Easy Kid-Made Valentines!

I used to love making little Valentines for my classmates and I distinctly remember refusing to hand out store-bought ones several times.   My mom probably just didn’t want to spend money on all of the supplies I needed to make them (and who could blame her), but denying an art-loving child their opportunity to make something is a pointless battle!  Since I became a parent, I have tried to teach George, and someday Fred as well, that handmade gifts, handwritten cards or even just proper Thank You notes are important and valued.  What better way to show you care about someone than giving them something that took some thought or time?   That being said, asking a toddler with little to no fine motor skills to make something for Valentine’s Day is obviously not realistic.  Last year, I figured out something that we could make together for his classmates and he loved it! 

I didn’t photo the steps to make this, but it’s so easy, you won’t need it!   For this project, you’ll need some paper to paint on, kids paint, brushes, scissors, lollipops, and clear tape.  I added green paper leaves but that’s optional.

First, I had George paint a big sheet of white paper however he wanted.  If your child is older, you could cut out flower shapes first and have them paint each one instead.

Once it was dry, I folded it half and cut out random flower shapes, making sure I kept the two sides that matched together.  I cut a lollipop sized hole in the center of one of the flowers and I let George tape each lollipop onto the other flower side and then the front flower onto that.  However you can sandwich the lollipop between the flower cutouts will be great!  We wrote each classmate’s name on the back and I added a little leaf cutout.  That’s it!

It’s not fancy, but it’s something he got to participate in and because we had everything on hand…even the lollipops…it was also kind of free!  Happy Valentine’s Day y’all!