You spend your weeks with these little people who have captured your heart. Chances are they think you're pretty great, too. Whether you're a day care provider, preschool teacher or center director, there's no better time to celebrate this bond than on Valentine's Day with some themed craft projects.
Hearts, glitter, googly eyes, oh my! There's so much classroom fun to be had when you incorporate these 10 cute Valentine's Day crafts into your lesson plans.
Candy heart learning: Use the infamous Valentines' Day candy hearts to teach your students how to sort between the different colors. Not only will they start to learn their colors, but it is also a tasty treat!
Heart-shaped binoculars: Use the cardboard from empty toilet paper rolls and bend into heart shapes. Then glue two together and add a string for the coolest binoculars around! Kids can paint glasses in a variety of fun Valentine's Day colors.
Coffee filter hearts: Stack six coffee filters and cut into hearts. Then separate, place each on a craft tray and allow kids to use dot markers to create colorful designs. Finally, add drops of water and watch the colors blend beautifully together.
Heart hats: Cut the inside ring of a paper plate and create a heart shape at one edge. Pop the heart up and place the ring on the head to serve as a fun hat. Let kids decorate with paint, stickers, glitter and more. Why not make extras for parents?
Heart puppets: Adhere paper hearts to the end of craft sticks and let dry. Then have kids decorate the hearts as faces, using googly eyes, puff balls, glitter and more to create the perfect Valentine's Day creature. When dry, encourage kids to act out a play with their puppets.
Handprint poem: A pink handprint paired with a poem is sure to make parents smile. "This isn't just any handprint, as you can plainly see. It's a special handprint, made by me! Along with this handprint, I send lots of hugs and kisses your way!"
Love bugs: Have you heard the Valentine's Day buzz about this super cool craft? Start with a handprint on a white piece of craft paper. After it dries, assist kids in transforming their print into a love bug by adding heart wings, heart antennas and googly eyes.
Yarn-wrapped hearts: Twist pipe cleaners into heart shapes for each child. Knot a piece of yarn to the heart and show preschoolers how to wrap it around in order to create unique crisscrosses. Each will be different and are a wonderful gift for loved ones.
Thumbprint bookmark: The perfect customized bookmark to encourage little ones to read! These adorable bookmarks feature each child's thumbprint. Position the thumb at a 45-degree angle and press once. Then alternate and do it again on the other side to create a heart shape.
Wax-resistant Valentine's Day cards: Preschoolers will adore this "invisible" art project. Use a white crayon on white card stock to create hearts and other invisible designs. Then paint with watercolor to reveal the hidden art for all to see!
Try these 10 Valentine's Day crafts with your class. They will make your heart melt!