Document what your kids and you love this year!

This simple Valentine’s Day project creates written declarations of love on hearts arranged in the shape of your choice.  Families with preschoolers and elementary aged children can focus on the message of love for the entire week leading up to Valentine’s Day. Kids will enjoy this Valentine”s activity that uses writing in an artsy display and creates a colorful visual that becomes a family keepsake.

Declare Love The Entire Week Before Valentine’s Day

Celebrate Valentine’s Day by having the kids and the adults assemble a week-long writing and art project that has a focus of love notes for seven straight days. Make a keepsake the right size to fit in a scrapbook, frame or on the refrigerator. Years later, you and your kids will be able to look back to see the names of people, pets, toys and experiences that were endearing during this time of life.

Preparation for a “What We Love” Art Project

You’ll need

• Acid free paper in either white, pink and red for the background

• Small heart shapes of acid free paper for every family member for each of the seven days. For example, a family with four members will need 28 hearts so obtain ONE of the following:

1. A pack of die-cut heart shapes* (found in the scrapbook section of your local craft store) or
2. White, pink and red acid free paper and a heart shaped punch to make your own small heart shapes*.

• A permanent fine tipped marker

• Adhesive (archival or scrapbook safe if creating a family keepsake)

*When planning your keepsake art project, choose an appropriate size of heart die cut shapes or punch so that all of the small heart shapes for your family will fit on the larger background shape. It’s fine if the heart shapes hang off the sides of the background or are arranged in a layered look.

Ahead of time cut the background paper into the shape of your choice. The photo on this page shows a completed project using a heart shaped background. Click on the following links for inspiration to create a round wreath design plan or heart shaped wreath. Add a title to your background shape using pens or letter stickers if desired.

The 7-Day “What We Love” Art Project Instructions

Find ten minutes each day to gather the whole family around the background shape. After a family dinner or just before bedtime are times to consider, but anytime that works for both parents and kids will do.

1. 

   Write what you love, glue it on.

   Each day, each person says aloud one thing they “love”. Use the permanent fine tipped marker to write each family member’s “love” in the following format: “________ loves ________” Examples: Evan loves pirates, Sarah loves Dad.

2. Next each person glues or tapes (using the archival adhesive) his or her heart onto the background shape.
3. Display the art project in a place for everyone to see during the week.
4. Continue getting together each day and adding love messages to the background shape.

After Valentine’s Day is over, frame your keepsake or add it to a scrapbook. You can also make color copies and add a copy to each of your kids’ scrapbooks.