Valentine’s Day Art, Craft, and Gift Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

It’s never too early to begin your child's messy and sensory play journey. The benefits of play-based learning will promote your kiddos’ development, all while they’re simply having fun. If you just can’t wait to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your baby or toddler, take a look at these infant-safe and toddler-friendly activities below. These Valentine’s Day craft ideas, art projects, and gifts for and from babies and toddlers will keep your little loves entertained on this special holiday with sensory play. From my Messy Play Family to yours, have a very play-filled and happy Valentine’s Day!

Mold my Handprint Keepsake Kit dough into a heart, dye it pink, press your little love’s hand or foot print into it and hang it up or mail it to family and friends for a sweet Valentine’s Day gift!

Valentine’s Day Art, Craft, and Gift Ideas for Babies

Heart Hand of Footprint Keepsake Gift Kit

A parent presses a baby's foot into dough for a Valentines Day keepsake.

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Have you been waiting for the right moment to press your baby’s tiny hand or foot into a keepsake that can be passed through generations? If so, check out my Handprint Keepsake Kit. It comes with all of the materials to dye your dough pink, blue, or purple, then make, press, and bake your baby’s hand or footprint into an ornament. The Santa Version includes red, white, and black paint. Shape the dough into a heart and dye or paint it your favorite colors, then hang it from your window or ship it to a friend or family for some fun Valentine’s Day decor.

Hand or Footprint Valentine’s Day Cards

Caregivers push a baby's foot in paint to make Valentine's Day cards.

If you want to send some unique Valentine’s Day cards from your baby to friends and family, consider pressing their hand or food into non-toxic paint, then transferring it onto a piece of card stock. Write sweet notes about how big your baby’s getting and mail them out! If you want a ready made design, check out my friend Miss Brooke’s printable and follow her on Instagram @missmakermomma.

Clothing Match Game

Father and baby wear the same plaid red shirt on Valentine's Day.

Valentine’s Day is a great day to dress like your baby! Whether you’re both wearing red plaid like Owen and Baby H in the photo above or matching T-shirts or onesies, dress like your baby, take a few photos, and send some virtual Valentine’s Day emails or texts to make your friends and family members smile.

Pink and Red Day Food Play

Baby plays with cake with red frosting for Valentine's Day.

Food play is my favorite messy play activity for babies. Fortunately, so many fruits and vegetables naturally grow in red and pink hues, making food play an easy Valentine’s Day craft for babies who are old enough to eat solids. Try cutting up some strawberries, slicing a few apples, smooshing a tomato or two, chopping watermelon into pieces or red bell peppers into slices. Then you can let your little one go wild with some colorful food fun.

Heart-Shaped Food Play

From pancakes to cookies, bread slices to fried eggs, cut your little love’s food into heart-shapes for an extra playful Valentine’s Day activity for babies.

Valentine’s Day Card Paint Sensory Bag

Valentine's Day paper hearts painted in a sensory bag.

Drop some card stock into a plastic resealable bag, then squeeze some red, pink, and white paint on top. Seal the bag shut and let your little loves squish and press the paint onto the card stock for a great sensory play experience, while they simultaneously design a sweet Valentine’s Day card from your baby! Pull the card out, hang it to dry, add a nice note, and send the card to a family member or friend!

Valentine’s Day Sensory Bottle

Take a look at my Valentine’s Day Sensory Bottle Kit! It includes a plastic bottle and all the mix-ins for some heart-shaped sensory fun without the mess! Fill the bottle with water and clear glue, then combine all of your favorite Valentine’s Day decorations: red and pink, hearts and glitter galore! You can even dye the fluid red or pink for some extra holiday hype. Seal the lid with glue to be extra safe and let your baby roll around with this great sensory activity.

Valentine’s Day Sensory Book

There are so many fun, sensory-based board books on the market for babies. Let them turn the pages and feel or listen to the various textures and sounds the book offers, all while reading to your little one. The bonus: early reading out loud to your baby promotes language development.

Heart-Shaped Ice Play

Do your little loves enjoy playing with ice? If so, pour some water (dye it pink or red if you’d like!) or red or pink juice (think cranberry, cherry, strawberry, or grapefruit) into a heart-shaped ice mold with large or small cubes that creates shapes large enough to not be choking hazards. Once the ice cubes are set, push them out and place them on your baby's high chair trays so they can play.

Red, Black, & White Contrasting Toys

If your little loves are still really tiny, then their eyes are learning how to process color and depth. Strong contrasting colors like red, black, and red are more visually appealing to babies at this stage of development. So grab some red, black, and white Valentine’s Day themed shapes that your baby can gaze at! Or take a look at this book It Had to Be You: A High Contrast Book For Newborns (A Love Poem Your Baby Can See) to show your little a little extra love on this special day.

Red Bath Time

I love Color-My-Bath Tablets to turn your baby’s bath water a little pink or red for a fun Valentine’s Day sensory surprise!

Red Painting

Seat your little love in the bath with some taste-safe red and pink paint and let them go wild on the porcelain walls. Be sure to keep watch so your baby doesn’t stand up or mouth the paint. Although it’s taste-safe, it shouldn't actually be eaten or swallowed.

Red Oobleck

Pink Oobleck Kit packaging with a hand holding the liquid.

Here are my favorite Oobleck recipes. Make some with cornstarch or red dye or buy my Pink Oobleck Kit, and then let your little one squish and squeeze this non-Newtonian fluid that hardens and softens with the pressure of your baby’s play.

Pink Water Play

Baby plays with pink water in a plastic tub with toys for Valentine's Day.

Pour some water in a bowl outside, in the bath, or in another wet-friendly area of your home. Throw in some motor tools and let your little one have a blast with this Valentine’s Day water sensory play activity. Add some Color-My-Bath Tablets for some pink fun!

Pink Heart Gelatin Play

Pink gelatin and foam Valentine's Day hearts in a container with scooper spoons.

Buy some taste-safe gelatin, then add some liquid watercolors. Bake it, let it cool, and pour it in a bowl for a little more texture play than just water. Add some foam hearts cut from craft foam sheets for more Valentine’s Day fun!

Valentine’s Day Gift and Craft Ideas for Toddlers

Read a Book About Love

Watch and listen to my friend, Miss Brooke, read a book called, Guess How Much I Love You, or I Love Us: A Book About Family to celebrate love with your toddler this Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day Squishy Dough

Valentine's Day color-changing squishy dough in red and pink.

My Winter Berry Color-Changing Playdough transforms from red to pink through a thermochromic (temperature-based) reaction and is scented like spiced cranberry. It comes with another color, Jack Frost, which changes from dark to light blue and is scented like sweet peppermint. Your toddler can practice color mixing and matching this Valentine’s Day by making red and/or blue heart sculptures!

Fabric Hearts Organization Game

Cut some different fabrics made of various textures into hearts then have your little touch and organize them by pattern and color into unique containers! Color sorting improves fine motor skills development by strengthening your little one’s pincer grasp. It also invites your toddler to practice hand-eye coordination, as well as cultivates better memory and concentration.

Heart Stamp Art

Buy some heart shaped cookie cutters or make your own using old, cardboard toilet paper rolls! Place some taste-safe paint out and have your toddler dip the heart into the paint then press it onto a piece of paper to make stamp art!

Valentine’s Day Scribble Cards

Toddlers are just learning how to practice language and write letters. Although they’re likely not quite ready to pen personalized sweet notes, they can scribble all over card stock for an abstract craft that can be mailed to family and friends for Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day Slime

Take a look at my Magenta Glitter Slime, Color-Changing Unicorn Slime, or Slime Party Pack for up to four toddlers for some fun red and pink themed slime! Or make your own slime at home and add some Valentine’s Day decorations like heart-shaped beads and glitter.

Bead Count Heart Art

Have your toddler string some Valentine’s Day beads onto a pink, red, or white pipe cleaner and count them while they do! Then shape the pipe cleaner into a heart or bracelet shape. Sensory play is a great way to teach your toddlers about basic math concepts to prepare them for preschool.

Heart Puzzle

Make or buy a heart-shaped puzzle that your little love can take apart and put back together!

Valentine’s Day Bubble Bath

Dye your toddler’s bath water pink and add some fun scents or biodegradable glitter! Then let them have so much fun while enjoying all of the benefits of water sensory play. You can also purchase my Playdough Soap Kit in your little loves’ favorite color and have them mold heart shaped soap, then practice cleaning their bodies and naming body parts.

Valentine’s Day Sensory Bins

Child plays with pink magic sand for Valentine's Day.

Throw some Valentine’s Day themed sensory materials into a clear plastic container and let your little love enjoy the textures and sounds of a sensory bin! Or you can buy pink Magic Sand or Magenta Colored Rice Sensory Bin Refill Packs directly from my shop and I’ll ship them right to your doorstep for the base of your little love’s Valentine’s Day sensory bin.

Red Valentine's Day Water Play

Grab some reusable water balloons, mini-trigger spray bottles, or condiment squirt bottles, dye some water red using my favorite liquid watercolors, then fill them up and squeeze and squirt onto a white sheet! Check out my fun video above.