Finding self-love activities for kids is important. Building self-esteem or self-confidence helps children to become more resilient, handle situations better, and feel less stress, anxiety, and depression.
Valentine’s Day provides the perfect way to instill some of that self-confidence and love in your child! (Even your older ones who think they are getting too big to be loved on)
I always give my kids Valentine’s Cards, but this year, I wanted to find a more meaningful way to show them how much I love them. I decided to create these cute little paper strip valentines hearts and write everything I love about them on each strip.
I’m looking forward to giving them these along with their traditional pink heart-shaped pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream on the big day.
Supplies Needed for this Self-Love Craft:
A few Sheets of Pink and Red Paper
Scissors or Paper Trimmer
Nice Black Pen ( I love these Faber-Castell Pens they write like a dream!)
Instructions
Cut 6 strips of paper to the following measurements:
2 at 1.5” x 10”
2 at 1.5” x 11”
2 at 1.5” x 12”
Write 6 different things you love about your child on the different strips of paper. For example:
“I love that you are so smart”
“I love that you are kind to everyone”
“I love that you are always willing to help”
You could also write positive affirmations around self-love. Check out these 20 affirmations for kids if you need some inspiration.
Take all of the pink/red strips and staple them together at one end. You should have the two longest strips in the middle of the stack, the middle length strips on either side of those, and then the smallest strips on the outsides of the stack. (See middle photo above.)
After stapling, flip the strips “inside out” and pull the unstapled ends of the strips all together and staple the bottom together. (It should be in a heart shape at this point.)
I also created my two hearts slightly different for each kiddo. One of them is just stapled into a simple heart shape (Shown above.) The other, I stapled about 1.5″ – 2″ down on the strips and then curled the top and bottom around my pen to create the curly-que look. (See the photo below.)
I love how easy and quick this craft was. Plus it really holds a lot of meaning with the personal words of affirmation and love. I hope that my boys will find that they are filled with feelings of self-love as they receive these sweet hearts.
By the way, if your child is struggling with their self-esteem, I have a great workbook that helps kids build self-confidence through fun games, worksheets, and activities. Check out the Brave Guide to Self Esteem today!
