The standard construction paper heart Valentine's card allows creativity for preschoolers in many ways. Help them cut the heart, or instruct them. Cut smaller hearts to add to the large one in different colors. Use scissors with different shapes of blades for fun edges. Another idea is to add pictures to the heart, such as a family picture. You can also take each preschooler's picture, print and create a heart-shaped frame. Place a magnet on the back for a year-round memory.
Preschoolers are interested in letters and sounds, as the preschool years are a period of rapid language development. Scholastic suggests including rhymes in everyday learning. Create cards with rhymes that include the recipient's name: "I am glad you are my dad." Branch out with suggestions for more difficult wordings: "I do know this, I love my sis!" Other words that deal with Valentine's Day, such as "sweets" or "treats" can become classroom discussions in finding rhyming words. Help preschoolers write a word or two, write their lines for them, or type and print them.
Some preschoolers prefer pre-printed or designed cards. Buy or print a "finish the scene" so children can draw themselves with the card's recipient. Friends will prefer cartoon pictures depicting Valentine's Day activities. Blank cards are another way to begin making cards. Provide students with stamps or stencils for decorating. Card recipients will also treasure seeing the child's hand traced or the outline from a paint mark. Chalk and puffy paint show-up well on blank cards as well.
Whatever the card, preschoolers will enjoy gluing or taping decorations to their project. Provide glue as well as circle cereal, buttons or glitter. Spice the look with different colors of glue. Show children how to border the card with lace, cotton pieces or yarn. Tissue paper works well with tape, as does foil. Valentine's Day stickers make less of a mess than other sticky alternatives. Buy blank sticker forms, allow children to draw on them and then add to their cards.