Finger-paint valentines are great to send home to parents and can be adapted to meet different skill levels. Start by having your class make a finger painting using red and white finger paints mixed with red glitter. Once the paintings are dry, draw a heart on the back of the paper and cut out the heart shape. Fold a separate piece of sturdy paper, like card stock, in half to make the card. Glue the finger-paint heart to the front of the card. For the inside, ask each child to name one thing she loves about her parents and write it down.
Most preschool classes have students exchange valentines. Making valentine mailboxes can be a fun project that also keeps everyone's valentines organized. You will need white paper bags, different sizes of heart-shaped sponges and red paint. Allow your students to decorate a bag however they would like using the sponges and paint. Once the paint has dried, use a permanent marker to write each student's name on the front of his bag. Attach the bags to the wall with tape and have your students put one valentine in each bag.
This project will require some advance preparation, but the end products are beautiful. Before you plan to do this project, gather one paper plate for each child in your class, scissors and white, pink and red construction pape. Make the wreath bases by cutting a circle out of the center of each plate. Cut out different-sized hearts from the construction paper. Provide each child with a wreath base, the cut-out hearts and glue. Have them cover their base in hearts and then put the wreaths aside to dry. Depending on the size of your class, these wreaths could be used as a bulletin-board border or classroom door decoration.
Creating beaded hearts is a great craft that will allow your students to practice their fine motor skills. Provide each child with a long pipe cleaner and beads. Younger children will need larger beads and will require close supervision while making this craft. Ask your students to string their pipe cleaners with beads. Encourage older children to make color patterns with their beads. When the pipe cleaner is three-quarters of the way full with beads, help each student bend her pipe cleaner into a heart shape, twisting the ends together at the base of the heart to ensure the beads don't fall off. These crafts could go home as is, or you could attach string to each and hang them from the ceiling for a fun valentine decoration.