[Preschool] Cute to Make! A Collection of Valentine’s Craft Ideas
February 14 is Valentine’s Day.
In Japan, there’s a tradition where women give chocolate to someone they like, but recently it’s been shifting toward giving gifts or messages to family and friends as a way to express gratitude.
I think more and more preschools are enjoying the Valentine’s atmosphere as well.
This article introduces Valentine-themed craft ideas for early childhood education.
It’s a collection of ideas you can make with familiar materials like origami paper and recycled items!
Enjoy making Valentine’s crafts together with the children.
Wishing you a wonderful Valentine’s Day.
Because the items children make are treated as “works,” we use the term “seisaku (制作: production/work)” in the text.
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[Childcare] Cute to Make! Valentine’s Craft Idea Collection (41–50)
Valentine’s chocolates made from newspaper
When it comes to big events in February, Valentine’s Day tops the list.
Even preschoolers might make friend chocolates or give them to someone they like.
Here’s a cute craft idea that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Twist newspaper into thin strands and shape them into hearts.
Mix your favorite color of acrylic paint with glue and brush it on.
Finally, wrap them with finely cut construction paper, pom-poms, or ribbons, and you’ll have Valentine chocolates that look almost real! They make great room decorations and are perfect to take home as a craft project, too.
Valentine’s chocolates made with paint and stickers
Why not try making a cute heart-themed craft for Valentine’s Day? First, prepare two kinds of hearts: one pink and one white.
The key is to make the sizes slightly different so that, when layered, the white one forms a border.
Have the children paint on the hearts with brown paint.
Once the paint is dry, add stickers to decorate the hearts even more.
Next, make a pastry chef holding a heart.
Prepare facial parts in advance and let the children glue them on freely.
Once the teacher arranges it so the pastry chef is holding the heart, it’s complete!
A card that pops out chocolate
Here’s an idea for a “pop-out chocolate card” made especially for a long-time favorite chocolate treat! You can adapt the idea for other products by changing the size, so give it a try if you like.
We’ll make it in two parts: the card base and the pop-up mechanism.
For the card, just fold a rectangular sheet of construction paper in half.
The mechanism is simply a stand that lets the chocolate stand upright, so it’s easy to make.
Prepare construction paper in your favorite colors and give it a go.
Decorating with patterned origami paper or stickers is also recommended!
Valentine’s woven basket
This is a craft using a soft paper called reversible crepe.
Prepare two sheets of paper of the same size, fold them in half, then leave 2–3 cm at the top and cut slits on the looped side to make strips.
The number of slits will vary depending on the paper size, but if the paper is 9 cm wide, cut one sheet into 3 cm-wide strips and the other into 1 cm-wide strips.
After making the slits, weave the strips through each other inside the loop alternately, as if weaving a basket.
Once everything is threaded, attach a handle to complete your heart-shaped woven basket!
Valentine mobile
Valentine’s Day, with all its excitement, is an important event in February! Let’s make a mobile to brighten up and celebrate the day.
A mobile is a type of decoration where you hang various items using thread or wire.
Since it’s for Valentine’s Day, the things you hang should, of course, be Valentine-themed! Try making hearts and chocolates out of construction paper or origami and hang them up.
Using colors commonly associated with Valentine’s Day, like red and brown, will make it feel even more festive.
It’s an easy craft that even young children can enjoy, so it’s highly recommended!
Heart Message Card Made with Origami
This is a heart-shaped message card made from origami that’s sure to delight as a gift! Instead of having a heart drawn or decorated on the card, the card itself is shaped like a heart.
When you open the heart, the message appears! The folding method is simple with no difficult steps, but if the paper is small, the inside reverse fold part can be a bit tricky.
Using tweezers or making it with slightly larger origami paper might be a good idea!
Chocolate made with colored construction paper
A cute lollipop-style message card you can easily make with colored construction paper.
First, cut the colored paper into a heart shape.
Use crayons or other tools to write your favorite message and draw patterns on it.
Decorating it colorfully with various colors makes it extra cute.
Next, flip it over and attach a stick on the back with clear tape.
Finally, cut a clear bag slightly larger than the heart and slip it over from the top.
Gather the excess at the bottom and secure it with your favorite ribbon or chenille stem to finish!
