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Valentine's Day Activity ThemeValentine RhymesHere are several rhymes from Brenda B. that young children can learn and include in their Valentine Cards. Materials: Pre made Valentines Cards, cut red white and pink hearts. Have young children decorate the front of the hearts with tissue paper, torn paper, glitter, etc. and use one verse from the poem below inside of the cards. Older children can use the entire poem. Valentine, Valentine, Valentine so fine,
Comments: I use this during February and Valentine's Day. It can be used anyThere's a big red heart down inside of me time. Valentines
I Made For You
Valentines Are HereValentines I've made for you, Young children get moving and learn position words while singing this song from Sable J. to the tune of The Farmer In The Dell. Counting: Five Pretty Valentines PoemThe valentine's are here, This math poem from Deveni H. promotes counting and subtracting Materials: Five hearts for each child. Comment: Stop between each verse to let the children count how many hearts are left and say 5-1 is 4 etc. Love
& Wishes Jar
Materials: A recycled plastic jar. I use
an empty applesauce jar. Then anything
Description: Decorate the jar however you
like and you can even decorate the
Materials: Valentine notes, envelope and stamps. Description: First, talk to the children
about Sir. Valentine and how he was put
Valentine
Card Game
Materials: A box of
valentine cards, you will only use half the amount of cards as
Description: Cut cards
in half. Make the cut interesting, like a puzzle piece.
Heart
Brooch Recipe
Ingredients:
Directions:
My kids loved giving these away. Some
chose to write Be Mine, You're sweet etc.
"The board I did was people hearts, I got the idea from your web page and change it a little by having the children named the hearts. It was cute. Some named it Rocky, Ducky, Sabrina and Tops. All of the children had fun creating names. I just want to show that you don't have to be top creative to do a bulletin board
Materials: 5 different colors of construction paper, scissors, mac tac. Mac tac the hearts if you want to. Description: Cut out hearts in different colors, give one to each child. Ask the children to place them on the floor. Play music and when the music stops, the children have to stand on a heart. Ask questions like, "All those children standing on a blue heart, give someone a hug etc." Go through the colors until all the children have had a turn. Comments: Excellent, the children enjoy it.
Valentine
Wreath
Materials: Red, white, and pink construction paper, paper plates and glue stick. Description: Cut out the middle of paper plate, just leaving a ring. Ahead of time cut out big hearts, medium hearts, and small hearts. Take the big hearts and glue them on the ring of the paper plate. Make sure to cover up the paper plate so you cannot see it. Overlap the hearts. Point the point of the hearts into the center of the circle. Once the big hearts are on, you can put on the medium and small hearts. The wreath can be worn as a hat or put up on the wall. You can make a small heart and put the child's name on it then hang it down from the center on a piece of yarn. Or, you can let the children just put on the hearts any way they want. My class loved doing this project!
Materials: Red or pink construction paper, scissors, glue, crayons or markers. Description: For each child copy onto red or pink construction paper one large heart, one medium heart, and two small hearts. Cut two long strips of pink or red construction paper for each child. Have each child make a finger puppet. To make one, cut out all the hearts. Punch holes through the large heart on large end of heart for fingers. Draw heart shaped facial features on the medium sized heart. Then glue the face onto the point of the large heart. Next, accordion fold each paper strip. To make arms for the puppet, glue a small heart to one end of each strip then glue the other end of each strip to the large heart. To give the puppet legs, poke your index and middle fingers through the holes in the large heart. Encourage each child in turn to lead the class as he makes his puppet walk, kick, march, or slide to this rhyme.
Move it to the right
Comments:
The kids had a lot of fun!
"Thumbody"
Loves You!
Materials:
Postcards, ink pad, Sharpie marker, children's home addresses,
Description:
The children will stamp their thumbprint, using the ink pad, in one corner
of the postcard. Teacher or aide will then use Sharpie marker to
create an animal; bears, mice and for a sideways thumbprint, a cat or dog
with legs or a centipede are cute. For younger children, the teacher can
simply write on the top of the postcard. As a greeting, write "Thumbody
Loves You" and then follow it with, for younger children, a simple "Happy
Valentines Day from_____." Older children may have in mind what they want
to say, and the teacher can turn this
Cooking:
Heart Cookies
Materials: Shortbread mixture or some sort of cookie mixture, icing, red food coloring, heart cutter, greaseproof paper and oven tray, mixing bowl and spoon. Description:
Comments: Very messy but children love it!
Description: Have all the children line up and face you then the teacher will start off by singing... Oh, won't
you be my valentine, my valentine, my valentine.
Valentine
Mouse
Materials: Construction paper, glue, pre-cut shapes of hearts, sequins and yarn. Description: Cut out a medium size heart that will be the mouse's body. Fold in half. Cut a piece of yarn to serve as the tail. Glue on to the inside of the folded part, then glue the rest of the heart completely shut. Cut out 2 small hearts for the ears, glue on. Use sequins for the eyes, and draw on whiskers and nose. A lollipop can also be used for the tail. Comments: You can make the mouse body in different colors, so children can learn their colors at the same time.
Materials: For my party, the usual cookies, juice and paper goods. Also, a poem and a large motor poem. For pin gifts, available at craft stores, pink and red fun foam, gold nylon angel wings, silver pin backs, close head photo of each child. Description: For the gift, I purchased one
of the Polaroid "I-zone" sticker cameras and took a sticker picture of
each child, a fairly close head shot. Then, I purchased gold angel wings
and cut foam hearts out of fun foam. I also purchased a bag of bar
pin backs. This is an activity which requires hot glue, and as I
burn myself frequently, I'd never
entrust children with a glue gun, even under supervision!
Materials: Different colored hearts, laminate, hot glue gun, elasticized hair bands or scrungis. Description:
2. Teachers Hot glue hearts to hair bands or scrungis 3. Play
Valentine Hokey Pokey
Comments: I've used this with developmentally delayed children too and it's fun for all! Take a peek at the Friendship Theme
Materials: blue, red and white construction paper, lunch bags, elmer's glue and magic markers. Description: Have the construction paper prepared or make patterns for the older children to trace and cut. You will need a half circle out of red, a square out of blue and a rectangle out of white. These need to fit the paper bag. After all pieces are cut, glue the blue square on the bottom, red half circle on the top and the white rectangle in the middle. Now have
each child print their names using the magic marker on the white rectangle.
Now you have mail boxes ready for Valentine's Day.
Materials: Large and small conversation hearts. Description: Each child is given a bowl of conversation hearts. Make sure there are two sizes and various colors. Each child also has a sorting mat. I tell the children to put the hearts into two groups that show me they are alike. Comments:
The children came up with several sorting ideas; by color, by size and
by the number of words on the heart.
Materials: Paper plates, yarn, hole puncher, pipe cleaners, markers or crayons and construction paper. Description: Each child will get a whole paper plate and a half of one. Have the child decorate both using markers or crayons. They could also cut out hearts from construction paper and glue them on if they want. Taking both plates, punch holes around the sides so that the two pieces can be sewed together to form a "mailbox" or a pocket. This means that the front sides of the plates will have to face each other to form the pocket. Have the children sew the plates together using yarn. They can sew all the way around. Tip: tape one end of the yarn into a point so that it is easy to pull through. Tape a pipe cleaner on the back as a hanger. Yarn can also be used. Comments: For those too young to sew, either staple or glue the paper plates together to form a mailbox. "Why
I Love My Child"
Materials:
Note home to parents stating the activity and when it should be returned.
Description: As a Head Start Teacher for 17 years, I see how busy the parent(s) of my students are just trying to make ends meet. They are unable to spend time in the classroom because many of them are working, have younger siblings, etc.. Each month we have a "Family Activity", and for the month of February when we discuss "Love". Our activity is to have each family write "Why I Love (child's name). These have been quite successful as we have had parents write a paragraph, a page, a book and even poetry! They may include a picture and each child sits by me and smiles with pride as I read what their parent(s) have written. We then display them on the bulletin board in the hallway for everyone to read during the month. Comments: I realize this activity is not for the child to do, but their self esteem is enhanced and my feeling is if a child does not feel good about themselves, they will not feel good about anything else. Valentine
Pouches
Materials: Paper plates (some cut in half), old valentine cards, cut out hearts, sparkles, markers and staples. Description:
Place a half paper plate on a full paper plate to create a pouch. Write
the children's name on the front of the pouch. Have the children decorate
their pouches and hang on the wall when finished. Send a list home to parents
with all the children's name on it. When the children bring in valentines
help them place
Valentine's
Day Envelopes
Materials: Folders, scissors, tape, glue, picture of the child, names of the children, and any odds and ends you find to put on the envelope. Description:
Materials:
Description:
Finally, provide or have children cut out tiny antennas and glue in place. When you are finished the class can come together to sing the love bug song: Comments: For younger children provide precut hearts and precut antenna and for older children provide half a heart shape stencil and show them how to place the heart on the fold to trace. And then how to cut through both pieces of paper to create a heart shape when opened (hearts are easier to cut this way). When singing the song name each child and let your own love bug puppet give them a kiss on the cheek and a little hug! The children loved this project.
You will need: One red construction paper heart shape. Teachers, in advance, cut a small (4 x 5) red construction paper valentine heart. With youngsters sitting on the floor in a circle, select one child to sit in the middle of the circle. While the preschooler in the middle has his / her eyes closed, another child quietly takes the valentine that is lying next to the child in the middle, and returns to the edge of the circle. All the children place their hands behind their backs and the child who took the valentine says, "Be my valentine". Now, the preschooler in the middle opens his / her eyes and tries to guess who has the valentine. If the guess is correct, that child stays in the middle for a second round. If wrong, the child who has the valentine goes to the middle of the circle and guesses next. Bleach
Painting
Materials: Construction paper in a dark hue (black, purple, red, etc.), bleach, Quips, sponges and paper plates. Description: Pour bleach on the sponge on the plate, just enough to moisten. Allow the children to dip the Quips in the sponge and "paint" on the construction paper. The bleach will take the color out of the paper and reveal a color that is lighter that the original color often white. Great to do with Red hearts at Valentine's Day!
Make a "heart man" using 3 sizes of hearts: a large one for body, medium one for arms and legs, and small one for hands and feet. Add cotton balls for 3 - D eyes and put a red sequin on each cotton ball. Very cute! I hang mine from our classroom ceiling. Parents and kids love it! Red
Collage
Nursery Rhymes for Special Occasions and More color activities in the Color Theme
You will need:
Teachers, in advance, cut red valentine hearts for each child from 9 x 12 construction paper. Talk with children about Valentine's Day and why we give valentines to our friends and family. Next, in a small group, give each child a heart shape and ask them to make faces on their valentines with the collage materials. When the valentines are dry, youngsters can exchange them or take them home to give to relatives etc. Extensions:
2. Older preschool children will have fun tracing and cutting heart shapes of various sizes. When there are lots of hearts of different sizes, youngsters can construct heart people, animals etc. Let the children experiment making imaginary creatures. Related Theme: |
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