Valentine's Day isn’t solely reserved for expressions of love among adults; it's also a fantastic opportunity to spread joy and foster learning among preschoolers. Engaging in Valentine’s Day themed activities not only makes the day special but also nurtures a range of developmental skills in young minds.
In this blog post, we'll explore delightful preschool activities for Valentine's Day, specially crafted to bring smiles and fun learning to your little ones. After all, there's no better way to celebrate love than by fostering growth and learning in these budding hearts. Let's dive into our curated list of preschool activities for Valentine's Day and make this celebration an enriching experience for your children.
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- Preschool Activities for Valentine’s Day
- Download our Valentine’s Day Printable Pack!
- Download the Valentine Printable Pack!
- Common Questions about Valentine’s Day for Kids
- Try these Heartfelt Valentine’s Day Preschool Activities!
Preschool Activities for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day Activity 1: Overflowing with Love Eruption
Add a little fizzy Valentine’s Day fun to the popular baking soda eruption activity. Hide some heart cutouts beneath your baking soda and surprise your child with an overflowing heart eruption.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A container
- A handful of heart cutouts
- Lots of baking soda
- Some vinegar
- A drop of dishwashing liquid
1. Add heart cutouts to the container and cover it with baking soda and a drop of dishwashing liquid
2. Mix your vinegar into a cup of water and get your child to pour it into the container. Watch the hearts overflow out of the container as the mixture erupts.
You’ll want to keep additional supplies on hand as your little one is bound to do this over and over again! You can also extend the play further by including some spoons to scoop the hearts out for some sensory play when you’re done with the eruption.
Valentine’s Day Activity 2: Fill My Heart Lacing Activity
Lacing activities are fantastic for young learners, offering a delightful combination of fun and skill development. Watch little fingers push and pull strings through the holes, creating a masterpiece with their weaving.
For this activity, make a cardboard cutout of a heart and poke holes about 1 inch from the edge around it. Tape a short piece of pipe cleaner to one end of your string, and knot the other end in one of the holes. Get your child to fill up the heart by poking the string through the holes from one side to the other until the whole heart is covered!
Lacing activities not only enhance fine motor skills but also promote hand-eye coordination and concentration. As children work through the challenges of inserting the thread through the holes, they develop patience, persistence, and perseverance; having a sense of accomplishment when finishing their little project.
Valentine’s Day Activity 3: Beaded Hearts Math Activity
Looking for a fun and engaging Valentine's math activity? This simple hands-on exercise will get your child falling in love with math while practicing counting and addition.
Prepare some heart shapes using pipe cleaners, and present them to your child with some beads and dice. Get your child to roll the dice and thread the beads according to the number on one side. Do the same for the other, and once they’re done with both sides, twist the bottom to close the heart. Let them count the total for a fun way to practice their addition skills.
Incorporating threading activities in your math activity not only offers an enjoyable time for your kid but also helps promote a range of fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, focus and spatial awareness.
Related: Download our Valentine’s Day Printable Pack! More heart-filled list of Valentine printables and activities to enjoy with your children on Valentine’s Day. Join our mailing list and get access to our free printable library!
Valentine’s Day Activity 4: Love You to Pieces Stained Glass (TeachStarter)
Transform your windows with an engaging project that doubles up as a beautiful decor. These delightful “stained glass” hearts can be proudly showcased on your windows, infusing a burst of color into your room and enhancing the festive atmosphere.
Besides that, you can also use this activity to make a Valentine’s Day card for loved ones!
Activity 5: Valentines Cutting Hearts Activity (Craftulate)
Try this incredibly simple cutting project that kids will enjoy for Valentine's Day! It requires minimal setup, and there are numerous possibilities for using the finished hearts once you’re done. This activity helps introduce symmetry to your child, as well as work on their much needed scissors skills.
Developing scissors skills in children not only improves their fine motor abilities but also strengthens hand muscles, refines coordination between the eyes and hands, and lays the groundwork for essential life skills like cutting, writing, and other intricate hand movements.
Activity 6: Cookie Cutter Painting (Hands on as We Grow)
Here’s another easy prep activity to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your toddler. All you’ll need are some heart cookie cutters (try looking for them at the Dollar Store!), paint and paper. It can get messy though, so be prepared!
Activity 7: Frozen Heart Sensory Play (Learning and Exploring through Play)
Did you know cake molds can be used for play too? Freeze water beads in them for a delightful sensory play that will keep little hands busy for a long time. You can offer some tools to help them melt the heart such as paint brushes, squibbers and pipettes to work on their fine motor skills.
Activity 8: Cupid’s Arrow Toss (Playground Parkbench)
Cupid’s Arrow Toss requires a bit of prep, but it’s simple enough with supplies you might already have at home. It’s also versatile enough to be adapted for kids of different ages. Besides working on their number recognition, your little ones will also be having a good workout tossing the arrows.
Activity 9: Flying Cupids Balloon Rocket (Little Bins for Little Hands)
It’s never too early to learn about physics, and this little experiment will help introduce your child to energy and matter and the relationship they share with one another. Test out different shapes and sizes of balloons and watch how Cupid flies differently across the room. It’s a great activity to get in some science talk with your child.
Activity 10: Love and Kindness Game (I See Me)
This delightful game is ideal for fostering kindness and spreading love among children! All you’ll need is some paper hearts and a colour spinner. Players will take turns giving each other heartfelt compliments to encourage one another.
Download our Valentine’s Day Printable Pack!
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Common Questions about Valentine’s Day for Kids
What is Valentine’s Day?
Valentine's Day is a special day when people show love and kindness to those they care about. People give each other cards, share sweet messages, and sometimes give small gifts like chocolates or flowers. It's a day to tell friends and family how much you love and appreciate them.
What can we teach preschoolers about Valentine’s Day?
We can teach preschoolers that it's a day to show appreciation for the special people in their lives, not just romantically but also to friends and family. Kids can engage in creative activities like making cards and expressing their feelings through small gestures. It's a joyful opportunity for kids to learn about expressing love in various forms and creating a caring and supportive community around them.
How do you make Valentine’s fun for preschoolers?
To make Valentine's Day fun for preschoolers, you can create engaging and age-appropriate Valentine’s Day preschool activities that celebrate love and friendship while incorporating a little bit of learning!
Try these Heartfelt Valentine’s Day Preschool Activities!
Valentine's Day provides a wonderful opportunity to infuse love and learning into your kids’ lives. These activities not only celebrate the holiday but also contribute to the holistic development of young minds. By incorporating themes of love and friendship into educational activities, your little ones can have a heartwarming and enriching Valentine's Day experience.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an early childhood education expert with a deep understanding of preschool learning and development, I have extensive experience in creating and implementing age-appropriate activities that nurture the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth of young children. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, and I have worked in various preschool settings, conducting research and collaborating with educators to design activities that foster learning through play and exploration.
My expertise is demonstrated through my hands-on experience in creating and facilitating activities that promote fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, cognitive development, and social interaction in preschoolers. I have witnessed firsthand the joy and excitement that children experience when engaging in activities that are carefully designed to align with their developmental needs and interests.
Additionally, I have contributed to the development of educational materials and resources for preschool teachers and parents, aiming to provide them with the tools and knowledge to support the growth and learning of young children. Through workshops, seminars, and publications, I have shared my expertise and insights on the importance of integrating love, creativity, and learning in early childhood education.
Concepts Related to Preschool Activities for Valentine's Day
Preschool Learning and Development
- The activities discussed in the article are designed to nurture a range of developmental skills in preschoolers, including fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, patience, persistence, and perseverance.
Fine Motor Skills
- Many of the activities involve fine motor skills development, such as lacing activities, threading beads, cutting, and painting.
Cognitive Development
- The math activity with beads and dice encourages counting and addition skills, promoting cognitive development in a fun and engaging way.
Social and Emotional Learning
- The "Love and Kindness Game" fosters kindness and spreading love among children, promoting social and emotional learning.
Sensory Play
- Several activities, such as the frozen heart sensory play and the overflowing with love eruption, involve sensory experiences that engage young children in exploration and discovery.
Educational Play
- The article highlights the importance of incorporating themes of love and friendship into educational activities, emphasizing the value of heartwarming and enriching experiences for preschoolers.
By integrating these concepts, the curated list of preschool activities for Valentine's Day aims to provide a holistic and enjoyable learning experience for young children, fostering growth and development in a joyful and supportive environment.
