Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Classroom Party Activities & Crafts

I somehow ended up planning both my 2nd-Grader and Kindergartner’s class parties this year.  Even though I used to teach first grade, for some reason these class parties really stress me out.  This weekend I planned and prepped both parties (and even loaded everything into my car so my kids won’t get into it).  I thought I would share my last-minte Valentine’s Day Classroom Party ideas to hopefully help those of you scrambling to plan your child’s class party.  🙂

For both classes we will be doing centers.  The class will be split into small groups and rotate through the activities (between 8-10 minutes per center).  Some of the activities below we will be doing with both classes and some only with one class or the other.

My son’s second grade teacher requested that eating snacks not be included in a center activity (as she has found the pace at which the kids eat varies so greatly), so we will be doing that at the very end of his party with the whole class.

1.  Decorate Heart Sugar Cookies.

Bring unfrosted sugar cookies and various colors of frosting/decorations.  Let the kiddos decorate and then eat their cookie.

2.  Watercolor Heart Art

This activity takes a little bit of prep work ahead of time, but all it will require during the party itself is watercolors and cups of water (which are readily available at most schools).  Best of all, each child will have a beautiful canvas to take home that their parents can pull out year after year.  Go here for instructions.

3.  Valentine’s Day BINGO

I printed out 6 of these BINGO Cards and we will be using conversation hearts as each child’s markers.  I put the conversation hearts in individual cups (with lids) so they can take them home to eat afterwards.

For the winners of BINGO, they get to go first at getting to punch through this fun “My Heart is Bursting” board.  Eventually every one will get a turn.

4.  Conversation Heart Relay

This is just a version of what we have done at Fall Parties with candy corn.  Put two lines of tape on the ground and split the group into two smaller groups.  At one end, have a large bowl with conversation hearts in it along with a spoon.  On the other end, have an empty cup/bowl.  Have each group stick the spoon in the full container and walk along the taped line and pour into the empty bowl.  The first group to fill it up wins (or if you run out of time, whichever group has the most in the bowl by the end of the time).

5.  Cupid’s Arrow Game

Kids will use straws to blow Q-Tips into a heart.  You can either tape a heart on the ground or I found a heart bowl at Walmart for super cheap.  I will be using a shower curtain liner on the ground to make clean-up of the straws a little bit easier.  Find out more details about this activity here.

6.  Valentine’s Day Exploration Table

I will be doing this with Little Brother’s Kindergarten class but not the second grade class.  I made some Red-Hot Playdough and have several heart-shaped cookie cutters.  I will also be bringing our Heart Sensory Matching activity to place at this table.  This will be a more open-ended center for kids to explore.

7.  Valentine’s Day Hedbanz

We love the game Hedbanz and I just printed out (and laminated) these cards from the Crafting Chicks and put them in our Hedbanz box (along with the directions, headbands, timer, etc).  I removed the regular cards.  This activity will be for the 2nd grade students only, as kindergartners would need a lot of adult assistance.

8.  Chocolate Kiss Rose Craft

I bought these kits from Oriental Trading, but here is a tutorial on how to make them yourself.  We will only be doing this activity in the 2nd grade class…which I am still a little nervous about.

9.  Suck it Up Valentine Minute to Win It Game

This activity is so simple…find the directions here.

So that’s it!  What is your favorite Valentine’s Day Activity!