Love Bugs: A Simple Valentine’s Day Craft for Kids
This easy Love Bug Valentine’s Day craft for kids is fun for all ages, and it’s simple enough that even toddlers can do it independently!
It’s officially February! And if there’s one thing Valentine’s Day does really well, it’s giving us endless ways to play and learn with hearts.
Today, I’m sharing a project that was entirely my eight-year-old son’s idea. He’s my little artist, and last week when we had a free afternoon, he asked if we could get crafty together. His idea?
Making LOVE BUGS!
We spent an hour or so together at the kitchen table making these cute, colorful bugs, and I love how they turned out! I made the butterfly, and he designed the caterpillar, bee, and ladybug completely on his own, including the “gradient effect” (as he called it) on the caterpillar.
Even more importantly, though, I loved spending some quality time with my boy. As we worked, we chatted about all kinds of things. As my kids get older, these moments aren’t as frequent, so I’m learning to treasure these little moments of connection when they happen.
Want to make your own love bugs?
All you need are scissors, paper, glue, and whatever random craft supplies you have lying around. It’s a perfect project for when you want to be the “fun mom” but don’t have the time (or energy) for anything complicated.
How to Make “Love Bugs”
What we’re learning:
- Fine motor skills (cutting, gluing, etc.)
- Counting (How many eyes? Legs? Antennae?)
- Science (we talked about the features of various types of bugs, and how we could use hearts to create them)
- Color identification
- Shapes (hearts)
Supplies:
- Construction paper (we used red, pink, & purple)
- Scissors
- Glue
- Optional craft items: googly eyes, pipe cleaners (great for antennae!), ribbon, yarn, etc.
(The dollar store is a great place to stock up on these.)
Instructions:
- Cut out a bunch of hearts in various sizes. To make this quick, stack multiple sheets of paper together, fold them, and cut out hearts. It took less than five minutes to make a bunch!
- Place the hearts and other supplies in the middle of the table, and invite kids to create a love bug using the supplies.
- If your kids need help getting started, show them how larger hearts can be used for the body and smaller hearts for wings, legs, or spots. Then step back and let them take over.