Valentine’s Day is a fun, festive occasion that can be celebrated in the classroom with a variety of simple activities. Here are a few ideas to get you started on February 14th:
- Valentine Exchange – Have a card swap where students can send valentines to other classmates. I send home a class roster so no one is forgotten or left out!
- Musical Hearts – Play a Valentine’s Day-themed version of “Musical Chairs.” Instead of chairs, have students sit on hearts, removing one at a time for each round of play.
- Arts & Crafts – Get creative! Cut out hearts from construction paper or have students draw and color their own hearts. They can then use these to create cards, garlands, or other decorations for the classroom. Don’t forget the doilies!
- Class Party – Who doesn’t love a sweet treat celebration?! Plan a party complete with Valentine’s Day-themed snacks, games, and activities. Be sure to check for any food allergies!
- Cupid Says… – Play a Valentine’s Day-themed version of “Simon Says” (for example: “Cupid says, ‘Give your neighbor a high five!'”)
- Talent Show – Have students showcase their secret skills or heartfelt hobbies.
- Celebrate Diversity – Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to talk about the importance of celebrating love in all its forms. Encourage students to think about different types of love that exist (e.g. romantic love, friendship love, self-love) and how to show love and appreciation for others.
- Candy Graphing – Give each student a pack of conversation hearts. Have students sort and graph the various colors and flavors of candy hearts.
- Pin the Heart on Cupid – Play a Valentine’s Day-themed version of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”
- Love Notes – Encourage students to write letters to friends or family members expressing their love and appreciation. They can also write letters to their classmates, telling them why they are grateful to have them as friends.
- Don’t Hate; Decorate! – Have students help in decorating the classroom for February. Display student work, shades of red and pink, etc.
- Candy Counting – Fill a clear jar with conversation hearts. Have students guess the number of candy hearts for a contest.
- ValenTIME Capsule – Have students create a “Valentine’s Day Time Capsule” by filling a box with mementos and letters to be opened on a future February 14th.
- Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt – Hide small treats or prizes around the classroom or school. Give students clues to help them find them!
- Heart Hands – Play a Valentine’s Day-themed version of “Hot Potato” (e.g. “Pass the Heart”)
- Valentine’s Day Movie Night – Show a kid-friendly love-themed feature film.
- Secret Sweetheart – Similar to “Guess Who?” students can ask a series of yes and no questions to guess which classmate was selected as the secret sweetheart!
- Story Share – Read a Valentine’s Day story or poem to the class.
- Lots to Love: A Shortlist – Give each student a heart-shaped page with their name on it. Have students rotate around the room listing positive character traits for each classmate.
- The Perfect Match – You’re the ____ to my ____! Have students try to match up famous couples or things that go together (e.g. Batman and Robin, peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese)
- Sweet Search – Give students a word search puzzle containing Valentine-themed words like Cupid and love.
- ComplimenTREE Love – Have students write down things they love on paper hearts and hang them from a tree-shaped bulletin board. You can also have teachers write down things they love about your class to hang from the tree as well!
- Color by Code – Have students practice previously taught material with these Valentine-themed coloring sheets!
- Cookie Decorating – Have students decorate heart-shaped sugar cookies.
- I Spy… – Help students make a list of red, white, and pink objects in the classroom.
By incorporating a few of these simple activities into your lesson plans, you can help elementary students of all ages celebrate Valentine’s Day in a fun and meaningful way!
ACTIONABLE STEPS: How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day in the classroom? Don’t be shy; say hi! Let us know your traditions below.
