Valentine's Day products are flooding the shelves while commercials are declaring the need to buy expensive jewelry for the one you love. Meanwhile I am at home trying to find inexpensive ways to do multiple activities with my kids. When I say inexpensive, I truly mean it...like $1.00 inexpensive.

I know it sounds like I am a cheapo but reality is my tight budget will not allow me to buy much in the extras category. Which I have to say is so hard not to give in and just scoop up all those darling products and crafty items. However, I will wait for the Valentine's Day Sales before buying up those extras and use them for next year's celebration of Family Appreciation Day.

While shopping at my local Dollar Store for monthly household supplies I headed into the Valentine's Day aisle. I saw all the cute items and zeroed in on a package of 100 sticky hearts. Instantly I began thinking of ways to use them for both my toddler and my kindergartner. While dropping toilet paper and other house hold items in my cart, I came up with the following simple and fun activities to do with a simple $1.00 package of 100 Sticky Hearts.
Sensory Box Sensation
What is more fun than playing with a bunch of stuff in a box? I placed red, pink and white fabric flower petals in a tin box I had from Christmas cookies. I added heart shaped beads and a handful of sticky hearts. All these items have different textures for my toddler to experience while playing.
Learning Wall Decorations
Our learning wall needed a festive pep for February. A few sticky hearts placed randomly on the wall did the trick. I also punched a hole in one sticky heart and left on the paper backing to use as the day selector.
Name Spelling Set
I thought this would be a fun way for my daughter to learn how to spell her name. I left the paper backing on so she can spell her name over and over. I had enough hearts left over after the other activities that I was able to make name sets for the toddlers in our churches toddler room.
Tic-Tac-Toe Game
This activity would be a great one to make as a Valentine gift for classmates. I used one of my jewelry bags as the board. I made the # sign out of strips of Duct tape. Each player gets six hearts and then places them for storage inside the bag when done playing. A small pencil and piece of paper could be placed inside the bag for keeping score.
Sight Words Revamped
I know with my son there have been times he has become tired of looking at another piece of paper or card with his sight words written on them. This is a fun way to incorporate the holiday and learning. Once Valentine's Day sales are active I plan on getting more of these hearts so we can make duplicates of his words to make a memory game out of his sight words.
Words of Inspiration Lunch Boxes
Not all kids are going to enjoy this; however, my son is still young enough that I have a few years before he hates this type of sentiment. As a mom, I think this is an awesome way to remind my son that he is amazing. The heart shaped food is required for added mushiness.
Light Box Fun
My toddler loves the light box that daddy made for Christmas. She puts everything on the light box. I found it fun watching her realize that the light shown through some of the hearts and not others. This is also a simple way to incorporate a new shape into her learning.
Fine Motor Stringing 
There are endless activities that you could do with this simple package of sticky hearts that cost only $1.00. I hope you have enjoyed the activity ideas I have offered you here.

Let me know in the comments what ideas you can think of to do with these sticky hearts.