Valentine's Day Art and Math: Symmetry Hearts

So, ‘math’ probably isn’t the first word that you think of when you hear Valentine’s Day. But, when it comes to kids’ art activities – it can be! I always enjoy combining art with other areas. Whether it’s science, literacy, music or just about anything else, I’ve seen how hands-on art-making can really hit a lesson home for a child.

This time we’re making symmetry hearts. I have to admit, I’m not fantastically fabulous at free-hand drawing (and my son definitely inherited that from me). When he was younger we’d fold a piece of paper in half, draw half the shape, and then cut it out to make a symmetrical looking picture. This activity is no different. Well, it sort of is. It actually expands on this idea with an artsy game.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Construction paper

·        A marker

·        Scissors

·        Clear-drying school glue

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Stack two or three pieces of construction paper together (each paper should be a different color).

 

2.     Fold the paper in half book style.

 

3.     Draw half a heart on the paper, starting at the fold. You may need to show your child a whole heart first. Then, fold the heart in half to help her visualize what she will draw.

 

4.     Cut the hearts out.

5.     Repeat, making a few more stacks of hearts in different shapes and sizes. Have your child create chubby hearts, skinny hearts, tall ones and short ones.

6.     Unfold all of the hearts.

 

7.     Cut each heart at the fold line to make halves.

 

8.     Scatter the hearts on a flat surface.

9.     Match the heart halves. The trick is that your child can’t use the colors to make a match. Each new pair has to have half a heart from a different color. She needs to match the shape and size to create symmetrical Valentine’s Day hearts.

10.  Glue the pairs onto a piece of paper to make a holiday collage.

 

Are you looking for more Valentine’s Day activities? Follow my Pinterest board for ideas!

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Valentine's Day Activities for Kids on Pinterest.