30+ Valentine's Day Crafts for Babies and Toddlers
Crafting with babies and toddlers can feel like organized chaos—one minute you're creating a sweet handprint keepsake, the next there's paint on the ceiling. Trust me, as a mom of 5, I've lived through countless glitter explosions! But here's the beautiful truth I've learned: Valentine's Day crafts for babies and toddlers aren't about perfection. They're about giggles, messy hands, and those heart-melting moments.
Whether you're navigating your baby's first Valentine's Day or you're a seasoned toddler-wrangler, this guide brings together engaging, age-appropriate Valentine's Day crafts that will delight your little ones and create keepsakes you'll treasure forever.
If you're looking for even more creative activities beyond Valentine's Day, check out my complete guide to crafts for kids that spans all ages and seasons.
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Getting Started with Valentine's Day Crafts for Babies and Toddlers
Valentine's Day Crafts for Babies (0-12 Months)
Crafting with babies is mostly about the experience for YOU, not them. They're not going to remember making that adorable handprint card. But the photos you'll have are priceless, and the developmental benefits are happening whether they remember it or not.
Handprint and footprint heart keepsakes using baby-safe paint are the most classic Valentine craft for a reason. Get everything ready before you even get the baby—paint poured into a shallow dish, paper taped down, wet washcloths ready for cleanup. Use washable tempera paint or make your own edible version with yogurt and food coloring.
The actual process is quick. Press their hand or foot into the paint, transfer to paper, and you're done. Don't stress if it's not perfect. Pro tip: do this after a feeding when they're content but not sleepy.
Sensory Valentine's bags are perfect for babies just starting to explore with their hands. Take a gallon-sized ziplock bag and fill it with hair gel, red and pink foam hearts, glitter, and a few drops of red food coloring. Seal it with packing tape around all the edges. My son used to play with his for 15-20 minutes.
Simple heart suncatchers using contact paper and tissue paper are another winner. Cut a heart shape from contact paper, peel off the backing, and tape it sticky-side up to a window. Let them stick pieces of red and pink tissue paper to it. The sensory experience of touching that sticky surface is valuable for tactile development.
Baby's first Valentine card made with assisted handprints is something I always make for grandparents. Fold a piece of cardstock in half, help baby make a handprint on the front, and write something like "Hand-picked just for you." Inside, add the date and baby's age.
Textured heart boards for tactile exploration serve double duty as both a craft and a developmental toy. Cut heart shapes from different materials—felt, sandpaper, bubble wrap, corduroy fabric, aluminum foil—and glue them onto sturdy cardboard. During tummy time, babies can touch and explore all the different textures.
Valentine's themed sensory bottles are easy, and babies love them. Take a clear plastic bottle and fill it with water, red food coloring, small foam hearts, red and pink beads, glitter, and a drop of dish soap. Glue the cap on with super glue so there's zero chance of it coming off.
Edible finger paint heart art using yogurt and food coloring was a game-changer. Mix plain yogurt with red or pink food coloring, tape white paper to the high chair tray, and let baby go to town. The cleanup is simple with baby wipes.
Valentine's Day Crafts for Young Toddlers (1-2 Years)
This age is when things get really fun—and chaotic in the best way. Young toddlers have just enough coordination to participate but not quite enough impulse control to stop themselves from eating the crayons.
Sticker heart collages are perfect for this age. I buy big packs of heart-shaped stickers from the dollar store and let my kiddo stick them all over construction paper. Peeling a sticker off the backing requires thumb and finger coordination, pincer grasp, and bilateral hand coordination.
Some toddlers get frustrated when stickers stick to the wrong finger or fold over. When this happens, I just help them out without making it a big deal. The goal is to keep it fun and positive.
Easy torn-paper heart mosaics are surprisingly engaging. Draw a simple heart outline on paper, then give your toddler red and pink construction paper to tear into pieces. Tearing paper requires them to use both hands doing different things, which is great for bilateral coordination. Then we glue the torn pieces inside the heart outline using a glue stick.
Q-tip painting hearts and Valentine designs is one of my all-time favorite activities. It's like regular painting but with more control and less mess.
Pour small amounts of red and pink washable paint into a muffin tin
Give your toddler a handful of Q-tips
Draw a simple heart outline on paper, or let them paint freestyle
Watch the magic happen
The Q-tip technique helps toddlers practice their pincer grasp without the frustration of trying to hold a paintbrush correctly.
Heart stamping with toilet paper rolls and cookie cutters is low-prep, high-engagement. Bend a toilet paper roll into a heart shape and secure it with tape, then let your toddler dip it in paint and stamp away. The stamping motion is perfect because it's a simple up-and-down movement with immediate results.
Simple cardboard tube love bugs and heart caterpillars use up toilet paper rolls and construction paper scraps. Glue heart-shaped wings onto toilet paper rolls, add googly eyes, and pipe cleaner antennae. For heart caterpillars, cut out different-sized hearts and glue them in a line to make a caterpillar body.
Contact paper Valentine tree with tissue paper hearts is a craft I do every year. Cut out a tree trunk and branches from brown construction paper and stick them to the wall. Cut a large piece of contact paper, peel off the backing, and tape it sticky-side out over the branches. Throughout the week, my toddler sticks tissue paper hearts all over the sticky surface.
This is perfect because there's no pressure to finish it in one sitting. They can add a heart or two, walk away, come back later—it's totally flexible.
Playdough hearts with Valentine's themed cookie cutters rounds out my favorite young toddler activities. Make homemade playdough (flour, salt, water, oil, and food coloring), and use heart-shaped cookie cutters to make shapes. The playdough squishing is phenomenal for hand strength.
Valentine's Day Crafts for Older Toddlers (2-3 Years)
This is the age where toddlers actually have opinions about what they're making. It's exciting and sometimes frustrating because they might have a vision that their little hands can't quite execute yet.
DIY Valentine's cards with stickers, stamps, and simple decorations are huge at this age. Buy blank cardstock cards or fold construction paper in half, and set out Valentine-themed supplies—heart stickers, foam shapes, stamps, crayons, and markers. The cool thing is they're starting to understand that the card is FOR someone.
These cards are not going to be neat. There will be stickers on top of stickers, marker scribbles, and attempts at writing letters that look like abstract art. But the recipients love them anyway.
Cotton ball heart clouds and fluffy Valentine decorations are surprisingly easy. Draw heart outlines on pink or red construction paper, pour glue into a small container, and let your toddler spread glue inside the hearts. Then they stick cotton balls all over. You can also make cloud hearts by gluing cotton balls into the shape of a heart on a blue background.
Pipe cleaner hearts and simple friendship bracelets require more fine motor skill, but older toddlers can usually handle it with help. Bend a red or pink pipe cleaner into a heart shape and twist the ends together. For friendship bracelets, use big pony beads and pipe cleaners. Threading motion is complex—they have to hold the pipe cleaner steady with one hand while manipulating the bead with the other.
Paper plate love bugs with googly eyes and construction paper are always a hit. Paint paper plates pink or red ahead of time, then cut hearts from construction paper for wings. Toddlers glue the wings onto the back of the plate, add googly eyes, and you help attach pipe cleaner antennae. Sometimes we add a smile with markers or spots made from dot markers.
Heart-shaped bird feeders using cheerios and pipe cleaners extend beyond Valentine's Day. Shape pipe cleaners into hearts, then your toddler threads cheerios onto the pipe cleaner. Once it's full, twist the ends together and hang it on a tree branch. This craft teaches patience and introduces caring for animals.
Fingerprint heart family trees combine art with family connection. Draw a simple tree trunk and branches on large paper. Pour pink and red washable paint into shallow dishes, and help your toddler make fingerprint hearts on the branches. Once the paint dries, add names or draw tiny faces on the hearts to represent family members.
Salt dough heart ornaments and keepsake decorations are the Valentine's craft I save forever. Salt dough is easy to make (1 cup salt, 2 cups flour, 1 cup water), and it air-dries rock hard. Roll it out, use cookie cutters to make heart shapes, and let your toddler decorate them with conversation hearts pressed into the dough.
Write the year and your child's age on the back with a toothpick before they dry. Once completely dry (2-3 days), you can paint them or leave them natural.
Sensory Valentine's Day Activities for Little Learners
Sensory play is huge for toddler development. I love sensory activities because they usually keep my kids engaged way longer than regular crafts.
Valentine's sensory bins filled with rice, hearts, and scooping tools are my number one go-to. Fill a large plastic storage container halfway with rice (dye it pink with food coloring and vinegar if you want), then hide foam hearts, plastic heart-shaped gems, and small Valentine toys in the rice. Add scoops, small cups, and tongs.
The sensory input from running their hands through rice is really calming. The scooping and pouring develops pre-math skills—they're learning about volume, capacity, and quantity without even realizing it.
My setup tips:
Use a large container with high sides to contain the mess
Put a sheet or tablecloth underneath to catch spills
Do it outside if weather permits
Supervise closely because some toddlers will try to eat the rice
Accept that some rice will end up on the floor
Heart-shaped ice cube melting exploration activities are perfect for warm days. Freeze water in heart-shaped ice cube trays, sometimes adding food coloring or small toys inside. Put the ice hearts in a shallow bin and give your toddler tools to help melt them—warm water in a squeeze bottle, salt, a toy hammer, spoons. We talk about solid versus liquid, cold versus warm, and what makes ice melt faster.
Scented playdough with vanilla and strawberry adds another sensory dimension. Make homemade playdough and add vanilla extract or strawberry extract to give it a yummy smell. Don't make the scent too strong or it can be overwhelming. Just a teaspoon of extract per batch is plenty.
Water bead sensory play with red and pink heart containers is mesmerizing, but you've got to supervise really closely because water beads are a choking hazard. Soak water beads in pink and red food coloring overnight, then put them in a large container with heart-shaped molds and scoops. The texture is unlike anything else—slippery, squishy, and bouncy all at once.
Jello hearts sensory play for taste-safe exploration is perfect for toddlers who still mouth everything. Make strawberry or raspberry jello according to package directions, but pour it into heart-shaped molds before it sets. Once firm, pop out the jello hearts and let your toddler play with them in a high chair tray. The jiggly texture is fascinating for toddlers to squish and tear apart.
Fair warning: this gets messy. I only do jello sensory play in the high chair or outside where cleanup is easier.
Foam heart bath time activities turn bath time into Valentine fun. Buy foam shapes that stick to the tub when wet, and toss them in during bath time. My toddler sticks them to the walls, sorts them by color, makes patterns, and counts them.
Texture sorting activities with different Valentine materials help develop tactile discrimination skills. Collect different textured materials in reds and pinks—felt hearts, foam hearts, cardboard hearts, fabric hearts, glitter foam hearts, sandpaper hearts—and let your toddler sort them by texture. We talk about which ones are soft, rough, smooth, bumpy, sparkly.
Edible Valentine's Day Crafts and Treats
This is where we combine two things toddlers love—crafting and eating. Edible crafts are perfect because there's zero stress about what ends up in their mouth.
Strawberry heart sandwiches using cookie cutters on bread are so simple but feel special. Take regular sandwiches and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut them into heart shapes. That's it. But somehow that heart shape makes it a "Valentine's special lunch."
Decorated sugar cookies with toddler-friendly icing techniques are a Valentine's tradition in our house. Bake heart-shaped sugar cookies ahead of time, then set up a decorating station with different colored icing in squeeze bottles, sprinkles, and small candies.
The key is managing your expectations. These cookies will not look like Instagram. They'll be covered in mountains of sprinkles, the icing will be globbed on thick, and some cookies will be so covered in decorations that you can't even see the cookie.
Less-messy cookie decorating tips:
Use small squeeze bottles for icing (better control)
Pour sprinkles into small bowls instead of letting toddlers use the whole container
Put a large cutting board under the workspace to catch the mess
Accept that some sprinkles will end up on the floor
Take lots of pictures of your toddler's proud face
Fruit kabobs arranged in heart patterns are a healthier option that still feels festive. Use strawberries, watermelon cut into heart shapes, raspberries, and pink grapes. Your toddler helps thread them onto wooden skewers (with the sharp end cut off) in patterns. For younger toddlers, just arrange the heart-shaped fruit pieces directly on the plate.
Yogurt parfait hearts layered in clear cups create a beautiful effect. Layer strawberry yogurt (pink) and vanilla yogurt (white) in clear plastic cups, then top with heart-shaped strawberry slices. My toddler helps with the layering, which teaches concepts like top/bottom, full/empty, and sequential steps.
Rice Krispie treat hearts are always a hit. Make Rice Krispie treats, and while they're still warm, press them into a greased heart-shaped pan or use a heart cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Once cooled, your toddler can decorate them with pink or red icing, heart-shaped sprinkles, conversation heart candies, or melted chocolate.
Valentine smoothie bowls with heart-shaped fruit create an Instagram-worthy breakfast toddlers can help make. Blend frozen strawberries, banana, and yogurt until thick and smooth, pour it into a bowl, and let your toddler arrange heart-shaped fruit pieces on top.
Pudding painting on high chair trays for edible art is messy but fun. Make chocolate or vanilla pudding, add pink food coloring, and let your toddler "paint" directly on the high chair tray with their fingers. It's completely edible, so no stress when they lick their fingers.
Valentine's Keepsakes: Memory-Making Crafts to Treasure
These are the crafts I actually save in boxes to look at years later. Not everything needs to be kept forever, but a few special keepsakes from each Valentine's Day create sweet memories.
Handprint and footprint canvas art dated for future nostalgia is the most classic keepsake craft. Buy small canvases from the craft store, use non-toxic acrylic paint, and help your toddler make handprints or footprints arranged in heart shapes. The most important step is writing the date and your child's age somewhere on the canvas.
I've made handprint art every Valentine's Day since my oldest was a baby. Seeing the progression of hand sizes is honestly emotional.
Thumbprint heart family portrait frames combine art with family connection. Buy an inexpensive wooden frame and let your toddler help paint it pink or red. Once dry, use washable ink pads to make thumbprint hearts (two thumbprints touching to form a heart) for each family member. Write names under each heart and add the date. Inside the frame, put a family photo from Valentine's Day.
Salt dough handprint ornaments with Valentine messages are more involved but worth it. Make salt dough, roll it out, and help your toddler press their hand into it to make an imprint. Before it dries, use a straw to poke a hole for hanging, and write a Valentine message and the date with a toothpick.
Messages I've used:
"Hand-picked with love - Valentine's Day 2026"
"All my love fits in this little hand"
"Love you more than you'll ever know"
"My hand in yours - always"
Once completely dry (2-3 days), you can paint them or leave them natural. Thread ribbon through the hole and hang them.
Photo frame crafts decorated with toddler artwork make great gifts for grandparents. Buy plain wooden frames from the dollar store, and your toddler decorates them with heart stickers, paint dabbed with q-tips, glued-on foam hearts, glitter, or their own scribbles. Then insert a photo of your toddler and wrap it up.
Memory box decorating for storing Valentine treasures is a project we do together. Buy a plain wooden or cardboard box with a lid, and your toddler decorates it with Valentine stickers, paint, and foam hearts. This becomes their special Valentine memory box where we store cards, small crafts, love notes, and other Valentine keepsakes.
Growth chart decorations with Valentine themes track your child's physical growth. Every Valentine's Day we measure height and decorate that spot with small heart stickers. Next to it, I write the date and age. This creates a visual timeline of how much they've grown each year.
Handprint poems and verses mounted on cardstock are simple but touching keepsakes. Trace your toddler's handprint on white cardstock, cut it out, and mount it on a larger piece of colored cardstock. Then add a sweet poem or verse about handprints and love.
Group Valentine's Crafts for Playdates and Daycare
When you've got multiple toddlers in one space, crafts need to be simple, quick, and capable of handling chaos. These are my tried-and-true group activity crafts.
Simple Valentine cards toddlers can make for classmates are essential if your toddler goes to daycare. Prep ahead by folding cardstock into cards and writing "Happy Valentine's Day! From [child's name]" inside. During craft time, your toddler decorates the front with stickers, stamps, or dot markers.
For a group, set up an assembly line:
Station one: Sticker station with different heart stickers
Station two: Stamping station with ink pads and stamps
Station three: Marker station for adding drawings
Kids rotate through stations or just work at whichever station they want. This cuts down on toddler conflicts.
Heart garland crafts that multiple children can contribute to create collaborative artwork. Cut out tons of hearts from construction paper ahead of time, and each child decorates 3-5 hearts however they want. Then punch holes in the tops and bottoms of hearts and string them together to make a long garland. Kids love seeing their individual contributions as part of the bigger decoration.
Collaborative mural painting with heart stamps and prints works well for energetic groups. Tape a large piece of butcher paper to a wall or fence outside, pour paint into shallow dishes, and let all the kids go at it with heart-shaped stamps, hand prints, and brushes. The key is setting clear boundaries and having adult supervision.
Valentine treat bags decorated with stickers and stamps are a craft that results in something useful. Give each child a brown paper lunch bag and let them decorate it with Valentine stickers, stamps, and markers. Once decorated, these become their treat bags for collecting Valentine goodies.
Friendship bracelets using large beads and pipe cleaners can be made in pairs or small groups. Pre-cut pipe cleaners to bracelet length, and kids thread large pony beads onto them while sitting together. They can make one for themselves and one for a friend.
Group sensory table activities with Valentine themes are perfect for drop-in style play. Fill a large sensory table with pink and red rice, foam hearts, plastic heart-shaped containers, scoops, funnels, and cups. Multiple toddlers can play simultaneously, each doing their own thing.
Cookie decorating stations with age-appropriate toppings are always a hit. Bake heart-shaped sugar cookies ahead of time, then set up stations with pink and red frosting in squeeze bottles, heart-shaped sprinkles in small bowls, small candy hearts, and plastic knives. Each child gets 2-3 cookies to decorate.
Wrapping It Up
Creating Valentine's Day crafts with your baby or toddler isn't about achieving Instagram-worthy masterpieces—it's about the giggles, the paint-covered fingers, and those precious moments of discovery that make parenthood so magical. Whether you've tried the simple handprint keepsakes or dove into sensory bins filled with hearts, you're giving your little one so much more than just a craft project.
You're building their confidence, developing essential skills, and creating memories that'll make you smile for years to come. Every time they carefully place a sticker or squish paint between their fingers, they're learning and growing in ways that will benefit them long after Valentine's Day is over.
Remember, there's no such thing as a "failed" craft when you're working with babies and toddlers. That lopsided heart? It's perfect. The paint that ended up on their nose instead of the paper?