Valentine s Party Required: It is an all day party! Do hourly activities, games and special crafts. We suggest offering a special 3pm and 8pm snack. Suggestions: Snacks Decorate cookies or cupcakes Love Potion: add a little red food coloring to apple juice or lemonade Heart shaped sandwiches Heart shaped Rice Krispy treats Activities Red or pink play dough with Valentine cookie cutters Conversation Hearts BINGO Conversation hearts-checkers Valentine Exchange Valentine Scavenger Hunt Piñata Friendship Games Crafts Friendship bracelets Necklaces from noodles dyed red and pink or cut up colored straws strung on yarn or lanyard Valentine Station stocked with stickers, papers, markers and envelopes
Musical Hearts Materials: Red or pink poster board Scissors Music Teacher prep: Spread hearts around open floor area. Play music Remove a heart after each round Child s Process Dance while the music plays Stop on a heart when the music stops One child per heart Can also be played as friendship musical hearts by allowing two children to share a heart.
Sweetheart Candy Relay Materials: Bowls Spoons Sweetheart candies Teacher prep: Divide children into two groups Each group has 2 bowls and 1 spoon One bowl with candy at start line (1 line for each team) Empty bowl at finish line Child s Process On go, first player quickly walks to bowl of candy Takes a scoop of candy and carefully walks back Dumps candy into empty bowl Passes spoon to next player, repeat steps First team to fill candy bowl wins relay
Friendship Beanbag Toss Materials: Beanbags Teacher prep: Gather the children in a group Go over the song Give child a beanbag to begin Child s Process Toss the beanbag from hand to hand Child recites: I have a good friend, a good friend I have a good friend and their name is Toss the beanbag to that child Play continues until everyone has had their name called
Fishing For Friends Materials: Plastic magnetic fishing game White construction paper Pen Tape Teacher prep: Write many words on small pieces of paper Attach one to each fish Write words like: pizza, soccer, dancing, beach, color blue, Child s Process Take turns fishing When you catch a fish, read the word, if the word is soccer anyone in the group that plays or likes soccer would raise their hand Play continues until everyone has a turn Great way to build new friendships
Catch My Heart Materials: Heart shaped beanbags Soft ball Teacher prep: Gather a group of 5-12 children Stand or sit in a circle facing inward Child s Process One child begins by calling out another child s name and tossing them the beanbag Child with beanbag tosses it to another child, calling their name out loud Play continues until the children become familiar Add a second, third or more beanbags and continue playing without dropping the beanbag The round ends when someone forgets to call out a name, or a beanbag gets dropped Make homemade heart shaped beanbags out of recycled fabric or felt.
Who Do You Love? Materials: Chairs Teacher prep: Gather a group of children Arrange chairs in a circle facing inward Child s Process Each child takes a seat in one of the chairs It stands in the middle of the circle To begin, It says Who do you love to one child, they respond with I love anyone who s wearing blue, I love anyone who plays baseball, who has a pet dog, etc Any other child that is wearing the item, or has a pet, etc must quickly get up and find a new chair to sit in. It must also sit down in one of the empty chairs The last child standing is now It This is an alternative method to traditional musical chairs. In this case, it s very inclusive and no one ever truly loses. A good rule to set up ahead of time is that you cannot sit in a chair directly next to you. Keeps the group more active and eliminates possible cheating.
Valentine s Day Matchmaker Materials: Strips of paper 1 per player Teacher prep: Gather a group of children Make sure to have an even amount of players since this is a pairs game Come up with famous, cartoon, storybook couples/friends Write each of the names of each pair on a piece of paper Tape one strip of paper to each child s back make sure they don t know what name they have Child s Process The group begins to move around the room They ask questions about who they are. Clues are only given out if they ask a question. Once they figure out their own identities, they must go and find their mate Ideas for couples/friends: Mickey Mouse/Minnie Mouse Donald Duck/Daisy Duck Abbot and Costello President/Vice President Shrek/Fionna Batman/Robin Romeo/Juliet Lucy/Ricky Ken/Barbie Prince/Princess Cat/Mouse
Love, Love, Love Materials: None needed Teacher prep: None needed Child s Process Gather the group into pairs Practice the song Tune: 3 Blind Mice Love, love, love, love, love, love See how it grows, See how it grows. I love my friends and they love me. We love each other, that's plain to see. There's plenty for a big family. Love, love, love, love, love, love. Make friendship bracelets for an additional activity Add the verse to a valentine and give to a friend
Heart Friend Materials: Construction paper Scissors Markers Wiggly eyes Yarn Glue Teacher prep: Cut a large heart out of construction paper for a body for each child Cut two hands and feet for each child Cut four strips of paper for each child Child s Process: Glue the four strips of paper to the heart body as arms and legs Glue the hands and feet to the strips of paper Glue on wiggly eyes and yarn hair Color other facial features onto the heart with the markers It is an option to trace each child s hands and feet to cut out and use as the heart friend s hands and feet
Bio Paint Heart Materials: Construction paper Scissors Bio paint Nancy bottles Teacher prep: Cut a construction paper heart for each child Pour several different colors of bio paint into Nancy bottles Child s Process: Fold the heart in half Open the heart back up Use Nancy bottles to drop several different colors of bio paint onto one side of the heart Fold the heart in half and rub Open up the heart to reveal the design
Beaded Heart Materials: Beads Pipe cleaner Teacher prep: Gather materials Fold a pipe cleaner into a V shape for each child Child s Process: String beads onto the wire When finished- shape the "V" into a heart
Candy Heart Wreath Materials: Small paper plates Scissors Candy hearts Glue Red glitter Hole punch Yarn Teacher prep: Cut the center of a small paper plate out for each child Child s Process: Glue candy hearts all over the wreath Glue and sprinkle red glitter around the candy hearts Punch a hole in the top of the wreath Tie some yarn through the hole
Paper Heart Wreath Materials: Small paper plates Scissors Construction paper Glue Hole punch Yarn Teacher prep: Cut the center of a small paper plate out for each child Cut several different construction paper hearts Child s Process: Glue construction paper hearts all over the wreath Punch a hole in the top of the wreath Tie some yarn through the hole
Heart Bag Materials: Construction paper Scissors Heart shaped cookie cutters Glue Lunch size bags Stapler Teacher prep: Cut the top off of a lunch size bags for each child Cut a strip of construction paper and staple it as a handle to each bag Child s Process: Trace heart shaped cookies cutters on different color construction paper Cut out the hearts Glue them all over the bag
Tissue Heart Materials: Red, white and pink tissue paper Constriction paper Scissors Liquid starch Teacher prep: Purchase liquid starch Cut a construction paper heart for each child Cut tissue paper into squares Child s Process: Brush liquid starch onto the heart Cover it with red, white and pink tissue paper squares
Heart Headbands Materials: Construction paper Scissors Markers Heart stickers Stapler Teacher prep: Cut a three inch wide sheet of construction paper as long as each child s head. Child s Process: Write your name on the strip of paper Place different heart stickers all around it Staple and wear it