Creative Valentine's Day Activities: Math, Language, Movement, and Sensory Fun

Shania LaFreniere
Feb 4
5 min read

Valentine’s Day offers a wonderful chance to engage infants and toddlers in playful learning that blends creativity with early math skills, language skills, sensory exploration, and movement. In this post you will find activities for children aged 6 months to 24 months. These activities combine elements that help build foundational skills while celebrating the holiday in a meaningful way. In this post, you will find ideas I have tried in my classroom and with children I nanny. I hope these ideas help and inspire parents, childcare providers, and teachers to create memorable Valentine’s Day experiences that support development through counting hearts, books, handprint and footprint art, and salt dough hearts.

Close-up view of colorful heart-shaped salt dough ornaments on a wooden table — Handmade heart-shaped salt dough ornaments drying on a wooden table

Counting Hearts to Build Early Math Skills

Introducing math concepts to infants and toddlers can be simple and challenging at the same time. Counting hearts is a perfect way to combine Valentine’s Day themes with early numeracy. At this age, children learn best through repetition, visual cues, and hands-on interaction. There are multiple ways to do this activity through sensory bins, worksheets, art activities, and books.

Activity 1: Counting Hearts

Materials needed: Paper hearts in various sizes and colors, a small basket or bowl.
Steps:

- Scatter the paper hearts on a low table, soft mat, or sensory bin.

- Encourage toddlers to pick up hearts one by one and place them into the basket.

- Count aloud with the child as they add each heart, emphasizing numbers 1 through 5 or 10 depending on their ability.

- Use simple phrases like “One heart,” “Two hearts,” and so on.

-To Expand this activity you could emphasize color or shape.

- For infants under 12 months, focus on showing and naming the hearts while they explore textures and colors.

Activity 2: Story

Choose a simple valentine's day story with hearts in the pictures and have your child count the hearts as you go along.
Stories I have used are...
- Lovey Things by; Dr. Seuss
- Happy Valentine's Day Mouse by: Laura Numeroff
- Clifford Loves by: Norman Bridwell

Activity 3: It's Raining Hearts Art Activity

Materials: Blue Cardstock 8x11, glue, paper hearts of different colors such as pink, red, and purple, markers, white paper (to make cloud).
Steps:
In a safe space set out Blue Card Stock, the cloud, hearts, and glue.
- On the cardstock put a layer of glue down or encourage the child to do it.
- Have the child glue down the cloud.
- Then encourage them to place the Raining Hearts.
When project is finished with the child count out the hearts that they placed down.
Example: From the Photo. I gave the child 18 hearts 6 Red 6 Purple and 6 Pink. They didn't use all the colors or hearts. This allowed me to ask various questions. I expand this project; got them counting and recognizing colors!!!
- How many Hearts are on the Page? 10 Hearts
- How many Pink Hearts are on the page? 6 Hearts
- How many Red Hearts are on the page? 4 Hearts
- How many Purple Hearts are on the page? 0 Hearts
- How many Hearts didn't you put on the page? 8 Hearts

Benefits of Counting Hearts

Supports number recognition and one-to-one correspondence.
Enhances fine motor skills through grasping and placing.
Encourages language development by pairing counting with verbal cues.
Introduces color recognition and sorting if hearts are grouped by color.

This activity can be adapted by using heart-shaped blocks or soft toys for variety. Repeating the counting game daily helps toddlers build confidence with numbers and shapes.

Handprint and Footprint Art to Encourage Movement and Creativity

Valentine’s Day handprint and footprint art combines sensory play with creative expression and physical movement. Infants and toddlers love the tactile experience of paint on their skin, and this activity creates keepsakes that families cherish.

Handprint and Footprint Examples

Materials and Preparation

Non-toxic washable paint in red, pink, and white.
Large sheets of paper or canvas.
Wet wipes or a damp cloth for quick clean-up.
Optional: heart-shaped stamps or sponges.

Steps for Hand and Footprint Art

Prepare a safe, easy-to-clean area for painting.
Gently apply paint to the child’s hands or feet.
Help the toddler press their hand or foot onto the paper to create heart shapes or patterns.
Use fingers or brushes to add details like dots or lines.
Talk about the colors and shapes as you work together.
Allow the artwork to dry and display it as a Valentine’s decoration.

Developmental Benefits

Enhances sensory awareness through touch and texture.
Builds gross motor skills by encouraging movement and coordination.
Fosters creativity and self-expression.
Strengthens bonding through shared activity.

This art activity is suitable for infants who enjoy tactile play and toddlers who can follow simple instructions. It also introduces basic concepts of symmetry and shape recognition.

Salt Dough Hearts for Sensory Exploration and Fine Motor Practice

Salt dough hearts offer a hands-on sensory experience that combines crafting with early math and language skills. Making and decorating salt dough hearts engages toddlers in multiple senses and supports fine motor development.

How to Make Salt Dough Hearts

Ingredients:

- 1 cup flour

- 1/2 cup salt

- 1/2 cup water (adjust as needed)

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
Gradually add water and knead until dough forms.
Roll out the dough and use heart-shaped cookie cutters to create shapes.
Use fingers or small tools to add textures or initials.
Bake the hearts at low heat (around 200°F or 90°C) for 2-3 hours until hard.
Once cooled, toddlers can paint or decorate the hearts with stickers.

Sensory and Learning Benefits

Develops tactile senses through kneading and shaping.
Improves hand strength and coordination.
Introduces concepts of measurement and following steps.
Encourages color recognition and creativity during decoration.

Tips for Safe and Enjoyable Play

Supervise toddlers closely during dough preparation and baking.
Use edible ingredients to ensure safety if toddlers put dough in their mouths.
Keep decorations simple and non-toxic.

Salt dough hearts can become gifts or decorations, making the activity meaningful beyond playtime.

Combining Movement with Valentine’s Day Themes

Movement is essential for toddlers’ physical development. Incorporating Valentine’s Day themes into movement activities keeps children engaged and active.

Examples of Movement Activities

Heart Hop: Place paper hearts on the floor and encourage toddlers to hop or step from one heart to another. This supports balance and coordination.
Dance with Scarves: Use red and pink scarves or ribbons for toddlers to wave and dance to music. This promotes rhythm and gross motor skills.
Ball Toss: Use soft heart-shaped balls or beanbags for tossing games. Counting the throws adds a math element.

These activities can be adapted for different ages and abilities, making them inclusive and fun.

Rose Celery Stamping

Combining food and paint allows for a creative sensory experience. Celery rose stamping brings just that and makes a cute Valentine's keepsake. In this section you will find the steps on how to do this project with your little one. I did this one in my infant classroom with children 10 month to 15 months. I find this is a great project for early toddlers.

Materials: White cardstock, red and green paint, celery and a rubber band.
Steps:
- Chop end of celery off and wrap pieces together. Pictures below are showing how I wrapped them.
- Set out paint and paper in a safe area.
- Start by showing how to stamp celery and encourage your little one to do so.