Valentine's Day Activities

Secret Admiration
Reading/Art Read the book Little Bear's Valentine by Else Minarik (HarperCollins, 2003), which is about a secret admirer. Talk about what it feels like to have and to be a secret admirer. Do the following art project for someone special, sign it, "Your secret admirer" and watch a smile appear on his or her face!

Step 1: Prepare cardboard box sides for the children. Cut slits about one inch long on all sides.

Step 2: Students paint the cardboard a Valentine color; red, pink, purple. etc.

Step 3: When the paint is dry, glue on paper hearts and the name of the person receiving this Valentine.

Step 4: Students string colored yarn into the slits and add a yarn handle.

Woven Hearts
Art

Step 1: Give each child two sheets of 12" x 18" construction paper.

Step 2: Cut shapes as shown below, with slits 1" wide and 12" long.

Step 3: Weave the pieces together and staple, paste or tape them securely. Trim excess from the ends. Write a Valentine message on the heart.

Step 4: Streamers with hearts on them may be attached.

Valentine Cards for Family
Writing/Art Explain and model pointillism using a cotton swab and various colors of tempera paint. Have children decorate the outside of their cards with pointillism and write their own heartfelt Valentine messages on the inside to family members.

From the Heart
Seeking a Universal Message of Love: A Valentine's Day Social Studies Lesson In this lesson, students examine the history of Valentine's Day and the ways in which it is celebrated and criticized around the world. They then create their own symbols representing a universal message of love that may be accessible to all cultures.

Conversation Heart Candy Math
This is a fun math activity to do with your class on Valentine's Day as part of your class party. Skills taught include estimation, comparing, addition, subtraction, graphing.

Detective Valentine
Students can use this lesson to improve their fitness and work together while solving a valentine's day puzzle.