I LOVE Valentine’s Day! All the hearts, pretty pinks and reds, the excuse to shower love upon my friends and family — I love it all! (Pun intended.) I’ve been tracking down lots of activities for my preschooler and I to do together and it’s been so much fun to teach him about Valentine’s Day. Here are a couple of the projects we’ve enjoyed — hope you can try them with the little ones in your life too!

Toilet Paper Heart Stamps

I tried this project out for my stationery blog a few years ago. It couldn’t be easier, especially for toddlers and smaller kids. I took an empty toilet paper roll, indented the side so it resembled a heart shape, gave my kiddo some washable red paint and let him stamp to his heart’s content. I added a little washi tape decoration once they dried, and we mailed them to all the grandparents. Quick and easy project with huge dividends — I got phone calls of admiration as soon as the grandmas opened their mailboxes.

Painted Waffle Hearts

A craft AND a snack — my favorite kind. I added a couple drops of food coloring to milk to create edible paint and gave my preschooler a food-safe paint brush. We toasted a few waffles and used a cookie cutter to create hearts. My son loved “painting” his waffles and we talked about how different colors looked and what happened when they mixed. Then he ate it all! Bonus points for giving him whole wheat waffles (bought at Trader Joe’s).

Doily Valentines

My friend Aimee from The Elephant of Surprise created these darling watercolor valentines for Le Made Design. They’re simple enough for kids to do, with some supervision. Click here for the full instructions.

 Watercolor Valentines

Another fun painting activity, found via Nest of Posies. They used a vinyl heart on paper, painted over it and removed the heart to create a cool negative space. Click here for full instructions.

Any other simple valentine crafts for kids? Leave a note or a link in the comments — I’d love to discover more!