3 Arts and Crafts Your Early Learner Will Love!
The “A” in STEAM stands for “Art,” and every Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity for some fun arts and crafts to share with your preschoolers. Your kitchen can quickly turn into an art studio with the right supplies and a young mind full of imagination and creativity.
Looking for a way to engage your early learner with exciting arts and crafts this holiday? We have a few they’ll really “love” listed below!
Valentine’s Day Art Collages
Have you ever tried making process art collages? What we love about this technique is how sensory it is for little learners. With textured paint and tissue paper, your child will love how vibrant and colorful this Valentine’s Day craft is!
To make these, you’ll need:
- Sponges cut up into 1-inch squares
- Tempura paint (Valentine’s Day themed!)
- Thick card stock
- Liquid glue
- Tissue paper
- Foam hearts, rhinestones and anything else you want to add!
- Paper plates
First, you’ll want to pour your paint onto paper plates for your preschooler to use. Each glob of paint should get its own 1-inch square sponge. Your child can start sponging away on the card stock!
Once your child is satisfied with their paint job, add in some liquid glue. Don’t wait for the paint to dry and feel free to put this in fun shapes and designs, if you like. Done? It’s time to add the tissue paper for a neat see-through effect. Finally, put any finishing touches like foam hearts and rhinestones on the card, and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind Valentine.
Explore with Heart-Shaped Binoculars
When your young explorer is out looking for their next big adventure, let them bring these heart-shaped binoculars with them. Best of all, this trick lets you recycle those old toilet paper rolls lying around! What you’ll need for this is:
- Two toilet paper rolls
- Tempera or acrylic paint
- Some string
- Paintbrushes
- A hole puncher
To make the toilet paper rolls fit the right shape, pinch an area of the roll to create the “top” of the heart. Then flatten the toilet paper roll so that the pinch “becomes a line from one opening to the other.” Push hard on the roll, then shape the two top bumps of the heart before pinching the bottom. With the top of the heart in position, flatten the tube and let it pop right back up again.
Once you’ve pinched the hearts into place, move on to the fun part: painting!
If you put a little bit of tape between the two rolls before you paint your binoculars pink, red or purple, they’ll stick together to create that binocular look as you dry. With your trusty hole puncher, just make a hole in each roll to string through like a necklace. You’ll be ready for adventure this Valentine’s Day!
Happy Heart People
Want a goofier Valentine Day’s craft? It’s time to make some heart people! These cute and silly Valentine’s Day crafts are a great reason to bring out the googly eyes and pom poms. Your supplies for this are pretty easy to find:
- Red, pink or purple construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers
- Googly eyes
- Pom poms or buttons
Cut out a large heart from the construction paper. You can trace this and let your child cut it out if they’re having trouble. With markers, googly eyes, pom poms and buttons, create the face of your heart person. Don’t forget to add in a big smile.
Now, it’s time to make your heart person’s arms and legs. Cut up strips of paper and fold them “accordion-style,” then glue them to your heart person’s face. To finish up your happy heart person, just draw four little hearts to cut out and use as hands and feet!
Art isn’t just fun—it’s essential.
At Amazing Explorers, we believe that tomorrow’s great minds are in today’s classrooms. That’s why our innovative STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics—learning programs are specifically designed for the 21st-century learner, and aimed towards giving them the tools they need to successfully deal with the challenges of the future.
Is your artist ready for adventure? Schedule a tour with us at our Waterford Lakes, Waterford Lakes, Winter Springs, or Lake Nona locations. We’d love to show you how we foster a nurturing environment for the great minds of the 21st century.
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