Valentine's Day Lessons and Activities

Updated - Jan 2012

TEACHING HEART'S
Valentine's Day Theme Unit!!

Valentine's Day Lessons, Printables, Links, and Activities For Lovely Teachers!!!

(Tons and Tons of ideas - You will be full of lessons ideas by the end of this page!!)

LOVE BUGS!!!

I am loving the LOVE BUG!!! I think you could do many lessons using a Love Bug Theme!!! Here are two free printables that are all about the Love Bug!!!

First up is a Roll and Draw a Love Bug Game. All you need is the free printable and some dice. The object of the game is to roll the dice and day all the parts to your love bug. First player to have all six parts on the love bug wins.

vdaylovebugteachingheart
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PDF!!!

“Hi Colleen,
I LOVE your love bug idea, but it didn’t fit with what we are learning. We are doing tens and ones and numbers to twenty. I hope you don’t mind that I changed it around a little bit to match up with the Math in Focus chapter that we are doing. I’ve attached it for you. Feel free to share. Cindy Parr”

Thanks Cindy, I checked out your sheet and created a new sheet based on what you were looking for. Below is the new Love Bug Sheet with the Tens and Ones concept.

If you would like to use this sheet, click here.

I was at Sam’s Club and ran across these fruit heart shaped snacks (also available at Amazon by clicking here)… I created two activity sheets to match these yummy treats!

download the graph and compare sheet here. - Grades 1, 2, and 3. They will need to create a graph, read it, and answer questions about it. Then, they are asked to look at a friend’s graph and tally their friend’s results, and finally finish up by comparing the two results!

Download the sorting sheet by clicking here - For PreK amd K

New and Note-worthy!!!

To the right you see an estimation activity from our CDROM #3.
If you do not have the CD you could:
Draw a large heart on a piece of paper. Give Each student a box of Hearts.
Have him Estimate the number of hearts that will fit in the heart. Then have him see how many
really fit in the heart.

This is an idea from our CDROM # 3
Click here to learn more!

Give each student a box of candy hearts. Have the students color the graph to match the hearts they have. After they have the graph colored, have them trade with a friend. The friend can answer the questions on the back using the graph. You can create your own or use ours from CD#3.

The first graph is for grades k-1. Have your students lay the hearts on the graph. To make this more difficult 2-3, create a graph that allows your students to color the hearts and then answer questions about their graph.

This is an idea from our CDROM # 3
Click here to learn more!

Have Your Students Work Together To Complete These Activities

Directions:Your teacher will give you and a
partner a box of candy hearts.
Work together to answer the questions on this sheet.

Partner Names _________________________& _________________________

Activity 1 Estimation

1. Before opening the box of hearts,
estimate how many hearts are in the box.
Write your guesses in the blanks:

Partner 1: ___________________ Partner 2: __________________

2. Open the box and count the hearts. How many? ______________

3. Have each partner subtract to find the
difference between your estimate and the actual number of hearts.
Who had the closest guess? ___________________________

Activity 2 Classification

How many different ways can you find to group your hearts?
Here are some examples:
* Group hearts that are the same color together.
* Group hearts that have the same message together.

List all the different ways that you could group your hearts

Activity 3 Measurement

1. Together estimate the number of hearts,
laid end to end, that would equal one foot. What is your estimate?

___________________________

Use a ruler to find the actual number
of hearts needed to equal a foot.
What is the actual number needed to equal a foot?

___________________________

2. How many hearts wide is the top of one of your desks?

Estimate: _______________ Actual Number: _________________

3. How many rows of ten hearts can you make with the hearts in your box?

Estimate: _______________ Actual Number: _________________

We have created a Data Sheet for This on CDROM #3

This is an idea from our CDROM # 3
Click here to learn more!

I'm A Little Valentine I'm a little valentine Red and White With ribbons and lace I'm a beautiful sight I can say, "I Love You" On Valentine's Day Just put me in an envelope And give me away	For Valentine's Day Out of a snow cloud, cold and gray, Something dropped on St. Valentine's Day, Whirling and twirling and soft and light, Like wee little letters all dainty and white, And I guess the sky children were sending down, This Valentine straight to the children in town.
Counting Valentines Valentines, valentines, how many do I see? Valentines, valentines, count them with me. I have red ones, orange ones, yellow ones, too. I have green ones, purple ones, and some that are blue. Valentines, valentines, how many do I see? Count them with me! 1-2-3-4-5.....	My Valentine Heart When I say I love you (Point to lips) It comes from my heart (Hand on heart) You hear it in your ear (Point to ear) And it sounds very smart (Point to head) I love it when you're proud of me (Stand very tall) You say it all day long (Stretch arms wide) And when I hear you say it (Point to ear) My heart sings a merry song (Hand on heart

I also wanted to share an idea I saw someone do last year for Valentine's
Day. I'm sure some of you have seen it. It's the "I Love You This Much"
cards for Moms or other special friends. You make a big circle for the
child to make his or her face on. Then you glue it to a large piece of
construction paper. You glue a sentence strip down underneat with the words
written inside & then fold over both sides to meet in the middle. You glue
a small heart on the outside of each flap where they meet to make "hands"
and when you open them up, it's like a big hug! It's great!
Sara Sheets

A friend who teaches Kindergarten does this for Valentine's Day:
She makes each child a book and on each page she has divided it into
sections. After everyone has passed out their cards they glue 1 card to
each section. I think they either copy their friend's name under the
space or they walk around writing their own name in the space left over.
It looks really cute and they love it. Several have brought their
Valentine's book to school to share with our 2nd grade class.
Katherine Rome

Pocketchart Valentine Activity

The valentine is red.
The valentine is blue.
_____ drops it in the mailbox
And mails it to you.

Fill in the blank with a child's name.

You could also have them place a red heart on the first line, a blue heart on the second line, then add a name card in the third line and the student's picture at the end of the line. Sally Henderson

I make a book for each child to take home on Valentine's Day. The
outside of the book looks like an envelope. From: Your Friends in
Class, my school name and address. To: Child's Name. Finally a heart
37. stamp I cut & paste into the word document. (found on search
engine) The first page will say Letters From the Heart.

Inside the book: one letter from each child in the class.
We brainstorm everyday about why we like someone in your class.

For example:
Type below this form. (so its all the same)
Dear ___________,
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
From,

_________

Dear Sean,
You are a great friend. You are so good in Gym.
I am so glad you are in my class.
From,
Mike

You would be amazed with the nice things the kids say about each
other. Its an ego booster. Parents love to read nice things others
kids have to say about their child! kathiesully

Would you like to use this idea with your class? I have created templates you can use with this.

Cover
Sheet for student
Envelope - glue to 8 X 12 envelope.

My idea is that I am going to decorate our classroom door with background paper and the words: Straight from the Heart. My kids are going to write messages to their families for their Valentine's and then I will send these home on that Monday. I am going to paint the letters that have been punched out in pink and red. Just thought I would share. Thanks again, Kelly

How about buying some cheap wooden or plastic hearts. Have the children measure things using the heart as a non-standard unit of measurement.Or you could get various color or size hearts and have the kids sort and count them and graph them. This could be your math center. Dianne

We give each child an unopened box of conversation hearts. We have them sort them into groups of 10 then add their extras to see how many were in each box. We use this info to make a class graph. Then the kids sort their hearts by color. We make bar graphs coloring the columns with the corresponding crayon. With older children we then had them choose 10 hearts and use them as part of a conversation with quotation marks etc. They had to glue the candies to the paper. It was a lot of fun, but the glue would sometimes eat away at the heart. In any case everyone would eat their manipulatives when they were finished. Sheryl

My class makes Valentine's for Veterans calendars. They write a message under the flap and sign only their first names. We take them to the local VA hospital. The kids love it and the vets appreciate the attention. Many of them are forgotten by their families.

Dianne

Use this small heart pattern for center activities. Cut the heart in half and write a math fact on one side and the answer on the other half. Have students match the hearts. You could do this with rhyming words too. Place each center in a empty heart shaped chocolate box. Children will enjoy this very much! Colleen

Having your students make coupon books filled with good deeds that may be cashed in by a family memeber is a great idea. Some ideas to put on the coupons might be; cut the lawn, load the dishwasher, dust, set the table, take the trash out, free hug,feed and wash the pet ........and what ever else you can think of. Here is a template you can print to have students make their own. Click here to print the sheets! Or you can go to http://kidexchange.about.com/kids/kidexchange/library/blvcoupon.htm to print out these finished Valentine coupons to give to a family member, a friend or a secret pal!! You can print all of the coupons at once or click on the graphic in the coupon to print the individual coupon. Colleen

Duplicate on red paper, cut out, & laminate one copy of the activity cards. (Click here to view and then print) Place the cards in an empty box of chocolates and use them as a learning center. Provide a small cup of candy conversation hearts for each student to use as he completes the activities on the card. Have him record his answers for each activity on a numbered sheet. After finishing the cards, have the student give the cup and answer sheet to a friend to check.

Click Here For an Easy Vday Treat

Another idea for the Hersheys is to use them for a creative writing lesson, beginning with describing the 5 senses, brainstorming a list of descriptive words and then having them "eat" a hershey kiss and write about it. - Jeanine

As a special treat play the video The Little Lulu Show: Valentine's Day (clik to buy)

Follow the Directions Distribute sheets of drawing paper and crayons and ask the children to follow step-by-step verbal directions to complete a folding and drawing activity. Demonstrate how to fold the paper as you give the following directions. 1. Fold the paper in half and then fold it in half again. 2. Unfold the paper. You should have four "boxes." 3. Number the boxes 1,2,3 and 4. 4. Draw one heart in box 1, two hearts in box 2, three hearts in box 3, and four hearts in box 4. 5. Color the hearts red.

Kristie Turner Shared this Power Point File for Beginning Sounds on the Teaching Heart Mailring. You may download the file by clicking here.

Also Kristie shared a create a word file. Click here to download.

Debi Goodman said on the Teaching Heart Ring -

OK—pressure is on for you to create using the candy heart site http://www.cryptogram.com/hearts/

I made a quick 15 minute game using it—I did it in PPT and then made my heart and copied each one as I made it and put it in the table—EASY!!!

Download her file here.

Debi also shared this activity. Click here to download.

Debi shared an I Have Who Has Activity. Click here to download.

murphyp01 shared a word file for making sentences. Click here to download.

deboraha.burns shares a rhyming hearts game. Click here to download.

teachdreams1 shares a pocket chart activity. Click here to download.

She also kindly shares a cute love bug pocket chart activity. Click here to download!

Click here to see the post!!! You will find a Sweethearts Sweet-tarts Printable Activity!

Make Counting Hearts Cards Or Print Them From Our CD.
Here is a center you can place in a pocket chart or a baggie. I have mine in a pocket chart. The student matches the math problem to the number of hearts. For intance:

6 hearts
plus
3 hearts

would be matched up with the card that had a picture of 9 hearts.

This is an idea from our CDROM # 3
Click here to learn more!

Here is a heart Glyph

This is an idea from our CDROM # 3
Click here to learn more!

You can make a few centers for your classroom, you may have each child complete this activity individually, or you may wish to do this as a group.

Each student needs two envelopes. Discuss or review fact and opinion. Have the students paste the word fact on one envelope and opinion on the other. (or you laminate and place these in a center). The student reads the heart and puts it in the correct envelope.

Here are some of the statements found on the hearts (You can make up your own too):

Valentine’s Day is celebrated once a year.

Valentine’s Day is better than Halloween.

It is fun to give out cards to friends.

Some people give flowers to their Valentines.

This is an idea from our CDROM # 3
Click here to learn more!

To the right you will see a set of sentence strips I created. You could use this in a writing center or as part of a reading lesson. The sentences read...

I spy Valentine's Day
I spy flowers.
I spy love notes.
I spy chocolates.
I spy a dove.
I spy cupid.
I spy friends.
I spy the key to your heart.

This is an idea from our CDROM # 3
Click here to learn more!

Here is a counting hearts mini book that the student write the number of hearts he or she sees and colors the hearts as the text states.

Our CDROM also includes another activity book (not shown): This is a little bit more advanced. Each page has the student write, illustrate, or fill in the blanks.

This is an idea from our CDROM # 3
Click here to learn more!

Click Here For Activities To Match Great Books

More Valentine's Day Ideas

Valentine's Day Packet New and Improved in 2011
Great activities to help make Valentine's Day fun and educational in your classroom! I have had many requests from you all for a Packet with a V-day Theme. I hope this helps make v-day a hit in your room!

1.) Bee Mine Valentine Board Game (K-3) – Great Game for Reviewing Previously taught skills. All you need is a die and flash cards. You can use math problems, questions from a previously taught lesson, spelling words… The object of the game is to collect all four pieces and then you are the winner. Roll the dice. Move. Turn over a flash card. Answer the questions. Collect your piece.

2.) Cupid Erase a Rhyme (1-2) This is three sheets. The first sheet is teacher directions. The second sheet is an easy to draw graphic of cupid. (The students may also keep this at their seats and cross out the parts as you work the lesson with the class.) The third sheet is an independent activity for your students to complete after the lesson.

3.) Conversation Heart (k-1) - Your teacher will give you a bag or box of conversation hearts. Use the hearts to complete this page.

4.) Graphing Candy Hearts (K-3) – Includes two pages for the student. Just provide the candy hearts. Students color the graph to match the hearts you have. After you have the graph colored, trade with a friend and have them answer the questions on the back using your graph.

*5.) Following Directions – You can use this with non-readers by reading them the directions and have them do as stated (PreK-1) or use with readers by having them read the sheet and complete (1-2).

*6.) V-day Mini Book (2-3) Student completes given tasks in book.

7.) V-day Topper – Attach this cute Topper to a bag of candy for your students and watch them smile! Bonus St. Patrick’s Topper inside as well. (Comes in PDF and Publisher)

*8.) V-day Mini Book - (k-1) An easy to read book for your students to make. (word)

*9.) Bring a Heart to Life (1-3) This includes three pages & detailed instructions. A student game. Students roll dice & complete the given task. First person to complete all tasks wins. Simple adding is required. (word)

*10.) Valentine’s Day Card Activities (1-3) – After your kids collect their card have some educational fun with the cards by using this activity. Students will use their cards to make a graph and answer questions about their cards. (word)

*11.) Heart Drop Game (1-3) – All you need to play this fun game that will be helpful when working with fact families. Directions are on the first page of the document. (Word)

*12.) Questions About a Valentine Graph – Answer questions about the given graph (1-2) (word)

*13.) Heart Plural Ending Activity Sheets – Students use the word bank and change the word to plural by placing it in the correct heart (2-3) (word)

*14.) Heart Sums Game – This game is set-up for addition. You may change the sums to play as multiplication. A two player game. You supply dice and two crayons. Activity sheet is attached on page 2 of document. (1-3)

*15) Compound Word Puzzle Take it to Your Seat Center – Includes center pieces and an activity sheet. You can change the words on the puzzle hearts to meet your needs.

16.) Valentine Candy Bar Wrapper – You are ready to give your students a treat!!! Fits a regular hershey bar. This file is PDF.

*17.) Sorting Valentine’s Day Pictures – Three pages. Directions for the teacher. Pictures for the students to cut out and glue to a sorting sheet. (K-1) Once the sheet is complete they may answer the questions on the third page about their sorting sheet. (1-2)

Get a better look at what is in the packet. Click here for Printable Index with pictures.

These are word files and some are PDF. As soon as you pay you will get directions for instant download.
You will be sent a link for instant download!
Please make sure your email is correct when you order. If you don not get the packet
in 3 hours after you place your order, please email us to let us know.
Thanks!

*These sheets may be modified to meet your needs. The wrapper and topper are the only sheets that will be in PDF and cannot be modified. Once you place your order you will be sent directions for an instant download. Seventeen different activities! Over 25 pages of resources. So many activities for only $15.49.

$15..49

Single Classroom use only!

To Learn about this on & other products, please go to:
http://teachingheart.net/primaryteachertimesaver.html

Teaching Heart Free Valentine's Day Printables

I love using dice for games.

How about creating a craft where your kids need to roll the dice to collect the craft items. I created this little Valentine Heart face & a key to use with the dice. The players roll the dice to collect all the pieces for their craft. Once they have all their pieces collected they can glue their craft together. My son can do this independently (in fact, he is doing that now). My daughter (the almost three year old) needs help matching the rolled number to the item on the list.

If you want to give this idea a spin with your kiddos or students, here is the printable key. All you need is two heart cut-outs, two eyes, a nose, a mouth or a pen to draw one, pipe cleaner or something to use as the hanger, and a glue stick. Then you will have a new heart friend to hang on your door. Above is my son's masterpiece...

For Little Hands that still have trouble with the dice, why not make your own big dice... Vanna shares on this youtube video some fun dice activities and ideas for making large dice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_7yXSnZ9mo

Heart Drop Game

Free From Our CDROM 3
A 9 page mini book for you to print and use with your class!

Hop over to a post I did on the Organized Classroom Blog that has a free printable M&M card for the teacher to hand out on Valentine’s Day!

You can download the printable above here.

You can download my sock printable here!

Who doesn't love POP ROCKS?

"Valentine, You ROCK!!!" Just print and tape on.
You can get Pop Rocks at the dollar store in packs of three.
The ones on Amazon are the mini packs in bulk of 20.

You can download my printable here.

Let's start with the DOTS candy.

"I love that you DOT your i's and cross your t's in my class! Happy Valentine's Day!"

Super Easy and Fun. You can download the printable by clicking here!!!

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The student to student tag says… ” I think you are a great friend from your head to your foot. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

The teacher to student one says… “ I love having you in my class, because you always but your best foot forward. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

You can download the file to make these by clicking here

A Clifford Valentine Mailbox by Vicki Anthony
vanthony@mail.gsn.k12.oh.us

Valentine's Day at The Virtual Vine	DLTK
Pre-K Pages V-Day Theme	VDay Literature with Ideas to Match!
Teaching Heart Mom Vday Ideas	A Printable Mini Book by Kinderblogger