I’ve noticed my kids are so proud when they’ve handmade gifts or cards, but this year Presley has 17 valentines to make and I don’t want to be doing the last 16. So with her good friend Maya, we tried out these 5 fun, inexpensive valentine’s ideas that kids can actually make in bulk for their entire class.
Watercolor Valentines
- paper
- watercolor
- empty toilet paper roll
- acrylic paint
First, we have these beautiful watercolor cards. The trick here is to have the kids paint on one big large sheet or canvas. Watercolor itself is so pretty, but a fun addition is to take an empty toilet paper roll and it pinches so nicely into a shape of a heart. You can use this as a stamp with thicker acrylic paint. I just love the way this looks. Once it dries, you cut the sheet into little cards, write a note, and add a lollipop and you are done! These are also great to have on hand for relatives all year long.
Playdough Hearts
Materials
Playdough in a bag is my go-to non-candy treat. First, we made the playdough ourselves using the recipe that Brooke and I perfected last year. I will link the video below; it really is amazing. Once that’s done the kids roll out the playdough and go to town with these heart-shaped cookie cutters. We then put these in plastic baggies; the girls wanted to add stickers and then you’ve got this cute package.
Personalized Photo Card
Materials
- large cardboard
- camera
- stickers
- construction paper
- markers
Third, I know that Presley’s friends are going to love this personalized photo card especially since they can’t read yet. All we did was make a super easy large sign and have a little photo shoot and then take that picture and print out multiple copies. We’ve actually received the kind that you can order online, but these are definitely cheaper and I think cuter.
Melted Crayon Hearts
Materials
Next, we had to try these melted crayon hearts. You remember Brooke made these last year, and I’ve been wanting to try them out on the kids and they really are as easy as they look. You just peel the labels off old crayons, break them up with your hands, put them in a muffin tin – I used a silicone mold and bake them for 10 minutes at 250 or however long it takes them to melt. Let them cool and they are oddly satisfying to pop out. The kids wanted to draw with them right away.
Bubble Kids
Materials
Finally, we’ve got these adorable bubble kits. Who doesn’t love to blow bubbles?! Or at least attempt to. My kids also love to pour liquids, so they easily filled up a class-worth of small plastic containers with bubble solution. Then to make the wand you just bend a pipe cleaner into the shape of a heart and it wedges perfectly into a straw. Tape it on, and this Valentine might get more smiles than candy.
