Valentine’s Day is such a delightful time for families, filled with warmth, love, and the joy of friendship! It’s the perfect occasion for everyone, especially kids, to express their creativity and affection. There are countless fun and educational activities that little ones can dive into, sparking their imagination while learning new things. From crafting heartfelt cards to organizing fun games, this special day offers endless ways for children to celebrate love and friendship in delightful and engaging ways!
Valentine’s Day Craft Ideas for Kids
- DIY Valentine’s Day Cards – Imagine the many ways for kids to make simple, handmade cards using paper, stickers, and stamps. Need inspiration? Red Ted Art, providing “cute and easy crafts for kids,” posted “40+ Easy Valentines Cards for Kids,” “6 Super Simple Valentines Cards for Kids of All Ages,” and “Valentines Cards for Kids: Pop-Up Card,” among others.
- Heart-Shaped Bookmarks – Celebrate both Valentine’s Day and literacy with a fun craft that promotes reading. Watch this easy how-to video from Noreva Projects for an Easy DIY Heart Bookmark. Or check out “How to Make an Origami Heart Bookmark,” from the Idea Room.
- Love Notes & Kindness Jars – Encourage kids to write kind messages to family and friends. Just think how it would warm the heart of a grandparent, aunt, or uncle to get a “love note” from your little one. Or consider making a kindness jar for home or classroom. Start with a Book has posted a PDF that details some options that include filling a jar with “acts of kindness” written on slips of paper—things such as doing a chore without being asked or asking someone to share “roses and thorns” (positives and negatives) from their day. Family members can then dip into the jar and can draw out a slip. A kindness jar might also be used to collect change to donate to a cause or fund.
Fun and Educational Valentine’s Day Activities
- Valentine’s Day Word Search – Boost vocabulary and spelling skills with the Looking for Love Wordsearch for grades K-4 on the Anywhere Teacher learning app. Another activity on the app that includes a Valentine’s Day component is Mix & Match Springtime Stories. Or try some printable V-Day word searches from WordMint. (And while not a word search, the letters in the greeting “Happy Valentine’s Day” spell out at least 135 words! How many can your family come up with?)
- Heart Counting & Math Games – Try some fun counting and number recognition games with hearts and/or heart-shaped and Valentine’s-themed objects. Consider “14 Super Fun Valentine’s Party Games Kids Will Love.” They include Heart & Seek, “A Valentine's Day twist on a classic treasure hunt game where kids search for hidden paper hearts” and Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt, “A fun game where kids search for Valentine's Day-themed items around the party area.”
- Storytime with a Valentine’s Day Theme – Share books that celebrate kindness and friendship. A few suggestions are Words to Make a Friend (in both English and Japanese), A Friend Is Someone Who, and Kindness Is My Superpower.
- DIY Valentine’s Day Ideas for Preschoolers – A Happiest Baby blog post gets the littlest learners participating with “16 Valentine’s Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers.” What’s not to love about A Love Game for Valentine’s Day or a game called Mittens and Kisses using chocolate kisses!
Printable Valentine’s Day Cards & Activities
Clipping and coloring are more than just fun pastimes, they are activities that develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills!
- Check out this sheet of 9 adorable free Valentine’s Day cards featuring Charlie & Company characters! Simply print off and clip out. They’re just one of many free gifts sent to families that subscribe to Anywhere Teacher. Some gifts are print products sent directly to the subscriber’s home.
- Find free printable Valentine’s Day coloring activities from Crayola and Valentine’s Day printables for kids from DLTK’s Holiday Crafts.
Valentine’s Day Ideas for the Classroom
Are you concerned that some kids might be left out of Valentines exchanges? Or that Valentine’s Day overemphasizes romance? Teach Starter, in “27 Fun Valentine's Day Ideas for Teachers That Your Class Will Love,” notes, “The good news is Valentine’s Day doesn’t just have to be focused on romantic love. It can be a great springboard to talk about ‘loving’ your neighbor, friendship and general kindness. Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17 this year, allowing you to hit two holidays in one.” Below are some fun Valentine’s Day classroom activities:
- Classroom Valentine Exchange – Teach Starter suggests “To make the exchange more equitable and avoid hurt feelings, consider having students choose one name out of a hat. This will be the person they write their card out to, cutting down on all the time that would be spent on making individual cards for everyone.” A Teacher’s Tip also notes that making it an in-class activity helps “ensure every student receives something” and “messages are kind.”
- Friendship Chain Activity – This is a wonderful, collaborative way for kids to express appreciation for classmates. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has produced a Kindness in the Classroom® unit “about inclusiveness, which involves talking with kids about friendship.” It includes a link to a “What Makes a Good Friend” video with kids sharing their thoughts and definitions. It also has detailed instructions for helping kids make a friendship chain out of construction paper strips, jotting down on a strip, a friendship quality that they see in a particular classmate. Though geared toward 4th grade, the activity could be modified for younger kids.
- DIY Valentine’s Day Mailbox – Find fun and easy ways for kids to create their own mailboxes for Valentine’s exchanges. Check out Learning Wonderland’s “Easy Valentine’s Day Mailboxes.” Some steps for the teacher are to gather supplies like stickers and markers and cut a drop slot in each box with a box cutter, but kids get to do the fun touches!
How Parents Can Celebrate at Home
What better way to observe a day of love than spending time together as a family? Get your game on—in the kitchen, living room, or great outdoors.
- Bake Valentine’s Day Treats Together – Easy recipes that involve measuring and counting help build math skills and make great memories. Get started with Taste of Home’s “36 Easy Valentine’s Day Treats for Kiddos” by Laura Denby or Food Network’s “14 Sweet Valentine’s Day Treats to Make with Kids,” by Meghan Hynes Cole.
- Family Game Night with a Love Theme – Incorporate learning games that focus on love, kindness, and fun. Take a peek at “30 DIY Valentine’s Day Games That Everyone Will Love,” by Shelby Deering for The Pioneer Woman. Fun Valentine’s Day learning games might just put a new spin on the holiday.
- Write a Family Valentine’s Day Letter – Encourage kids to write letters of appreciation to family members. Join in on the fun with them! What makes each family member grateful for other family members? What is special about them?
Clearly, Valentine’s Day is a wonderful opportunity for learning and creativity, with near-endless possibilities. Remember to check out School Zone’s Charlie and Company Valentine’s Day Cards for a fun and unique way to celebrate. And don’t forget to visit School Zone’s website for more activities and educational resources.
