Hey there,

'Tis the season for love, and what better way to share it with your friends and family than with creative heart activities?!

There are several Valentine's Day arts, crafts, and painting ideas on Rhythms of Play to help kids and adults of all ages express their love creatively. I know that many art activities are designed for children, but most are just as much fun for adults to create.

I just created a new FREE printable "Thumb-Buggy Loves You" card template for making fingerprint love bugs, now available in the Rhythms of Play Library.

I decided to make it free because several unscrupulous TPT and Etsy store owners stole my idea and created a printable version to sell for profit. Not cool.

Because I originally designed it as a free art activity that you can do at home or in the classroom with your children or students, I thought it should remain that way.

The new FREE card templates make it easy to create cards that look like my daughter's original version. It comes in three sizes, making it even easier to create these fabulous cards for loved ones and friends.

Make a large folding card with a heartfelt message inside for someone you love, send cards off to friends and family, or hand out the smaller cut-out cards to the whole classroom (or office, just for fun)!

Of course, adults can make love bugs as well. You know I do! As you probably already know, I love them so much that I have created a round-up of all my favorite love bug craft ideas.

You might also enjoy painting heart art in various sizes and shapes.

My favorite Valentine's Day art activity is making surprise heart art, because even though I know what's coming, the surprise never gets old! If you have no idea what I mean, please visit the link above for the step-by-step watercolor painting tutorial.

Or try this heart salt painting project. It is mesmerizing to watch the different paint colors mix and blend as a raised salt masterpiece in the shape of a heart is created. Click the link to see it for yourself!

Speaking of hearts, that reminds me of the second FREE printable I created recently. I made a printable to go with the Heart Scavenger Hunt Activity.

I decided to make this printable free because I share a passion for finding hearts in nature with several colleagues, such as Penny over at Mother Natured. I didn't want to put a price on it, because it would ruin the fun.

It's a wonderful activity for Valentine's Day, but you will likely notice that hearts become something you look for, take pictures of, or draw whenever you see them in the natural world for the rest of your life.

I truly believe there are nature angels out there who deliberately put hearts in other people's paths. Maybe one of them is you?

If you’re hosting a Valentine’s Day event, searching for creative things to do with your students in the classroom, or looking for fun activities to enjoy at home with your children, grandchildren, or a group of friends, these creative ideas can be a great way to bring some creativity into the mix.

If you need more detailed instructions or additional suggestions, please don't hesitate to let me know. I’d be happy to help!

Wishing you a colorful and love-filled Valentine’s Day!

With love and tree hugs,

P.S. If you’re a member of the Play Club or have access to the printable heart templates in the Rhythms of Play Learning Center, you can use them to create several of the suggested arts and crafts mentioned in this email. Enjoy!