Preschool Valentine Craft

by Mary
(USA)

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Valentine Heart - Early Preschool
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This is such a simple but rewarding Valentine craft for the younger preschooler.

MATERIALS REQUIRED

• Pre-cut Heart shapes (I use oak tag)
  
• Small bowls
  
• Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
  
• Red food coloring
  
• Paintbrushes
  

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix the milk and food coloring in a bowl and stir well.
   
2. Add more food coloring for darker shade.
   
3. Have the kids use the paintbrush to brush on the colored milk to the heart.
   
4. For texture, they can sprinkle salt on it while it is wet.
   
5. Lay the heart on a flat surface to dry.
   
6. It will be sticky while drying. When it is dried it will be nice and shiny with a raised texture!
   

It can't get much easier than this and the kids love it!


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Valentine Flowers
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MATERIALS REQUIRED

• An empty juice can
  
• Red foil, paper, lace or ribbon
  
• Green Pipe cleaners
  
• Many paper hearts, cut to the same size in red, pink and white
  

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. First let your child cover his can with the paper or foil he chooses.
   
2. Glue a band of ribbon or lace to the top edge. This is the Vase.
   
3. Give each child at least 10 hearts and 5 pipe cleaners.
   
4. Glue a pipe cleaner on one of the hearts at the point of the V then glue the other heart on top so that the pipe cleaner is in between the hearts.
   
5. This will be your flower. Do this with the remaining hearts.
   
   
6. Scrunch up some paper, foil, packing peanuts (whatever you may have on hand to act as filler) and put it into the vase.
7. Arrange the valentine flowers in it and they have a Valentine Centerpiece or bouquet to give to a special person.
   

Note
This is something that I was able to use a centerpiece at home and then put away in the cabinet until the next year. They were always amazed to see their special gift year after year.