5 Therapist-Favorite Valentines Sensory Crafts
Have fun this Valentine’s Day making easy crafts to enjoy the holiday as a family. These sensory crafts are specially designed to stimulate the senses, improve fine motor skills, increase problem-solving skills, and more. Many items are ones you probably already have at home. We have highlighted some favorites from a few different blogs and included our activity ideas to pair with them.
We have also compiled a few local places that provide Valentine’s sensory play activities.
Read on for engaging Valentine’s crafts that will engage the senses.
1. Heart Shaker- No Time for Flashcards
Best for: Kids who love music and sound.
Decorate two paper plates with a Valentine’s theme and hearts. Place jingle bells (for ages 3 and up due to choking hazards), dried rice, dried beans, or anything else that will make noise, between the plates and tape them together. For a quieter sound, try using pom poms, cotton balls, or bits of torn paper.
Activity Ideas:
- Copy different rhythms and follow the beat of their favorite songs.
- Take turns leading rhythms.
- Practice shaking the plates fast and slow.
- Shake high, low, to your head, to your knees.
2. Valentine’s Themed Sensory Bin- Fun With Mama
Best for: Kids who love feeling different textures.
Color rice red or pink and place into a plastic storage bin with a lid. Add small heart-shaped cups, spoons, muffin tins, red/pink pom poms, tweezers, and plastic or foam hearts.
Activity Ideas:
- For kids learning letters, you can hide plastic letters (spell LOVE or their name).
- Hide numbers for counting.
- For kids that enjoy sounds, add jingle bells or foil hearts.
- Scoop, measure, and dump rice between cups.
- Use tweezers to pick up pom poms and place them in muffin tins.
3. Valentine’s Sensory Bottle- Pocket of Preschool
Best for: Kids who enjoy visual input and kids who would benefit from calming tools.
Use a clean, empty bottle (water bottle, small plastic container with lid, etc.) and fillit with red or pink glitter, sequins, and pom poms. Fill most of the way with water and add liquid watercolor. Seal the lid and then enjoy shaking the bottle and watching the glitter and objects fall. Attending to the objects moving slowly can calm breathing which helps with self-regulation.
Activity Ideas:
- Shake the bottle and have your child take slow, deep breaths until the objects settle.
- Fill the inside with small objects and have your child try to shake/turn the bottle to locate them.
- Watch glitter or confetti swirl and fall.
4. Valentine’s Day Play Dough (scented)- The Soccer Mom Blog
Best for: Kids who enjoy different smells and exploring objects.
Make your play-dough with staples you already have in your pantry like flour, salt, cornstarch, and vegetable oil. Add different scents like cocoa powder (chocolate) or essential oils like lavender for a flower bouquet scent.
Activity Ideas:
- Roll out dough and then use heart cookie cutters to make shapes.
- Push heart stamps into the play dough.
- Use kid-friendly scissors to cut through the dough.
- Hide plastic red/pink jewels or other objects for them to find and dig out with their hands.
- Strengthen fingers by pinching and pulling apart pieces.
- Make pretend food.
- Roll the playdough into logs and shape them into letters for their name.
- Create structures with play dough and small straws.
5. Puffy Paint Hearts- Our Five-Ring Circus
Best for: Kids who enjoy getting a little messy and like to paint.
Make your puff paint with shaving cream, glue, and food coloring. Use paintbrushes to paint hearts or other designs. After it dries it has a thicker texture which is fun for kids to feel.
Activity Ideas:
- For kids that enjoy messy play, dip their hands in the paint and make handprints on pink/red paper or paper hearts.
- Add scents to the paint for those who enjoy different smells.
- Add glitter or stickers.
- Press pom poms or other objects into the paint to make different designs.
- Create Valentine’s cards
Pre-Made Sensory Crafts:
Some great local places provide sensory fun for kids. Check these out!
1. Little Hands Dough Co
This local home-based company creates non-toxic playdough kits, party favors, jars, tools/accessories for use, and more. They have many fun kits perfect for sensory play and engaging kids with a variety of themes including construction, princess, football, bugs, and more.
Currently, they have many fun Valentine’s Day kits, jars, class favors, push pops, heart-rolling pins, and more.
2. Posey and Jett’s Wellness Boutique
550 36th Avenue SW Suite D, Altoona; (515) 745-2510
This fun shop has lots of fun games, sensory tools, and crafts for kids including Woobles crochet kits (featuring Valentine’s kits), scented Jellycat stuffed animals including Valentine’s themes, and more. Don’t miss their slime workshop wall for the perfect sensory craft. Choose your slime color and many different toppings to mix into the slime.
