Love Hand – Valentine’s Day Craft

Here’s an easy Valentine’s Day craft for kids that would also make a lovely token for Mother’s Day, Peace Day, or even as a family-themed keepsake. It’s made by tracing the child’s own hand, and they write the names of the people they love on each finger, making it beautifully personal and unique! We mounted ours on sticks so they looked a bit like flowers, but they also work wonderfully on cards or as standalone decorations.

As a personalized Valentine’s craft, it’s simple and fun to make, offering kids the chance to express their love creatively while improving fine motor skills!

How to Make the Love Hand Valentine’s Day craft:

1. Trace and Cut: Trace the outline of the child’s hand onto red card and cut it out. For younger children, it may help to spread their fingers apart before tracing, as this makes it easier for them to cut around the fingers.

2. Create a Heart: Trace a heart shape onto coloured paper or pretty wrapping paper. A heart size of about 3 cm x 3.5 cm works well. If you’re planning this activity for a group or just want to save time, I’ve included a free downloadable template at the end of this post for you to print.

3. Assemble the Base: Stick the heart onto the palm of the hand.

4. Personalize: Invite children to write the names of everyone in their family, loved ones, or even close friends on each finger of the hand. If they have more names than fingers, they can use the back of the fingers too! For classroom settings, this step can also be adapted to teach family-related vocabulary, such as “Mummy,” “Daddy,” “sister,” “brother,” “Granny,” “Grandad,” or even the names of pets.

5. Decorate: Kids can use sticky gems, stickers, crayons, or markers to decorate their handprint. Some of my kids drew additional designs, like hearts or flowers, to make their creation extra special!

6. Add the Finishing Touches: Cut some ribbon and / or streamers and gather them together with the kebab stick. Use a piece of sticky tape to join them together at one end. Turn the hand over and stick the ribbons and the kebab stick to the back of the hand with sticky tape.

Alternatively, fold a rectangle of card and stick the hand to the front to make a lovely Valentine’s card!

This Valentine’s craft is great for small group activities and can be adapted for different occasions. Here are some ways you can use it in the classroom:

• Teaching Family Vocabulary: Use this craft to introduce or reinforce words like “mother,” “father,” “sister,” and “brother.” For ESL learners, include simple phrases like “Who is Maria?” or “Do you love your Granny?” to encourage speaking practice.
• Encouraging Emotional Expression: Ask children to share why they chose the names they wrote on their handprints. This can help develop emotional intelligence and communication skills.
• Counting and Math Skills: For younger children, this activity can include a counting element. Have them count the number of family members or loved ones they include and practice writing numbers alongside names.
• Creative Writing: Older children can write a short paragraph or story about the person they’ve included on one of the fingers, describing why that person is special to them.
• Cross-Cultural Awareness: Discuss Valentine’s Day traditions around the world or other holidays like Peace Day, where this craft could be adapted to celebrate global friendship and unity.

This craft is not only a fun Valentine’s Day activity but also a meaningful way to teach family vocabulary, emotional expression, and cultural traditions. The free downloadable heart template below will help you save time when making the craft in your classroom or at home!

More Valentine’s Day resources: