If you have ever looked at the calendar in February and thought, “I need a simple plan for Valentine’s Day,” you are not alone. Between classroom parties, excitement over candy, and (for us) conferences mixed in, it helps to have a few go-to activities that are easy to prep but still support learning. If you are looking for Valentine’s Day ideas for kindergarten that work during your regular school day, you’re in the right place! These ideas are simple and flexible enough to mix and match based on your students and your schedule.
Valentine’s Day Read Alouds for Kindergarten
Valentine’s Day read alouds are an easy way to bring a little holiday fun into your school day. I think it’s so important to read aloud to your students every single day, and it’s easier than ever around a holiday!
A quick read aloud can be a standalone activity, or it can lead to a simple follow-up activity. You might invite students to turn and talk about how a character showed kindness, draw their favorite part of the story, or share how they can be a good friend in the classroom.
I have a roundup of my favorite Valentine’s Day read alouds and you can find it by clicking here or on the photo below!
These Valentine’s Day books work well during morning meeting, before writing time, or as a calm and cozy break during a busy Valentine’s Day schedule.
Valentine’s Day Videos for Kindergarten Students
I never show a ton of videos in the classroom and I’m pretty picky about quality, as I’m sure you are! Here are a few Valentine’s Day videos that I personally recommend:
- PBS Kids – There’s a seasonal tab you can click for Valentine’s Day videos from Pinkalicious, Word World, and more)
- Mystery Science – There are Valentine’s Day-themed videos such as “Who Invented Candy?” and “Where Does Chocolate Come From?”.
- “If You Give a Mouse a Valentine’s Day Cookie” from Amazon Prime Video – This requires a subscription, but check it out if you have access!
Valentine’s Day Writing Activities
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to provide meaningful writing practice. Most students this age jump at the opportunity to make a card or note for someone special! Valentine’s Day naturally lends itself to all types of kindergarten writing work, like making a list, labeling, and simple sentence writing.
Some writing ideas that work well in kindergarten include:
- Sentence starters about friendship or love (here’s a great list!)
- Drawing and writing about someone special
- Opinion writing, such as their favorite kind of candy
If you already use seasonal writing activities in your writing center, this is a great time to rotate in Valentine-themed activities. I have tons of ideas here!
Valentine’s Day Fine Motor Activities
Fine motor activities are always a win with students, but it can feel overwhelming knowing how or where to get started. One easy and inexpensive way is to prep already made activities and just add the fine motor tools!
Some simple fine motor ideas include:
- Cutting heart-shaped strips or patterns – This can be as easy as printing differently-sized hearts on colorful paper and having students cut them out!
- Tracing hearts or Valentine’s Day vocabulary words
- Using red or pink playdough to form letters or shapes
- Transferring small items (like pom poms) onto heart cutouts in various colors
My Valentine’s Day Fine Motor Pack has many activities that help add fine motor work without the extra hassle of coming up with the ideas! You can pick and choose the activities or use them all.
Also, if you don’t have a dedicated fine motor area in your classroom, just add them to your February morning tubs!
Valentine’s Day Worksheets
While we never want kindergarten to feel like a full day of worksheets, having a few carefully-selected pages gives students a chance to practice important skills in a seasonally-inspired way. When printables are paired with hands-on activities, read alouds, and centers, they become a meaningful part of the learning mix rather than the whole plan.
Finding Valentine’s Day worksheets that practice skills we’re currently working on is key, and they work perfectly for morning work or independent practice.
My Valentine’s Day Activities Pack has themed skill practice pages for kindergarten skills like 3D shapes, base ten, addition within 10, sound isolation, decoding CVC words, writing, and more.
Free Candy Heart Mini Book
One of my most popular free activities on TPT is this Candy Conversation Heart Mini Book! It has several pages that use candy hearts to practice kindergarten math skills including counting, estimation, non-standard measurement, ten frames, comparing sets, and addition!
Valentine’s Day Craft for Kindergarten
If you’ve been here before, you know I can’t resist a craft that ties in a skill or concept we’re learning! 🙂 Bonus points if it makes a cute bulletin board, right? Especially this time of year when we have families coming in for Valentine’s Day parties and conferences.
This word family craft is perfect for Valentine’s Day! Students will create the craft (I promise, the templates are simple!) and then write CVC words on the flowers.
How to Use These Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kindergarten in Your Classroom
When planning Valentine’s Day activities for kindergarten, it helps to spread out the activities you want to do over several days. These ideas can easily be mixed and matched based on your class and your schedule. Some teachers prefer spreading activities across the week, while others choose just a few favorites for the holiday itself. Each day leading up to Valentine’s Day, you might start with a read aloud in the morning, rotate a few writing or fine motor activities during centers, and use a printable or craft later in the day when students need a calm, focused activity.
No matter how you use them, keeping your school day routines familiar while sprinkling in Valentine’s Day-themed activities helps make each day feel special without feeling overwhelming. I hope this post has been helpful to you! Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Valentine’s Day Writing Prompts for Kindergarten
