Valentine’s Day Heart Art Activity

Welcome to the sweetest Valentine’s day art activity that’s surprisingly easy to set-up. Using a large sheet of paper and overlapping hearts, children paint large and small sections for Valentine’s day. This easy art project is simple to create and great for kids.

Table of Contents:

1. The Supplies
2. How to set-up the heart art activity
3. Note – Adjust the size based on age
4. Note – this activity does not need to hang on a wall
5. Tip – How to paint successfully with kids
6. Frequently Asked Questions

View more

I had this Valentine’s Day heart art activity mulling around in my head for days.

My daughter had loved my overlapping Christmas tree activity so much and I knew I could create her something similar as a Valentine’s day activity.

Once I drew it out on paper, I instantly knew my 6-year-old would love this. And I was right. It was every bit the winner that I hoped it would be.

RELATED: Looking for easy Valentine’s Day activities for kids? I’ve got a great list of 30+ ideas.

The Supplies

Busy Toddler is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

• Kraft paper or large cardboard or any size paper really
• Washable tempera paint
• Paint brushes
• Giant black permanent marker

I’m a big fan of quick and easy around here. I like activities that are set up fast – I don’t have time to be laboring over a project over here. I’ve got loads of things to do.

So when I get ready to do an activity or set up a project for my kids, I better get the best bang for my “time” buck.

I’m happy to report – I got my money’s worth on this Valentine’s day activity.

How to set-up the heart art activity

I rolled out a large piece of kraft paper for my kindergartener. On the paper, I drew several hearts making sure to overlap each heart with at least one other.

I wasn’t concerned with perfection.

I did this all by “feel” and what looked good.

Tip: The overlapping is key – those smaller spots that overlap will be painted different colors and add to the effect at the end.

Note – Adjust the size based on age

My daughter is a “big kid” (I type and cry at the same time) so I was able to go BIG here. This is a huge art project.

But that’s fine: because of age.

Scale and age and attention span go hand-in-hand. Make sure it’s the right “size” for your kiddo. Big art can be intimidating to a little one.

If you have a preschooler or younger, make this activity much smaller.

Note – this activity does not need to hang on a wall

I hang my art on the wall for ONE reason: I’m a blogger.

I need to take a nice photo of the art in progress. Wall art photographs better than floor art.

You are (probably) not a blogger so you can do this activity on the floor or the table.

Having said all that, it is important to remember that when kids paint on a vertical surface like this, it does do incredible things for their arm strength and motor development.

Do it wherever you feel comfortable and wherever it’s going to fit best in your life. That’s the wall for me.

Tip – How to paint successfully with kids

Ever do an art project with kids only to have it turn into a mixed-up-colored mess? Same.

Sometimes, I let this happen in the name of learning and free exploration, but other times: I limit their paint colors.

I limit the paint color choices to ones in the same “family” that can mix together and play nicely.

For this activity, I used a muffin tin to hold our paint with various shades or red, purple and pint (using white to vary the tones).

Bonus tips for painting with kids:

• Set a boundary – make sure you’ve explicitly told them where to and where not to paint
• Have a wash cloth next to them. Teach them to monitor and catch their drips
• Make an “exit strategy” play: what happens if this goes south? (My plan is always carrying them to the bathtub)

RELATED: Looking for more tips on how to paint with kids? Check out my post on it!

Frequently Asked Questions