A Valentine for Jesus {A Valentine's Day Craft & Lesson for Kids}

A huge thanks to Family Christian for sponsoring today's post! Be sure to check them out for all your Christian crafting needs!

Aww, Valentine's Day...the day that's all about LOVE!

For most of us when we think of Valentine's Day, we think about our husbands or signifigant others...we think of a romantic love. As parents, we also often take the chance to remind our little ones just how very much we love them.

But what is love?

The answer can be found right in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13: 1-8:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. 

While I love reminding my husband and kids both of my love for them, this year I really wanted to take the opportunity to teach my son what love truly is...to teach him to love others as God has loved us. So, in the nature of The Sparkle Box, we set out to create a Valentine for Jesus. Take a look:

In addition to being a really fun and simple craft to do with your children, these Valentines for Jesus boxes are also a great lesson. You see, it's not just a pretty box, but a place to share how we have displayed the biblical definition of love. On slips of paper, we have written down ways in which we have shown patience (such as waiting for something we really wanted) or kindness (like opening the door for a stranger). We have written how we did not anger when something didn't work out as planned or forgiven someone who wronged us. These acts of love are great examples of loving as Jesus has loved.

Want to make Valentines For Jesus with YOUR kids or Sunday School class? It's super easy!

Here's What You'll Need:

• Small Boxes of Choice (You can use old shoe boxes, tissue boxes or even pick up some unfinished craft boxes. We used paper mache boxes.)
• Craft Supplies of Choice (Yarn, ribbon, beads, paint, stickers...use your imagination, the possibilities are endless! Get creative with it!)
• Glue
• Scissors
• Small strips of paper
  
  

Here's What You'll Do:

1. Decorate Your Box. Of course this step will vary greatly depending on what craft supplies you choose. We started by painting to give our simple boxes a more festive look. Alternately, you could use wrapping paper, wrap in yarn and ribbon or even cover with mod podge and apply glitter! Now that we had our base it was time to make it unique. My son is a huge video game fan, so we went with a perler beads to create a fun 8-bit heart look. (These beads are super fun and easy- simply create your design on the peg board, cover with wax paper and iron until beads have melted together for the finished project.)
   
   
   
   
   
    For my daughter's box, I wanted something a little more cute and feminine. We found these great Melissa & Doug Sweetheart Beads were absolutely ideal. Let your little one's decorate to their liking. (Consider using words from the verse to really drive the message home: 'love is' or 'love never fails', 'patience', 'kindness', etc). Again, don't be afraid to get creative! These boxes can be a fun reflection of your little one's personality!
   
   
   
   
   
2. Cut A Slit in The Box (optional). If you have a box with a lid, you may prefer to just have your child lift the lid as we did. But if you prefer, you can create more of a 'piggy bank' style where the kids can drop their acts of love. Carefully cut a slit large enough for your slips of paper.
3. Share Acts of Love. Encourage your children to get their Valentine box started by thinking of ways that they've recently shown love. Go over the definition found in 1 Corinthians and give examples of what each word/phrase could mean. Write these acts on the paper slips and drop them into the box. Encourage them to continue adding as they perform acts of love throughout the Valentine's season. Share with them how showing these acts of love to others is just what Jesus wants us to do, and how it is the best Valentines gift we could give Him. Also remind them to continue to share that love beyond February!
   
   

That's it! Super simple, and super fun! A craft and a Sunday School lesson all rolled into one!



If you would like more fun ways to incorporate God's love into your celebrations, be sure to check out Family Christian's Valentine's Day Pinterest board for some more creative ideas:

Follow Family Christian's board Valentine's Day on Pinterest.

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