Valentine’s Day Projects for Children

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Children love to prepare for the special day. Toddlers are too young to use scissors safely on their own, but they can still make holiday crafts to give to those they love. I have listed a couple of ideas for toddlers that are developmentally appropriate and fun.

Finger painting is a great way to build developmental skills, as well as creating valentines. Give them paper and red and white paint, and watch the creativity flow. Make a heart shape out of their prints.

Gather a variety colors and sizes of tissue paper to make unique bouquets for their valentines. When tissue paper is crumpled it resembles a flower. Children love to rip and crumble things. Have them crumple the sheets together, and demonstrate how to wrap a pipe cleaner around the bundle of tissue paper sheets and fluff them up. They will look like flowers.

Listed below are three activities to get little fingers ready to use scissors.

Picking up objects is an activity that will improve scissor skills. Set out small items, such as buttons, sequins or paper clips and have children practice picking them up with their thumb and forefinger. Also use tweezers to pick up the items and place them in bowls. Use tongs to pick up cotton balls, craft pom-poms and pieces of ribbon.

Manipulating clay also helps to develop fine motor skills and improve cutting skills. Roll the clay into balls or form it into snakes. They can roll it flat with a rolling pin, and press cookie cutters into it, removing the shapes created by the cutters. Use safety scissors to practice cutting on the clay.

Tearing may seem like a rudimentary way to cut, but it helps strengthen the small muscles of the hands that are needed for cutting with scissors. Use scraps of paper to tear into pieces. The smaller the pieces, the more they will exercise their fine motor muscles. Also, practice tearing cardstock and poster board.