Looking for a Valentine's Day craft with a little more meaning? This beautiful heart mobile from Almost Unschoolers is a great way to move beyond the superficial heart and candy, viewing the holiday as an opportunity to talk to your kiddos about God's love and how He calls us to love others.

The project centers around I Corinthians 13: 4-8 and the picture of what true love is supposed to look like;

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. [NIV version]

After reading the verse together, use the craft to further discuss its meaning.

Materials

Bible

red poster board

red and white construction paper

ribbon

glitter glue

markers

craft scissors

tape

craft glue

Crafting the Mobile

Cut two large hearts from the red poster board. On one of the hearts, print the word "LOVE" in pencil and trace over it with glitter glue. Set the heart aside to dry.

Cut five small hearts from the red construction paper and five slightly smaller hearts from the white construction paper. On the white construction paper heart cutouts, have your kiddos print the characteristics of love - "protects", "trusts", "hopes", "perseveres", and "fails". Discuss what each of these words means and then, testing your kiddos understanding/listening skills, ask when love does each - "always" or "never" - and have them print these words above the characteristics. When finished, glue the white hearts to the center of the red construction paper heart cutouts.

Use scissors to cut five pieces of ribbon, each a different length. Tape the small heart cutouts, one each, to the end of each piece of ribbon. Attach the other end of the ribbons to the second large red poster board heart (i.e. the one without the word "LOVE" printed on it).

Draw a thin line of glue around the heart and add a crepe paper border to it. Be sure the ribbons are out of the way!

To finish the craft, glue the "LOVE" heart to top and hang the mobile on the wall, from the ceiling, or any other place that suits your fancy!

What a meaningful and festive craft! We're always finding the coolest lesson and craft ideas over at Almost Unschoolers - we highly recommend checking out the site!