Thursday, February 4, 2016

Easy Activities for a Classroom Valentine’s Day Party



It’s that time of year again! The time for red and pink, hearts and too much candy. I am forever trying to figure out non-candy treats and in years past have found some adorable ideas on pinterest! (Check out my  previous blog for some non-candy valentines).  Now that my oldest daughter is in Pre-K, I am looking for a few easy Valentine’s themed activities that would be great for a classroom party.

Science Experiment: Dancing Hearts


For this cute science experiment from Playdough to Plato, all you need is four alka seltzer tablets, a glass, a box of conversation hearts and 1 cup of sparkling water or tap water. Drop the tablets into the water. Let them fizz and bubble a bit and then add a few conversation hearts. Watch them dance and wiggle in the glass. To take it to the next level, you could also try a variety of combinations. In one glass put only sparkling water and conversation hearts, then in another use alka seltzer tablets, tap water and conversation hearts and in the third put alka seltzer tablets, sparkling water and conversation hearts. Then see which hearts dance the most.

Art Project: Shake it up: Valentine Painting!


This is such a great for a no-mess painting art project from Sunny Day Family! By collecting a jar per child, you could easily have a dance party and make this art project at the same time! All you need is a clean, empty jar with a lid that fits, washable paint, a few candy hearts or dried beans or marbles, and cardstock. First cut out a heart from the cardstock to fit in your jar. Then add a few drops of paint to the bottom of the jar. Add the dried beans or candy hearts close the lid and let your kids shake it up! Once they are done shaking, pull out the hearts and let them dry. Then add them to cards or use them as decorations. For more ideas on what to do with the dried hearts, check out this website

Giving Back: Valentine’s Day Food Drive


Another idea that to help spread the love through the entire month is to give back to the community. This February, we are participating in the Fill your Heart and Food Driving Box Campaign. It’s a great way to teach kids about food insecurity and to give back to the community. We will collect red packaged food at the Cottage for the entire month of February. Then at the end of the month, we will donate the food to our local food bank. To learn more about this wonderful program and to join in the fun, check out fooddrivingbox.org.

For more ideas like these, check out our pinterest board “Love is in the Air: Valentine’s Day Ideas”!

I’d love to hear about your valentine’s day party activities too! We wish you a happy Valentine’s Day and a month full of love!