If you're looking for Valentine's Day ideas for students you've come to the right place. We've compiled a list of 29 different activities. From writing love letters to conversation heart math, there are lots of fun ways to bring Valentine's Day into the classroom in a fun and educational way. So get ready to plan your best February yet with great ideas to help you wish your students a Happy Valentine's Day this month!
Literacy Valentine's Day Ideas For Students
1. Writing Love Letters
Your lesson plans wouldn't be complete without having students write love letters during the month of February. Give your students a simple writing template and pink or red colored pencils. Encourage students to write a letter to someone they love like their mom, dad, or grandparent. Kids will love being able to express their love for parents or friends in this way!
2. Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt
Set up a write-the-room scavenger hunt around your classroom, encouraging the kids to search for hidden Valentine cards, paper hearts, or other Valentine-themed items. Give your students a clipboard and a write the room template and send them on their way. This activity is perfect for your literacy stations or a fun morning work activity when kids first come in the room. This not only makes for a fun time but also promotes teamwork, reading, and writing skills when planning your Valentine's Day activities for students.
3. The Day It Rained Hearts
Read the book The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond and then practice reading comprehension strategies with your class. In this story, a little girl discovers that it is raining hearts, so she collects them and uses them to make special Valentine's cards for all her friends. This is a great book to help students learn about characters, settings, and plot. It's also perfect to use with the writing prompt on how to make a Valentine and you can have your students make simple Valentine's cards for their friends. This book is a win-win from start to finish for your Valentine's Day activities.
4. Secret Admirer Notes
Create an environment of mystery and excitement by allowing students to exchange secret admirer notes. This simple and traditional Valentine's Day activity can be a great way to celebrate friendships in the classroom.
5. Do You Like Conversation Hearts?
Love 'em or hate 'em, conversation hearts are a Valentine's Day tradition. Give each child a handful of this fun treat and let them try them out. Then use this template and writing prompt for “Do you like candy hearts?” to practice some opinion writing. It's a fun way to add a little excitement to your writing lessons in February.
6. Love Monster And The Last Chocolate
Your students will relate to the story of Love Monster And The Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright. In the story, Love Monster debates on what to do with the last chocolates in his box. Should he share them with friends or eat them himself? After reading the story, pull out a heart-shaped box of chocolates and let each child choose one to taste. Imagine their excitement when they see that big box of mouth-watering chocolates! Kids can make an adorable box of chocolates craft and then write their opinion of Valentine's chocolates.
7. Valentine’s Day Book Reading
Celebrate the month of love by reading and discussing favorite books centered around Valentine's Day. This is a great option for promoting literacy and sharing stories that emphasize the themes of friendship and love. Head over here for a list of ideas for the best February read-alouds.
8. Friendship Stations
February is the perfect month to celebrate our best friends. Read the book Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry and talk about all the ways we can be a good friend. Then have your students pair up to visit 4 different friendship stations including making friendship bracelets, find a friend activities, friendship memory, and making friendship rocks. Finish your day by making friendship soup!
Math Valentine's Day Ideas For Students
9. Heart-Shaped Math
Combine fun and learning for elementary school children by using heart-shaped candies for a math skills activity. You can find heart shaped candy galore in February. There are heart-shaped gummies, red hot candies, and conversation hears in many colors. Different sizes and colors can be used for sorting, counting, addition and subtraction. Using heart-shaped candy is a great way to integrate Valentine's Day into your math curriculum.
10. Candy Heart Graphing Lesson
Turn candy hearts into a great opportunity for a math lesson plan. Have the kids sort the candy hearts by color and create a graph to visualize the data. This is an excellent way to incorporate math skills into a Valentine's Day activity.
11. Valentine Themed Math & Literacy Games
Add some fun to your lesson plans this month with Valentine's Day-themed math and literacy games. Your students will think it's so much fun when they see fun games like these at your math and literacy centers. These games also make a great activity for working with small groups or morning work. Kids can even pull these games to play for indoor recess! You'll find great math ideas for addition, telling time, base ten ideas, shape sorting, money, and more. Early elementary students will love the literacy ideas on skills including contractions, vowel pairs, syllables, and punctuation. Head over here to take a closer look.
12. Valentine’s Day Candy Jar Guessing Game
Set up a candy jar filled with different colors of candy hearts. Allow each student to make a guess about the number of hearts in the jar, and the closest guess wins the jar as a special Valentine's Day prize. This activity enhances estimation skills and adds an element of excitement to your class party.
Crafty Valentine's Day Ideas For Students
13. Love Bugs Crafts
Let the children's creativity shine by making a Valentine love bug. Using red and pink construction paper and other simple materials, they can create adorable love bugs that you can use as decorations for Valentine's Day bulletin board.
14. Handprint Heart Tree Craft
For a bit of fun and a lasting memory, have the kids create handprint heart trees. Paint their hand and forearm brown and have them print it on a large piece of white paper. Using small pink and red construction paper hearts for leaves. They can make beautiful trees that serve as a great little gift for family members.
15. Tissue Paper Heart Craft
Provide an easy and colorful craft option with tissue paper heart crafts. Younger children can enjoy tearing and gluing tissue paper to create vibrant heart decorations that can be displayed throughout the classroom.
16. Love Notes Bookmark Craft
Combine creativity and functionality by having the kids create love notes bookmarks. Using construction paper and heart-shaped cutouts, they can design personalized bookmarks that serve as a great gift for family members or fellow students.
17. Valentine Caterpillars
Engage students in a creative session where they can make their own heart-shaped caterpillars. Provide materials such as pink and red colored paper, scissors, glue, and markers. Let them design unique heart-shaped caterpillars at your February art center that can be hung around the classroom or taken home as special keepsakes. Add fun googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae for kids to add to their creations.
18. Decorate Your Own Valentine's Day Cookies
Turn baking into a fun activity by hosting a “Decorate Your Own Valentine Cookies” session. Provide heart-shaped cookies, colorful icing, sprinkles, and various edible decorations. Let the kids unleash their culinary creativity as they design their personalized sweet treats. This can also be a great addition to a class party or a fun family activity at home.
Valentine Party Ideas For Students
19. Valentine Cards Photo Booth
Set up a photo booth with props like heart-shaped glasses and Valentine cards. This is a perfect opportunity for kids of all ages to have some extra fun during a class party, and the photos can be taken home as memorable keepsakes.
20. Classroom Valentine's Day Party
Have you heard? Cupid is looking for some help with his Valentine's Day duties! Have your students fill out this free application to be Cupid's assistant and then set up 8 different stations Valentine's Day stations. Students can do some of the jobs that Cupid has to do in Loveland like mend a broken heart, make a love potion, fill a chocolate box and shoot his bow and arrow. Your entire class will have a ton of fun with this Valentine's Day party idea for students.
21. Valentine Bingo
Put a Valentine's Day twist on a classic game by playing Valentine Bingo. Give each student a bingo card and use these colorful slides as your calling cards. Younger students will love playing this game for a brain break as part of your Valentine's Day party activities.
22. Pink Pancakes Party
Turn breakfast time into a fun holiday celebration by hosting a pink pancake party. Use food coloring or natural ingredients like beet juice to create pink heart-shaped pancakes and let the kids enjoy a special treat at the start of the day.
23. Musical Chairs with a Valentine Twist
Put a Valentine's Day twist on the classic game of Musical Chairs. Instead of just walking around the chairs, incorporate heart-shaped cards with fun challenges written on them. When the music stops, the child left without a chair must pick a card and perform the challenge. It adds an element of surprise and laughter to the game.
Morning Meeting Valentine's Day Ideas For Students
24. Acts of Kindness Challenge
Foster a sense of community and kindness by organizing an acts of kindness challenge throughout the month. Use these daily slides to talk about the importance of being kind to others. Encourage the students to perform small acts of kindness for classmates, staff members, or family, and share their experiences at the end of each week.
25. Valentine Themed Morning Meetings
Use these Valentine-themed morning meeting slides to start each day on a positive note in February. There are questions for each day to discuss with your class along with fun activities like a joke of the day, song of the day and a positive affirmation to say with your class. Students will love the routine these slides bring to your morning and you'll love the simplicity of popping a slide on the board and you're ready to start.
26. February Fun Friday Activities
If this month seems never-ending and you just need to take a break once in a while, you'll love these fun Friday activities. From scavenger hunts to jokes and riddles, your students will love these fun activities at the end of the day or in between. Pop one of these activities on your smartboard for a quick 10-minute break throughout the month. Your kids will love you for it!
Science & Social Studies Ideas For Valentine's Day
27. Red Heart Science Experiment
Incorporate a bit of science into the festivities by conducting a simple red candy science experiment. Use red and pink candy skittles to explore concepts like dissolving, melting, or changing states of matter in a hands-on and enjoyable way.
28. Valentine Time Capsule
Turn Valentine's Day into a memorable event by creating a class time capsule. Have each student contribute a small item or note expressing their thoughts on the special day or someone they love. Take photos of your student's Valentine boxes and their party celebrations. Have kids draw special Valentine hearts and then add everything to the capsule and open it at the end of the school year as a fun memory.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I'm Molly, the creative mind behind Firstieland. With over 35 years of experience in early childhood education, I'm your primary support for resources that will save you time and make learning feel like play. Learn more about my mission for Firstieland here.
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