Shake It Up Hearts: No Mess Valentine Craft for Preschoolers

When we first tried our Shake It Up: No Mess Splatter Painting activity this past summer, it was an instant hit. I loved that there was no paint mess to clean up, and my boys loved that they could get all their wiggles out with a fun project that let them move and make noise. Talk about a win-win! Now that it's time to start making some Valentines I thought we'd get our paint shakers out again and make hearts. They turned out great and we had so much fun too!

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This Valentine's Day craft for kids is super easy. It's fun for a homemade Valentine card or a preschool Valentine's Day activity. You'll need:

• Clean empty jar with a secure lid. A peanut butter jar works great.
• Washable paint - we used red and two shades of pink.
• Cardstock - white and pink
• Candy Hearts (dried beans or small marbles work well too)
• Glue stick

Start by cutting your white card stock to fit your jar. I cut mine in half (8.5"x5.5") and it fit perfectly.

Add a few drops of paint to the bottom of your jar. Just a couple of drops will do! Carefully slide the paper inside and wrap it around the sides. Add 5-6 candy hearts (or dried beans). Close the lid securely. Invite your kids to shake it up!

My boys love this part. Let them make noise, shake, and shimmy as much as they want. When they are done, carefully remove the paper and allow it to dry.


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Once it is completely dry, cut out heart shapes in any size you'd like. You can use these alone for cute little Valentine cards or gift tags. We decided to make them into a fun collage to send to Grandma.

Making them into a collage was a wonderful way for my boys to practice with the glue sticks, and also to work on their spatial relations skills fitting all of their hearts onto the pink card stock.

I think Grandma is going to love it! You can add your own message or special touches as well. 

Want a fun place to store your Valentines? Try our Cupid's Mailbox! 

Need another fun activity to get the kids moving? Try this Valentine Scavenger Hunt.

Don't miss these awesome Valentine's Day Books for Kids too: