Here is one of the simplest and quickest art activities I've done with my kids that still had a huge impact in terms of sparking conversations about God's love... this Jesus Loves Me Heart Art project.

My favorite Catholic picture Bible for kids is The Beautiful Story of the Bible by Maite Roche. The illustrations are GORGEOUS and very inspiring to create art with as an extension activity. I love how the text is easy for children (ages 3 +) to understand. It is a wonderful addition to your family Bible to help children understand the Word of God through images and child-friendly text. It's our go-to!

Our scripture focus for the week comes from Matthew 19:13-15:

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

I remember one of my daughter's preschool teachers giving her a hug as I picked her up a few years ago, and she said to her, "Remember, Jesus loves you." I thought to myself, have I ever really told my girls this? We go to Mass, we pray, we read the Bible, but do I actually remember to tell them this frequently? The honest answer was no.

​From that day forward, I made it a goal of mine that no matter how crazy our days get, I will do my very best as their mother to remind my children of this simple yet profound phrase. I pray that it stays with them as they continue to grow and make mistakes and learn from them.

And it's a wonderful reminder to myself of Christ's love for me, a sinner.

This project has different options for supplies. You can print the worksheet onto card stock that has the heart templates for the child to color OR print the blank version for the child to sponge paint hearts. The FREE printable PDF download below includes both.

​You can choose what types of coloring materials you feel up to that day: wet or dry. We did both and my three year old loved it all!
​
​Grab the free PDF for this project by clicking the box below;

Here's all you need for this activity:

*We used some red, pink and purple glitter paint with a heart shaped sponge for the painting option!
​

Print the free Jesus Loves Me worksheets (link is posted above). There is also a blue header option for boys.

Choose if you want to have your child color in the hearts, paint in the hearts or stamp their own with hearts with paint.

Paste your child's picture in the center after paint dries.

​That's IT!

Let us know what you think! If you made this project, please tag us on Instagram: @littleholyhearts

​​We'd love to see what you make!