolate Fondue Fountain 

Who wouldn’t want to wake up to a fondue fountain in their kitchen as a kid! And the best part, there is literally nothing that doesn’t taste good covered in chocolate. Pretzels, fruit, bacon, crackers, there are so many options here. 

kids heart shaped donuts for valentine

23. Mini Heart Donuts 

Hack: make homemade donuts from a can of biscuits in your airfryer for even more love. One of my favorite recipes takes less than 20 minutes. 

Pop up your biscuits (I prefer the plain ones) and start creating your donuts. You an use a cookie cutter, scissors or your hands to get the shape you want. Next combine cinnamon, sugar and melted butter together. Once its blended together well, cover your donuts and add them to the airfryer. Cook for 7-9 minutes and boom! Yummy at home donuts. 

24. Heart-y Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is a level of comfort food that screams the person who made this loves you. Cut the bread into hearts before cooking for some extra pizazz. 

Meaningful Valentine Projects for Kids

Looking for some valentine ideas for children that will have more meaning behind it? Because yes, being showered with love is great, but we are raising emotionally healthy humans who can also shower others with love. 

25. Handmade Cards for Your Children’s Classmates

Taking time to create their own valentine cards will not only spark their creativity but also help teach some good lessons. Valentine card ideas for kids can go one of two ways. Super messy and not so messy. So depending on your level of commitment will dictate that. 

26. A Random Act of Kindness

Something I believe we all should do way more often, showing a stranger a random act of kindness is the perfect way to show love on Valentines day. Something like picking up the tab for the person behind you in a drive thru, having your child help a neighbor bring in their groceries or even helping a younger sibling with their homework are some examples. 

27.  Paper Airplane Love Notes for Family

I know us moms like the idea of non-candy Valentines every once and awhile. Especially with the amount of candy Valentine can bring home. Well this paper airplane doubles as “the toy” and the Valentine in one! 

28. Decorate Sugar Cookies for a Neighbor

Let’s face it, we all love Sugar Cookies. Plus they are one of the easier cookies to bake, which means less mess. No I haven’t forgotten about that. Don’t’ forget to decorate them with sprinkles and icing in red and pink to spread the love.

29. Serve at a Homeless Shelter

Something many may not think of, volunteering at a homeless shelter can be meaningful in a number of ways. Not only will it remind our children to be grateful for what they have, but it can also help install some important values. Things like being kind to others no matter their circumstances. Or the realization that one decision could lead them to something similar. 

30. Bake & Deliver Brownies to Local Fire Station

Such a sweet gesture. Be mind of any allergies and opt to make them nut free. You may also need to check with your local station prior to baking. I know a lot of protocols have changed over the years.

Conclusion

So mama whether you were looking for craft, treats, or activities I hope these fun, easy and unique Valentine’s Day Ideas for kids helped you a ton. And I am hoping even more that it helps you create some special moments with your kids. As messy, or not so much, as you’d like them to be.

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