Valentine’s Day can be a big production for grown-ups, but for children, it’s just fun. Who doesn’t remember dropping a card into each classmate’s homemade Valentine’s Day box or trying to decipher what the messages on those little candy hearts really meant?
Here are some fun and free (or low-cost) ideas for Valentine’s Day, including crafts, handmade or printable Valentine cards, and games. Most don’t require anything more than what you likely have around the house, but some have materials that might require a trip to the neighborhood store.
Valentine’s Day Games, Crafts, and Activities
Homemade Valentine’s Day Cards
No need to buy the same Valentine’s cards everyone else does. Make your own for some enriching, enjoyable time with your little ones. Below you’ll find printable Valentine’s Day cards and inspiration for creating your own.
1. The world-building game of Minecraft is a favorite of children everywhere. Find free printables and inspiration for Minecraft Valentine’s Day cards here.
2. Want to give out something other than candy? These bubble Valentine’s Day cards are a fun alternative.
3. Get some easy Valentine’s Day card ideas that children can make here.
4. Use up old magazines you’ve got laying around the house by making valentine collage cards.
5. Watch for five valentines that children can actually make.
Valentine’s Day Card Box Ideas
Making Valentine’s Day boxes for school is always a fun activity. Whether your little one is in school or celebrating at home, here are some creative ideas. Many of these instructions get pretty involved, but even if you’re less crafty, you can still find inspiration here.
1. This alligator valentine card box is hungry for some cards! Use recycled egg cartons and a cardboard box. This craft calls for a hot glue gun, so adults should be on hand for that part.
2. Use tissue boxes and some pipe cleaners for these big-eyed alien / monster valentine card boxes.
3. This cute Valentine’s Day card box should provide some inspiration for a unicorn-loving child. These instructions call for flowers and craft foam sheets, but regular construction paper like you probably have around the house should work just fine.
4. Whooooo wouldn’t love this cute owl valentine holder made from a paper lunch sack and some construction paper? The directions call for some specialty products, but regular paper and markers should work just as well.
5. Reuse a plastic snack container for your valentines card box. Here’s a bumble bee idea for inspiration.
Valentine’s Day Activities, Crafts, and Games for Kids 
Make the day all fun and games for your children with these Valentine’s Day activities, coloring pages, and more.
1. This free printable coloring page has Waterford’s own Rusty and Rosy. Here is the same Rusty and Rosy page in Spanish.
2. If your little one loves coloring, download these free printable valentine cards to color.
3. Here are free Valentine’s Day bingo cards to print out and play a fun game of bingo at home.
4. Playdough is perfect for squishy, reusable fun for little hands. Make some pink dough and use heart shaped cookie cutters for fine motor skills practice.
5. Candy hearts are great for counting. These number cards use candy hearts to practice counting skills.
6. Encourage your child’s exploration of writing with some Valentine’s Day poems.
7. Help your children learn to use their senses. Here are instructions on how to make some glitter heart sensory bottles for your children.
8. Get this free printable valentine nursery rhyme to either print out or read aloud with your child. Here is the same valentine nursery rhyme as above, but in a folding booklet.
9. Pipe cleaners and alphabet beads help your child work on letters and fine motor skills, as well as make some lovely heart-themed crafts. Alphabet beads can be found at most big box or craft and hobby stores at a fairly low price.
10. Make a sun catcher heart out of old plastic plates to decorate your windows.
11. Sponges are great for painting with little ones. Just dip and stamp. Here are some heart-sponge ideas.
12. In addition to stress relief and packaging, bubble wrap is super-fun for kids to make art with. Get some ideas here.
13. Q-tips are ready-made paint brushes. Get some artwork ideas here.
14. If you have an old salad spinner taking up space in the pantry, put it to use with this creative and easy Valentine’s Day art toddlers can do.
15. Get five ideas for Valentine’s Day games for kids here.
16. Even toddlers and grade schoolers love chocolate Kisses. This Mittens-to-Kisses game adds a fun, goofy time to Valentine’s Day and is one of the ideas featured here.
17. Minute to Win It type games are perfect for some frenzied fun with little ones. Get inspiration for exciting challenges, most of which can be played with household items, here.
18. Get these free printable mix-and-match puzzles and let your little ones solve the puzzles or make their own creative combinations.
19. Word scrambles are fun time-passers. Get some free word scramble games here.
20. I spy… a memory matching game. This free printable is perfect for kids to find and count pictures.
21. Younger children will love exploring this valentine-themed sensory bin, made with brightly-colored dry rice!
22. After 2020, we’re all rich with empty cardboard toilet paper rolls. Use them to make heart-shaped stamps—no tools required.
23. Tic-tac-toe is a fun game that’s easy to learn and encourages pre-planning. This reusable valentine-themed tic-tac-toe board provides hours of fun and healthy competition.
24. Get moving and burn off energy with Musical Hearts, and get ready to run, dance, and act silly together.
25. Play Memory or Go Fish with candy conversation hearts printable cards. Get the free printable here.
Valentine Handprint Crafts
Handprint art is a favorite craft. Maybe it’s because we love capturing how small our little ones’ hands were at one point in time. Maybe it’s just the joy of seeing their handprint as nice artwork instead of smeared in chocolate across the hallway walls.
Here are some handprint art ideas to get you started.
1. Use a handprint to list out “Five Reasons Why I Love You.” This site has printable templates, and let finger paint and your little one’s hand do the rest.
2. This homemade “I Love You” heart craft is as adorable and simple as it gets.
3. You only need some coffee filters or cupcake wrappers and glue sticks, along with finger paint and construction paper, for these “love bug” crafts.
4. Little feet can’t be beat when it comes to cuteness. Use finger paints for these footprint race car valentines.
5. Make a heart tree with handprints using these instructions.
