Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids That Will Make Their Hearts Melt! - post

Valentine's Day is a cherished occasion that brings people together to celebrate love, friendship, and affection. For children, this holiday is not just about receiving cards and candies; it's an opportunity to engage in fun, creative activities that allow them to #express their feelings and connect with others. As #parents and #educators, we can #play a pivotal role in making this day memorable for kids by introducing them to a variety of engaging #crafts, games, and #sensory experiences. 

Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids

Here are some fun and creative Valentine’s Day crafts for kids:

• Rainbow Hearts:

  • This craft is excellent for developing fine motor skills. Kids can stick colorful dots in the shape of hearts or create a beautiful piece of art to hang in the window, adding a splash of color to their surroundings.

• Valentine's Day Sensory Bin:

  • Set up a sensory bin filled with heart-shaped cardboard cutouts that kids can paint. Enhance the experience by adding #homemade colored salt. This activity can be reused by simply changing the contents, making it a versatile option for ongoing fun.

• Shaving Cream Marbling Hearts:

  • Using shaving cream, children can create stunning marbled heart designs. This activity is not only enjoyable but also a fantastic way to produce unique Valentine’s Day cards that can be shared with friends and family.

• Melted Crayon Hearts:

  • A classic favorite! Melt old crayon bits between wax paper to create beautiful heart shapes. These can be hung as suncatchers, adding a vibrant touch to any window and showcasing the kids' artistic flair.

• Wrapped Nature Heart:

  • Take a nature walk to collect sticks, then use yarn or pipe cleaners to wrap them into heart shapes. This craft encourages #outdoor exploration and creativity, allowing children to connect with nature while crafting.

• Lacing Hearts:

  • Cut out cardboard hearts and let kids lace yarn through them. This activity serves as a fantastic boredom buster and helps improve their fine motor skills, making it both fun and educational.

• Cereal Hearts:

  • Using pipe cleaners and cereal like Fruit Loops, kids can thread the cereal onto the pipe cleaners and twist them into heart shapes. These can be hung outside for birds and squirrels to enjoy, combining creativity with a touch of nature.

• Heart Rocks:

  • Paint rocks red and use a black marker to create heart designs. Kids can then hide these painted rocks in local parks for others to find, spreading joy and love throughout their community.

• Blooming Hearts:

  • Cut hearts from construction paper, fold them, and place them in water to watch them "bloom." This simple yet visually captivating activity is sure to delight children and spark their curiosity.

• Magazine Heart Craft:

  • Use old magazines to cut out heart shapes and create collages. This craft promotes recycling and creativity, allowing kids to express themselves while being environmentally conscious.

Fun Valentine’s Day Games for Kids

Here are some delightful Valentine’s Day games for kids:

• Valentine's Day Bingo: Create bingo cards featuring Valentine-themed images such as hearts, flowers, and Cupid. As you call out the images, kids can mark them on their cards. The first to complete a row wins a small prize, making it a fun and competitive game that encourages attention and excitement.

• Cupid's Arrow Toss: Set up a target using buckets or hoops and have kids toss bean bags or soft arrows into them. Assign different point values to each target. The child with the highest score at the end wins, promoting friendly competition and enhancing hand-eye coordination.

• Heart Hunt: Hide paper hearts around your home or yard. Provide kids with clues or a list of colors to find. The one who collects the most hearts within a time limit wins a Valentine-themed treat, encouraging exploration and adding an element of adventure.

• Love Letter Relay: Divide kids into teams and give each team a stack of envelopes filled with “love letters” (these can be silly notes or compliments). Teams must race to deliver their letters to a designated spot. The fastest team wins, enhancing teamwork and communication skills while ensuring lots of giggles.

• Pin the Heart on Cupid: A Valentine’s twist on the classic "Pin the Tail on the Donkey." Blindfolded players try to pin a heart on a poster of Cupid. The closest pin wins a prize, adding a hilarious and competitive element to the festivities.

• Valentine's Day Craft Station: Set up a crafting area where kids can make their own Valentine cards or decorations. Provide supplies like colored paper, stickers, and markers. This not only keeps them engaged but also allows them to express their creativity and make personalized gifts for friends and family.

• Sweet Treat Guessing Game: Fill a jar with various Valentine-themed candies and have kids guess how many are inside. The closest guess wins the jar of sweets! This game adds an element of surprise and excitement, making it a sweet addition to your celebration.

Valentine's Day Sensory Activities

• Melting Ice Hearts Experiment

  • Materials Needed:
    • Silicone mini heart molds or ice cube trays
    • Red food coloring
    • Glitter
    • Large water dropper
    • Salt
    • Small dish of warm water
    • Deep tray
  • Instructions:
    • Prepare the ice hearts by mixing a few drops of food coloring and a dash of glitter in a jug of water. Pour this mixture into the heart molds and #freeze until solid.
    • Once frozen, remove the hearts and place them in a deep tray.
    • Use the water dropper to squirt warm water over the ice hearts, explaining how the #heat helps melt the ice.
    • If the hearts aren’t melting quickly enough, encourage kids to use their body heat by holding the hearts in their hands.
    • For an added twist, mix salt into warm water and pour it over the ice. The salt will lower the freezing point, speeding up the melting process and creating a fun, splashing experience.

• Valentine's Day Scented Playdough

  • Materials Needed:
    • Basic #playdough ingredients (flour, salt, water, cream of tartar, oil)
    • Essential oils (like vanilla or peppermint)
    • Red and pink food coloring
  • Instructions:
    • Prepare the playdough using the basic recipe, adding a few drops of essential oils and food coloring to create a festive scent and color.
    • Allow children to knead and mold the playdough into heart shapes, encouraging them to describe the scents and textures they experience.

• Heart-Shaped Sensory Bins

  • Materials Needed:
    • A large bin or container
    • Various sensory materials (rice, beans, sand, or water beads)
    • Heart-shaped toys or objects
  • Instructions:
    • Fill the bin with the chosen sensory material and hide heart-shaped toys within.
    • Let children dig through the bin to find the hidden hearts, describing the textures and sounds they encounter as they play.

• Valentine's Day Color Mixing

  • Materials Needed:
    • Clear cups or containers
    • Water
    • Red and blue food coloring
  • Instructions:
    • Fill clear cups with water and add different colors of food coloring.
    • Allow children to mix the colors to create new shades, discussing how colors blend and change.

References

• https://craftykidsathome.com/melting-hearts-a- #preschool-science-experiment/
• https://twitchetts.com/2017/01/valentines-day-activities.html/
• https://littleschoolofsmiths.com/2021/02/02/easy-valentines-activities-for-kids/?srsltid=AfmBOoplRQwKP1B0EMy0I7Ryj4Wxz1Z_LanbdaUG6hUo1K7xZzn8RAkH
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/preschool-valentines-sensory-bin-with-frozen-hearts--69383650497741640/
• https://www.hellowonderful.co/post/melted-crayon-hearts/