(tot school tuesday) valentine’s day coffee filter hearts

If you are looking for a fun craft to do with your kiddo, these coffee filter hearts are the perfect activity for just about any age (2ish and up). The younger kids can get in on the painting and the older kids can help with the cutting. I adapted this idea from my creative neighbor, with permission of course. Logan has really been enjoying painting lately and it’s such a therapeutic activity for him that I’ve been trying to make it part of our daily routine. I know I’ve said this before, but I just love this age and being able to do projects like this with my little guy. I vividly remember painting with my dad and grandmother when I was younger.

My tip for painting with toddlers is to make it as stress free as possible for everyone, so it’s still an enjoyable activity. I cover the table with heavy paper, taped down, and strap Logan into a booster seat so the paint stays in one place. I always dress him in clothes that I don’t care if they get a little paint on them and typically try to use washable paint like tempera. I always give him the rules before we start (no painting on mama, no painting on Logan, only painting on the paper or whatever we happen to be painting) and he knows what’s expected of him from the very beginning. During the 30 or so minutes that he’s painting, I try to control my neat freak tendencies and allow him to make a (contained) mess.  I praise him often to help keep him on task if needed.

Activity: Valentine’s Day Coffee Filter Hearts

(learning objective: fine motor skills, language development)

Materials

White Coffee Filters

Red and Pink Tempera Paint

Sponge Brushes

Scissors

Tapestry Needle

Twine or String

Instructions

Water down tempera paint with a splash of water and mix with a brush. Lay several coffee filters flat and have your tot cover them in paint. Set them aside to dry overnight. Cut the dry coffee filters into hearts. Use a tapestry needle to string the hearts together with twine or string.

Tot School Tuesday Co-host: Kara of Mine for the Making (visit her blog for preschool aged activities)

Link up your Tot School Tuesday activities here! Tot School Tuesday is all about teaching your child something in a fun and playful way. Blog along with me every Tuesday and link up your ideas here. They can be original ideas or something you saw online (just make sure to give credit to the person who came up with the idea).

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