Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to get crafty and express love through creative means. This year, why not make it grand with a Giant Heart Painting activity that’s sure to capture the hearts of both young and old? This craft is not just about creating a beautiful piece of art; it’s also an excellent opportunity for kids to explore their creativity while developing important skills. Engaging in a large-scale painting project allows children to use their whole body, promoting gross motor skill development in a fun and festive way. It’s a vibrant, hands-on activity that encourages freedom of expression and offers a unique way to celebrate the season of love.
Activity Overview
- Age Suitability: This craft is good for toddlers aged children 18 months old and up with adult assistance.
- Mess Level: The mess level for this craft is medium to high. Protect clothes with smocks and surfaces with a plastic sheet.
- Difficulty to Create: Low.
Materials Needed
- Large sheet of white paper
- Painter’s tape
- Black marker
- Paint brushes
- Pink, red, and white paint
- Smocks
- Plastic table cloth or garbage bag (to protect the floor)
Step by Step Instructions
- Prepare Your Space: Begin by covering the floor with a plastic table cloth or a garbage bag to keep the mess contained. This setup is crucial for a worry-free painting experience.
- Tape the Paper: Use painter’s tape to securely attach the large sheet of white paper to a wall at a height accessible to your child. Ensure it’s firmly in place to withstand enthusiastic painting.
- Draw the Hearts: With a black marker, draw several large hearts on the paper. Feel free to overlap some of the hearts for added visual interest and to create spaces for color mixing.
- Set Up the Paint: Pour pink, red, and white paint into spill-proof containers. If you don’t have spill-proof containers, placing the containers on a tray can help manage any accidental spills.
- Let the Painting Begin: Dress your child in a smock to protect their clothing, and then let them dive into painting the hearts. Encourage them to explore the paint with their brushes, hands, or even sponges. There’s no right or wrong way to fill in or decorate the hearts.
- Enjoy the Process: Remember, this activity is about the experience and the joy of creating. Whether your child decides to carefully paint within the lines or cover the entire sheet in a burst of colors, celebrate their creative choices.
Tips for Success
- Use washable paints to ensure easy cleanup.
- Keep a wet cloth or baby wipes handy for quick cleanups of hands or surfaces.
- Encourage your child to mix colors directly on the paper for a magical effect.
- If working with multiple children, give each their section of the wall or their hearts to paint to minimize squabbles.
Skills Learned
- Gross Motor Skills: Large movements required to paint on a wall help develop coordination and control.
- Creativity: Choosing colors and methods of painting fosters artistic expression.
- Decision Making: Deciding how to decorate each heart encourages critical thinking and independence.
- Sensory Exploration: The tactile experience of handling paint enhances sensory development.
Giant Heart Painting is more than just a Valentine’s Day activity; it’s a memorable experience that nurtures creativity and love. It allows children to express their feelings through art, making the process as meaningful as the end result. So this Valentine’s Day, roll up your sleeves, grab your brushes, and prepare to fill your hearts (and walls) with color and joy.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
Giant Heart Painting for Valentine’s Day
Materials
- Large sheet of white paper
- Painter's tape
- Black marker
- Paint brushes
- Pink, red, and white paint
- Smocks
- Plastic table cloth or garbage bag (to protect the floor)
Instructions
- Prepare Your Space: Begin by covering the floor with a plastic table cloth or a garbage bag to keep the mess contained. This setup is crucial for a worry-free painting experience.
- Tape the Paper: Use painter's tape to securely attach the large sheet of white paper to a wall at a height accessible to your child. Ensure it's firmly in place to withstand enthusiastic painting.
- Draw the Hearts: With a black marker, draw several large hearts on the paper. Feel free to overlap some of the hearts for added visual interest and to create spaces for color mixing.
- Set Up the Paint: Pour pink, red, and white paint into spill-proof containers. If you don't have spill-proof containers, placing the containers on a tray can help manage any accidental spills.
- Let the Painting Begin: Dress your child in a smock to protect their clothing, and then let them dive into painting the hearts. Encourage them to explore the paint with their brushes, hands, or even sponges. There's no right or wrong way to fill in or decorate the hearts.
- Enjoy the Process: Remember, this activity is about the experience and the joy of creating. Whether your child decides to carefully paint within the lines or cover the entire sheet in a burst of colors, celebrate their creative choices.
