10 Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Your Sweet Students

Valentine’s Day is such a fun holiday to celebrate in the classroom. It’s the perfect day to express to students just how much they mean to you and share such an important lesson; the meaning of love and kindness.

What do you like to do in the classroom for Valentine's Day? Check out this post where I walk you through 10 ways you can make Valentine's Day special for your sweet students. I provide you with free and engaging Valentine's day activities, crafts, read alouds, and other special events!

There are some children who attend school each day with very little interaction from their families. The closest they get to receiving any sort of love or attention is from you as a teacher. That’s why the littlest things can make Valentine’s Day special for all of your sweet students. Below, I crafted a list of ways you can help your kiddos feel important this Valentine’s Day.

Ideas to Help Your Students Feel Special on Valentine’s Day

#1 – Reasons Why I Love You.

Starting February 1st, and each day leading up to Valentine’s Day, write one reason you love your students on a heart. Then tape the heart to your classroom door or staple it to a bulletin board for your students to see. An Apple for the Teacher has more information on her blog right here, including a freebie to get you started.

#2 – Give Plastic Hearts to Share

The Tarheelstate Teacher first reads her students Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, and then provides her students with plastic pink hearts. Just like in the book, students can choose to give their heart to someone or hold on to it themselves. It’s a great activity about sharing love and kindness that you can read about here.

#3 – Provide a Treat

One year I brought in a coffee maker and a tub of hot cocoa mix. I provided each child with a cup of hot chocolate and a heart-shaped sugar cookie. They enjoyed their sweet snack during their quiet reading time. Throw a little whip cream and red sprinkles on the hot chocolate and it’s the perfect Valentine’s Day drink!

#4 – Leave Individual Sticky Notes or Cards

You can provide each student with a sticky note or Valentine’s Day card on their desk that expresses how much they mean to you and how proud you are of his or her accomplishments. Click here to grab these cute cards for the teacher free! Who doesn’t love handwritten, personal notes?

#5 – Provide Students with Cute Bookmarks

Bookmarks are a cute gift that students love and help hold their place when they are doing that one thing we really want them to do– read! The Applicious Teacher provides step-by-step directions to create a hidden heart bookmark (the image above) that you can find here, these cute reading bookmarks from Positively Bright, or download these free ones from Tracee Orman.

#6 – Tear Up Hearts & Tape Them Together Again

The Friendly Teacher reads books to her students and every time they hear someone’s heart get broken, they have to tear a heart. Later, they are given a reading challenge and for each challenge they complete, they earn a piece of tape to repair their broken hearts. The reading challenge is rigorous, engaging, and all reading-based. She covers reading skills such as text-features, theme, context clues, inference skills, main idea, and so much more. You can read about her reading challenge here or just grab the activity here in her TpT Store. You can find a selection of Valentine picture books here (affiliate link).

#7 – Create Valentine’s Day Treat Bags Together

Passing out valentines is always a tradition in elementary and sometimes there’s the challenge of creating a box holder. Some students can’t afford to create anything fancy, while others don’t have parents that help. Why not download these free and adorable Valentine’s Day Treat Bags that students can assemble and decorate.

#8 – Provide Valentine’s Day Themed Activities

I’ve always strongly believed that you can celebrate holidays while still keeping it educational and academic at the same time. For most subject areas and topics, you can find nearly everything you need on TpT to continue your regular curriculum. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

#9 – Have a Valentine’s Day Celebration

Take the last hour of the day and use it to have a Valentine’s Day party or celebration. Use this opportunity to get to know your students. Together play games, take pictures, and enjoy one another. Even if your students are virtual still have a party. Sarah from Simply Steam can help you plan a Stem party by clicking here or check into A Primary Owl’s Virtual Valentine’s Day Party Activity and these virtual party activities (including field trips!) from My Kind of Teaching.

#10 – Create a Craft for Loved Ones

Show students that you care about their special someone too by giving them time to create a craft for their loved ones! Jordana over at Elementary Island has her students complete a writing craft-like activity called “I Love You a Latte.” You can read about it and grab a freebie to do this activity in your classroom by clicking here.

Jen from Sparkling in Second Grade has an entire post dedicated to easy gifts for loved ones, including the cute idea above. In the image above, you create a background using a whiteboard and some die cut hearts. Then you have your students individually stand in front of it and take his or her picture. This can be used to create an adorable card. You can check out that post by clicking here.

Another cute craft you may want to consider is this free pizza craftivity. Students assemble the pizza and then write why someone important to them has “stolen a pizza their heart.” It’s completely free and so cute! Click here to download it free.

This Valentine’s Day show your students just how special they are to you with these ten ideas. There’s nothing sweeter than feeling the love and kindness of a teacher.

BOGO on EVERYTHING!

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