Gather several of your child's paintings to use for making homemade Valentine cards, or ask your child to choose, since the paintings will get cut up into hearts.



First, make a heart out of a cereal or oatmeal box (or any cardboard or old folders). Then cut it out. This is my heart shape you see in the photo. You need a pencil and scissors. Depending on the age and ability of your child, you or your child can begin tracing the cardboard heart on the back of a painting.




 You can also do one first, as a lesson, showing your child how to hold the heart with one hand and tracing it with the other from top to bottom, left to right--ideally.


 You or your child can make several traces of the heart on the back of the painting(s). Here you see I was able to trace six hearts, respectively.


 Now you or your child can begin cutting out the hearts. It's a little more challenging since there are several hearts! For younger children, you can cut the painting(s) up into large squares before tracing and cutting the hearts.




You can then place your cut-up hearts in a container, basket, or bowl. For my son's Valentine cards, I bought these stickers at a local store, since my son has limited fine motor skills due to his Down syndrome. But he loves stickers! Your child can also use stickers, or markers, or glitter/glue on the front.




 If you are using glitter glue, you will want to write your child's name on the back, or have your child write his or her name. My son is able to write his name, and he had to write it 24 times! But he enjoyed it! After you sticker decorate the heart, the name of your child can go on the back.