Valentine's Day Hearts Decoration Chain

• Cardboard tube
• Paintbrush and red paint
• Pushpin

• Needle
• Embroidery thread
• Beads (with holes large enough for the needle to pass through)

1. Cut the tube in half and brush the halves inside and out with red paint. Let them dry. 2. Flatten the halves, then cut them into one-inch segments. Shape each segment into a heart by pushing one creased side toward the center. Pierce holes in the top and bottom of each heart with a pushpin. 3. Thread the needle and knot the end. Slide on a bead until it stops at the knotted end, then loop back and push the needle through the bead again, going from bottom to top.  4. Thread on a heart, then add a bead just above it, using the same looping technique to secure it in place. Repeat to create a string of hearts and beads.

Valentine's Day Lollipop Craft

• Red and green construction paper or card stock
• Scissors

• Lollipop
• Glue stick

1. From red construction paper, cut out a heart that's just larger than the lollipop candy and glue it to the wrapper.
   
2. For the leaves, fold the green paper in half and cut out a leaf shape, leaving the two sides attached at the seam.
   
3. Unfold the double leaf shape, coat the entire inside surface with glue, and fold it back over the lollipop stem, pressing to secure.
   

Valentine's Day Yarn Heart Craft

• Yarn
• Cornstarch Glue
• Water

• Heart-shaped cookie cutter
• Parchment paper

1. First, make the glue by combining ¼ cup of cornstarch and ½ cup of water in a saucepan and stirring until smoothHeat the mixture over medium heat until it's thick and translucent. Allow it to cool to the touch.
2. Cut yarn into foot-long pieces.
   
3. Place a heart-shaped cookie cutter on the shiny side of a piece of parchment paper. Have your child push a piece of yarn into the glue to coat it. Pick up the piece and run it between a thumb and forefinger to remove the excess glue. Lay the yarn inside the cookie cutter.
   
4. Repeat with the other pieces until the yarn fills the heart shape in a thin layer. With clean hands, press the yarn flat. Gently lift off the cookie cutter and allow the yarn to dry hard, at least a day.
   
5. You can speed up the drying process by placing the hearts and parchment paper into an oven set to "warm" for an hour or two.
   

Classroom Valentine's Day ideas

1. Make your own Valentines

2. Make a Valentine mailbox

3. Play Valentine's Day games.

4. Write a love poem.