Valentine’s Day Crafts for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Valentine’s Day is the epitome of sentimental holidays, and the opportunities for crafting are ripe. Doing crafts with toddlers and preschoolers can be so much fun. But, we know attention spans are short and messes can be made instantly, so short and sweet crafts have become our specialty! 

The good news about crafts from Eat Play Say? Our toddler crafts for littles can be done in 10 minutes or less…and we’ve got the ideas and supply lists so you don’t have to scroll endlessly to find the perfect one.

The fine motor and sensory benefits of crafts begin as early as infancy, and our occupational therapist always comes through with the best crafts that help support developmental milestones at every age. Best of all, our top crafts don’t require any fancy tools or supplies—just the basics you have on hand at home!

Valentine’s Day sensory bins for kids

Sensory bins are engaging activities for big kids and little ones, even for pre-crawling babies! Below are a couple of our favorite sensory bin options with a hint of Valentine’s Day fun in the mix.

Berry lovers sensory bin

Supplies needed: yogurt, berries, water

Time to complete: 10 minutes

Ages appropriate: 6+ months

Fine motor skills it supports: sensory exploration, fine motor strength and coordination, pincer grasp

1. Get prepared for a little mess and a lot of fun! For this sensory bin, it’s definitely time for a smock bib or an older oversized shirt.

2. Pour some berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.) into a large bin, cut or mash appropriately for your little one’s eating stage, then dump in a few heaping spoonfuls of yogurt. Mix, mix, mix! Your little one can help you with this step.

3. Spread out a towel and place a bowl of water next to your berry and yogurt mixture.

4. Encourage your little one to get messy and find all of the berries in the yogurt, wash them off in the water, and then eat them. It’s okay if they just eat them or if they only wash them! For older toddlers, you can work on counting, colors, and sorting with this sensory activity.

Red and pink sensory bin

Supplies needed: crushable dry food, such as Cheerios, puffs, crackers, or bread crumbs/rolled oats/rice; red and pink toys

Time to complete: 10 minutes

Ages appropriate: 9+ months

Fine motor skills it supports: sensory exploration, fine motor strength and coordination, pincer grasp

1. Crush up your preferred food for the sensory bin base, or pour in the rice/oats/crumbs. Your little one can help with this step! If crushing, lay the food on a baking sheet and roll a full can of soup or vegetables over the dry food to crunch it up. For younger children who might put small pieces in their mouth, avoid choking hazards (like uncooked rice).

2. Pour your crushed up food into a large bin, then add your red and/or pink toys and trinkets. Let your child explore all the objects in the bin however excites them!

3. If you are completing this activity with a 3+ year old, you can have them help you go through their toys to look for all of the red or pink toys to include beforehand.

No mess Valentine’s Day crafts

These crafts are fun to do but make literally no mess for you to clean up! You don’t have to worry about a change of clothes, paint in the hair, or color on your walls and floors. These are the best kind of crafts, right?!

King or Queen of Hearts crown

Supplies needed: construction paper, glue, markers/crayons

Time to complete: 10 minutes

Ages appropriate: 12 + months

Fine motor skills it supports: bilateral coordination, cutting, fine motor manipulation and coordination, pincer grasp, writing utensil grasp, hand strengthening

1. Cut construction paper in half (if your child is 2.5+ years old, they can help with this step). This will be the crown, so size up your little one’s head to make sure the two halves together will fit around their head. You can keep it this way or cut a zig zag on the top to make little crown peaks.

2. Have your little one decorate their crown with crayons and/or markers. You can let them be creative on their own, or draw some hearts for them to color in or trace. Glue pom poms or tissue paper if you’d like, or use stickers!

3. Glue or staple the two halves together so that they make a crown that fits on your little one’s head. Your child is ready to be royalty for the day!

This is a fan favorite year after year. It’s the simplest dress up you’ll ever do!

Pipe cleaner flowers

Supplies needed: construction paper, scissors, markers, crayons

Time to complete: 10 minutes

Ages appropriate: 12+ months

Fine motor skills it supports: sensory exploration, bilateral coordination, fine motor

manipulation and coordination, writing utensil grasp, hand strengthening

1. Cut out a tulip for your little one or have your older toddler try to cut one by following along an outline.

2. Decorate the tulip with markers, crayons, stickers, tissue paper, or any other supply you’d like!

3. Punch a hole near the bottom and make a stem with a pipe cleaner. For extra fun, make a bouquet of these throughout the season and practice “smelling” the flowers.

More Valentine’s Day crafts for kids

The Valentine’s Day crafting fun doesn’t have to end when you’ve made the sensory bins and crafted the perfect paper bouquet—download our Valentine’s Day Crafts freebie for more sensory and developmental activities to do with your little(s) this season!

Kids’ crafts don’t have to be messy, complicated, or time-consuming, which is why we focus on crafts that use 10 supplies or less and can generally be completed in about 10 minutes.

More Valentine’s Day activities for kids

Looking for more fun ideas for Valentine’s Day? We have rounded up the most functional and fun Valentine’s Day gifts for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and more!