Bring on the fun with scribble art hearts! This playful Valentine’s Day craft will have kids laughing, scribbling, and creating their wildest designs — perfect for any holiday or just because.
Scribble art hearts: An easy Valentine’s Day project
This super simple process art project delights little artists as who doesn’t want to hear, “Let’s scribble! The crazier the better!”
I know every kid I have ever worked with responds with much enthusiasm. 😂
This is the perfect project to try when you have too many brown paper bags piling up. BUT, you could also do the same process with butcher paper, construction paper, leftover packing paper, etc.
We made these as a preschool Valentine activity, but you can whip them up any time of year.
❤️ Make sure to check out our complete list of the BEST heart art projects for kids!
Benefits of scribble art hearts for kids
Did you know that scribbling isn’t just fun?
It’s an essential developmental milestone for kids and is loaded with learning.
- Fine motor skill development: Scribbling strengthens hand muscles, which helps kids with tasks like writing, cutting, and even tying their shoes.
- Creativity booster: Scribbling encourages kids to think outside the box and experiment with colors, shapes, and lines.
- Early literacy connection: Believe it or not, scribbling lays the groundwork for handwriting and understanding that marks on paper can carry meaning. (Art is connected to everything.)
- Stress relief: Scribbling wildly FEELS GOOD.
Try some of these other Valentine’s Day faves, too:
- 💖 Valentine’s Day Sensory Table with Roses
- 💖 Concentric Heart Art – one of our most popular activities ever
- 💖 Dancing Candy Heart Science
- 💖 Salt Dough Hearts
Materials
Friends Art Lab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
- Brown grocery bags – or any large piece of paper
- Markers, crayons, or paints – we used tempera sticks for the really bold, thick lines and they’re a 10/10
- Scissors
How to make scribble art hearts
- Flatten and cut open a brown grocery bag to create a large, flat surface.
- Invite kids to scribble all over the paper using markers, crayons, or paints.
- Once the scribbling is done, draw or trace heart shapes onto the paper.
- Cut out the hearts and admire your colorful creations!
💖 Don’t miss our collection of the BEST Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids!
Fun ways to use completed scribble art hearts
- String them together for a garland.
- Glue them onto cardstock to create Valentine’s Day cards.
- Use them as gift tags for presents. (I love the idea of keeping a stockpile of them and using them throughout the year for gift tags!)
- Stick them on the fridge as mini art displays.
- Attach them to popsicle sticks for pretend play.
- Frame one as a keepsake from your little artist.
- Use them as table decorations for Valentine’s Day.
- Give them to classmates as unique Valentine’s notes.
Stages of scribbling
Professor Kristian™️ time!
Scribbling may look like random squiggles, but it follows developmental stages that are fascinating to observe:
Random Scribbles (12-18 months): At this stage, kids are just discovering that they can make marks on paper. Their movements are big, uncontrolled, and joyful.
Controlled Scribbles (18-24 months): They start to experiment with smaller, more deliberate strokes. Circular motions and repeated patterns emerge here.
Named Scribbles (2-3 years): Around this age, kids begin to assign meaning to their scribbles. “This is a sun!” or “This is me!” become common declarations.
Pre-Writing Shapes (3-4 years): Scribbles evolve into recognizable forms like circles, lines, and crosses—building blocks for letters and numbers.
Scribbling is so much more than messy fun—it’s a window into their growing mind and abilities, and the perfect opportunity to make hundreds and thousands and millions of squiggle hearts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! While grocery bags are sturdy, you can use construction paper, cardboard, or even butcher paper.
This craft is great for toddlers, preschoolers, and even older kids who love creative play.
We mainly used tempera sticks because they glide like lipstick, but oil pastels and markers also work. It would be hard for little hands to get much color onto the brown bags using crayons, so it would be the last art supply I’d grab for this activity.
LEAVE A COMMENT