10 Days of Love Notes for Kids: 5-Step Valentine’s Day Craft for Parents

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How often do we say, “I love you” to our kids?

Every day? Several times a day?

And how often do we tell them WHY we love them?

How often do we tell them exactly what it is they do, or think, or say that makes us love them?

I realized, in my house, it wasn’t often enough.

So, I ask you, “When’s the best time to tell your kids how awesome they are?” Well, immediately, of course! But. When’s the next-best time? 😂

Valentine’s Day! 💓 The day we profess our love to those who matter most in our life!

And our kids matter. A lot. 

That’s why my husband and I do this craft every year. Ready to hear more? 

Let’s dive in.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Thanks for the support!

How Does this Valentine’s Day Craft for Parents Work Anyway?

Here’s how it works: First, start on the night of February 4th.

Post a heart with a love note on your kids’ doors after they fall asleep. On the morning of February 5th, they wake up to find a personalized love note from you.

The next night, leave another heart with a special message. Do this for 10 days (or less if you’re strapped for time). Post the last love note on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

Our kids love it (especially since I think one of their love languages is words of affirmation). It’s become a tradition in our house and they look forward to it every year.

Here are 5 steps to create heartfelt love notes for kids on Valentine’s Day.

1. Gather Your Materials.

This Valentine’s Day craft for parents (like any feasible craft for busy parents) doesn’t require much. I had everything I needed around the house already, so I spent $0 on this! Here’s what you need:

• Colored paper (think reds, pinks, purples—or printed scrapbook paper works too!) OR, find pre-cut paper hearts
• Scissors
• Permanent marker
• Painters tape
• Double-sided tape or glue (optional if you want to make a sign)
• Google Sheets or Excel

The last one isn’t necessary, but it’s helpful to use as a rough draft.

Here’s why. You can track what you write from one year to the next and make sure you don’t write the same thing you wrote for your Thanksgiving thankfulness craft (which is similar). You can also use Google Sheets to mark off each day as you post it on the door.

And since I have three kids, it keeps me mindful of what I write for each kid in relation to their siblings. (Let’s be honest. When siblings are involved, it pays to consider how everyone will interpret the love note, even if it’s not intended for them.)

2. Draft Your Love Notes for Kids.

Now for the creative part! Brainstorm all the reasons you love your child. Take a moment to be mindful of all the good your kids bring to your life. Then write your list on paper, in a note app on your phone, or in Google Sheets or Excel.

In case you have writer’s block, here are some examples of love notes for kids:

• We love listening to you sing songs.
• We love hearing you read to us before bed. 
• We love how you include your brother in the games you play.
• We love your perseverance when learning something new.
• We love that you know how to say “sorry.”

You could also start your message with “I love you because….”

If you plan to do this craft for 10 days, as I’ve done, list 10 reasons you love them. If you plan to do it for 5 days, list 5 reasons, and so on.

If you care what order you share your love notes in, then rearrange your list in the order you like.

3. Make (or Buy) the Hearts.

I folded my paper in half, cut out half of a heart shape, unfolded it, and voila! A heart cut-out.

If you aren’t motivated to cut out hearts, purchase heart-shaped cut-outs that are large enough to write your love notes for kids. You could also use a Cricut if you have one.

Once you have the hearts, use a permanent marker to write your love messages.

I batch this process. I write all 10 love notes at once. Then, I stack the hearts in a pile, paperclip them together, and wait for the kids to fall asleep!

4. Profess Your Love.

Start on the night of February 4th. After the kiddos go to bed, take a heart, roll a strip of painter’s tape to the back of it, and stick it to the door.

If you’d like to post a sign as I did, you can tape that at the top of the door, and place the hearts under it.

If you forget one night to post a heart (it’s happened to me several times), don’t be too hard on yourself! Put it up while they’re at school, playing outside or away from their room so they have something to come back to.

The last heart gets posted on the night before Valentine’s Day. If you’d like to START it on Valentine’s Day, then you can post a heart each night following February 14th.

5. Witness the Warm and Fuzzies.

Here’s my favorite part of this Valentine’s Day craft for parents!

If you’re present when your kids discover your love notes, it’s heartwarming to witness the spark of joy, pride, and confidence that lights their eyes. For my younger kids, who can’t read yet, I love watching them run to get me and excitedly pull me to their door to read what their new heart says.

My children’s responses vary from an ear-to-ear grin, or a beaming smile, to an embarrassed flush. But afterward, I always find peace knowing I shared my thoughts and love with them.

But Do I Really Have Time to Write Love Notes for Kids?

As parents, we get busy. And sometimes, we forget—or we don’t take the opportunity—to express the depth of our love. 

But imagine our child’s chest swelling with love after they read our note. 

Imagine the deep sense of gratitude and joy we’ll feel when we reflect on how blessed we are to have such an awe-inspiring child in our life.

And now imagine sending that joy out into the world when we put our pen to that heart-shaped paper.

I’m as busy as the next parent. But my kids look forward to this small act of kindness every year. And I look forward to celebrating all the new ways I love them this year, and how I can best express that love to them.

What Do You Love About Your Kid?

Now, I want to hear from you! What would be in your love notes for kids? Tell me ONE reason you love your child (or grandchild, or niece or nephew) in the comments below. (I’m sure you can think of WAY more, but let’s start with one!)

I’d love to see how your Valentine’s Day display turns out! Take a pic and tag me on Instagram!

Stay mindful, even when your mind’s full.
~Chelsea

P.S. Again, here’s all you need for this project (and I found all of it around my house)!

P.S.S. By the way, this Valentine’s Day craft isn’t reserved for kids! You could use this to write love messages to your husband or wife, too!

P.S.S.S. If one of your child’s love languages is words of affirmation and/or they like reading these little love notes from you, don’t wait until next year to do it again. I make a thankfulness craft with love notes for my kids at Thanksgiving!

Want to see these instructions in a video? Check it out on my Instagram!

Want to remember this craft for next year? Pin it! 📌👇