Preschool Valentine-themed Gift Ideas for Young Students' Classrooms
Embrace the spirit of friendship this Valentine's Day with these easy and engaging craft ideas suitable for preschoolers. These activities not only foster creativity but also promote positive social messages.
Tiger Valentine Craft
Using a free printable tiger template, children can cut and glue construction paper pieces to create charming tiger valentines with a heart on their chest. This craft encourages fine motor skills and allows kids to gift a fun animal valentine to friends, promoting friendship and sharing.
Friendship Flower Craft
Preschoolers can make creative flowers that symbolize friendship, which is especially great for Friendship Day or Valentine’s Day. This hands-on activity is engaging and helps kids express friendship visually.
Pipe Cleaner Heart Crafts
Bending colorful pipe cleaners into heart shapes or simple flowers is easy for little fingers. These can be attached to cards or artwork to make friendship-themed valentines. Adding small pompoms or googly eyes creates cute "love bugs" kids can trade with classmates.
Friendship Bracelets
For slightly older preschoolers (or with adult help), threading beads onto string to create friendship bracelets with positive or friendship messages is a meaningful craft. This encourages fine motor skills and the joy of exchanging gifts between friends.
Kindness and Empathy Card Making
Have children make simple cards with kind messages or draw pictures to give to classmates, teachers, or school staff. This incorporates social emotional learning by teaching about kindness and empathy alongside crafting. Reading stories like The Invisible Boy can inspire discussions about friendship and inclusion.
Additional Ideas
- Shaving Cream and Food Dye Art for Valentines: Kids create colorful heart patterns using shaving cream and food dye, which can be cut and glued into hearts representing friendship and love. This promotes sensory play along with art creation.
- Heart Window Displays about Gratitude: Children decorate hearts that reflect things and people they love, including friends. These can be displayed on classroom windows to celebrate friendship and kindness collectively.
These crafts require basic craft supplies like construction paper, glue, scissors, markers, pipe cleaners, and beads. Additional items needed are scissors, red and pink pencils, a craft knife, a cutting surface, a pen, and feathers and clear tape (optional).
For a special touch, consider using free gift tags from Soho Sonnet or Bag Toppers from Love From The Oven. The author of this article is new to giving Valentine's gifts to school friends and has decided to avoid puns and classic love declarations, instead opting for a simple friendship message.
The child's name can be written on the back of each heart or they can write it themselves, making the gifts even more personal. These crafts are designed to express gratitude for friendship and make Valentine's Day a memorable and friendly occasion for preschoolers.
- The Tiger Valentine Craft and Friendship Flower Craft are perfect for Valentine's Day, as they provide children with an opportunity to create charming and heartfelt valentines that symbolize friendship.
- Pipe Cleaner Heart Crafts, Friendship Bracelets, and Kindness and Empathy Card Making offer a variety of ways for children to express their friendships via engaging and meaningful crafts, fostering creativity and social emotional learning.
