10 Valentine’s day activities for kids (including free printables) + win

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Valentine’s Day 2023 is fast approaching! Long gone are the days of simply sending a card to a loved one – now it is a full holiday in its own right and your children, like mine, will be full of excitement to celebrate! But fear not, because I have put together 10 practical, cheap, fun and exciting Valentine’s Day activities for kids that you and your children to enjoy. They include fine motor activities, sensory activities, craft ideas, and recipes to get you baking. For more free printable Valentine’s activity resources see here.

1) Share some books about love!

As a teacher, I am always looking for ways to squeeze a bit of extra reading into my child’s day and Valentine’s provides a perfect opportunity to read some fresh stories!

Here are three of my favourite Valentine’s stories:

“The Love Letter” by Anika Aldamuy Denise and Lucy Ruth Cummins

This book gives me the warm and fuzzies just thinking about it! The story tells of some woodland animals who find a mysterious letter in the woods. It turns out to be a love letter! I couldn’t think of a better Valentine’s tale for you to enjoy with your little ones.

“I Need A Hug” by Aaron Blabey

This story follows a lonely porcupine who wants nothing more than a hug, but no one wants to go near him because of his spikes. Until one day he meets someone new.

“What Is Love?” by Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis

In this beautifully poignant book, a boy journeys around to find what the meaning of love really is. It is so sweet and truly perfect to warm the cockles of even the coldest hearts.

2) Make a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt

Have you ever tried having a scavenger hunt outside of the traditional Easter egg hunt? Children ADORE scavenger hunts whatever the topic and Valentine’s is the perfect excuse to have one! Scavenger hunts help children build a sense of determination, provide opportunities for real-world problem solving, support gross motor development as they stretch, reach and run around searching and of course – they are FUN!

As part of this blog post, I have put together a few free printable resources you can download (click here) to help support your child in celebrating Valentine’s Day. One of them is a scavenger hunt pack! Simply cut the numbered hearts and hide them around the house, garden or local park then ask your child to run around and find them all. They can tick off the chart each time they find one, meaning they are also working on number recognition and counting, too!

3) Bake and decorate some Valentine’s themed biscuits

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There are two ways to enjoy this activity. If you have the time, involve your child in baking some biscuits and decorating them, however if you are short on time, you could simply grab some digestives from the supermarket and decorate those instead. Either way, your child will love creating their own Valentine’s biscuits!

Need a biscuit recipe? My favourite ‘never fail’ simple recipe is:

  • 200 g soft butter
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 1 medium egg
  • 400 g plain flour
  • Cream the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer.
  • Add in the egg and mix.
  • Add the flour and mix until combined.
  • Roll the dough onto a flat surface until roughly the thickness of a pound coin and cut your chosen shapes. Place the shapes on a baking tray covered in greaseproof paper.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes at 190°C (Or fan 170°C).

TOP TIP: Pop your biscuits into the fridge for 10 minutes before you bake them. This will prevent them from spreading during cooking, keeping their shape much more effectively!

Once baked, top them with icing, candy, sprinkles – or whatever you enjoy – to turn them into the perfect Valentine’s treat! Why not gift them to friends and family, too?

4) Create some fingerprint art

I love making pictures for Valentine’s day, but it is the idea of making them truly personal that makes me most excited! I love to use handprints and fingerprints as, next Valentine’s Day, I will be able to look back and reflect on how much their little hands have changed in just one short year.

To create a fingerprint art piece, draw a heart-shaped outline lightly on a piece of paper and ask your little one to press their finger in red paint and stamp across the outline of the heart. Now, add a small drop of white to the red and use the slightly pink red to fill in the centre of the heart. Afterwards, try cutting it out once dry and stick it on the front of a card!

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5) Learn about love around the world!

If you have a child who is currently working on their pre-writing, letter formation, or penmanship (and let’s face it, I don’t think the journey to perfect penmanship ever ends!), exploring the word ‘love’ can be a great way to discover different cultures and languages whilst also working on those fine motor control and writing skills. To do this, simply use google to type “the word love in other languages” and a dozen or more different words will appear. Why not write each one onto cookies, strips of paper to string together as a paper chain craft, or even to make the outside of a DIY Valentines Card? This is a great alternative to simply focusing on the same word each February and helps your little one explore other languages, too!

6) Let’s explore the senses!

There are so many opportunities for sensory play within a Valentine’s exploration. Why not try making red footprints, so your little one can feel the paint between their toes (two footprints together make a perfect heart shape!), create sensory bottles by putting a few items inside a pop bottle for your baby to explore (make sure any objects you choose are too large to swallow and the top is sealed shut) or using red food colouring to dye oats, cereal or rice red and use a scoop to move the items from one bowl to another? This is a great fine motor and hand-eye coordination activity as well as a great sensory experience!

7) Spend some time colouring

Colouring is a go-to activity in our house, but while it might be seen by some as a simple ‘holding activity’, it actually has a ton of benefits for children. It helps them to develop a sense of focus and increases their attention span, works on their prewriting or fine motor control, gives them a sense of accomplishment as they finish each piece of the picture and is a truly incredible way to relax.

Alongside your free scavenger hunt kit, I have included a few colouring pages you can use to enjoy with your little one this Valentine’s day!

8) Create a Valentine’s photo booth

We all love looking back at old photos and a Valentine’s inspired photo booth would be a great way to do just that! You could choose a theme, such as all dressing up as characters from your child’s favourite book or TV show, or simply grab a few sets of enormous glasses and have fun together! It doesn’t need to be expensive and there are even plenty of free printable photo booth packs you can grab online.

9) Have some balloon fun!

I don’t know about you, but there are always balloons floating around our home around Valentine’s day. A very much underrated game you can play at home is not letting the balloon touch the floor. It is a great way for children to burn off some energy while developing gross motor skills as they jump and stretch to reach the balloon. Alternatively, try standing at opposite ends of the room and bat the balloon back and forth (like tennis). A perfect way to burn off some energy!

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If you wanted to be super creative, try writing Valentine’s messages on the balloons to show your love for the people in your home!

10) Get giving!

I, of course, couldn’t complete a list of Valentine’s ideas for kids without mentioning getting creative and crafting some easy-to-make Valentine’s cards your child can give to express love for their favourite friendships or family members. It is a great way to show children that they can show their appreciation for the people in their life!

So, there you have it! 10 engaging and fun activities you can do this Valentine’s day to excite and inspire your little ones, while keeping them learning along the way!

Have fun!

Kimberley

Guest Blogger and CEO of The Little Learning Hub

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