Valentine Bag

These bags are a quick, cheap, and simple way to collect Valentine cards.  First, have each student glue a white paper doily to the front of his or her bag.  Next, glue a construction paper heart in the center of the doily and have students write their name using the glitter glue.  Depending on the age of your class you may have to write their names for them first on the heart with pencil and then they can "trace" over the outline with glue.  Next, give the students a supply of valentine stickers and have them embelish their bag. 

Valentine Oatmeal Box

A parent donated the oatmeal boxes above, they made very sturdy valentine containers.

Wrap a sheet of red or pink construction paper around each oatmeal box and tape it securely.  Have each student glue a white paper doily to the front of the container.  Next, glue a red heart doily in the center of the white one.  Finally, have students decorate the rest of the box using a variety of heart die-cut shapes and stickers and write their names with crayons. 

Parent Valentine Card

Have students cut large hearts from a sheet of red construction paper, you may want to give them a tracer for help, have the shapes Xeroxed onto the paper first, or I used a die-cut.  Next, paint each student's hand with pink or red paint and place in the middle of the heart to make a handprint.  When dry, glue the poem to the construction paper and have the child sign the poem at the bottom. 

Poem: "Here is my hand and with it my heart, for I have loved you right from the start"

Red Heart, Red Heart, What Do You See?

Making books with your class is always fun!  First, prepare an original copy of the "book" on your computer, it goes along with the Brown Bear Brown Bear story; "Red heart, red heart, what do you see?  I see a blue heart looking at me." etc...  Next, have your students make their own books by gluing their hearts to the appropriate page.  When everybody has all of their pages completed staple them together to make a book for each child that they can easily "read".   You can make your own personal copy of the book beforehand and read it to the class every day during your Valentine unit so they will understand how to "read" it when theirs is finished.

Sweethearts Photo Frame Magnet

This is a great Valentine present for your students to give to their parents.  Give each child a small, empty box of conversation hearts. Make sure you get the boxes that have the heart shaped cut out on the front. Take individual pictures of each child., then  cut the child's picture out and insert it into the box so that that it will show through the heart shape window in the front.  Tape the picture to the inside of the box to secure it.  Add a strip of self-adhesive magnet to the back of the box and this makes an adorable refrigerator magnet for the parents.   You may want to tape the top of the box shut also to protect the picture.

Valentine Card Class Book

Pre-program as many sheets of cardstock as you have students with the following phrase copied at bottom "Roses are red, violets are blue, here is the Valentine I got from you".  Next, glue one Valentine card to each page, with the picture showing and write the child's name underneath the card.  Laminate all the pages, bind, and you're ready to read this masterpiece to your class.  It's sure to be a big hit in the class library.  At the end of the year take the book apart and let each student take his or her page home or raffle off the whole book to one lucky student.  

Flower Science

Here is a great Valentine science idea!  Put some red food coloring in a clear vase or container of water.  Next, cut the stems of the flowers to fit your vase and cut an "X" into the bottom of each stem, finally, place the flowers into the vase of red water.  The flowers should start to soak up the red food coloring by the next day and they will begin to change color!  You could do a prediction activity, a science journal, or take pictures of the flowers each day and make a class science book! 

Name Heart Caterpillars

Have each child make an AB pattern using the two different colored hearts.  Next, the students write one letter of their name on each heart with a black marker to make a "name caterpillar".  Use the glue stick to glue the caterpillar together.  These caterpillars make great wall decorations or a cute bulletin board display.

Love Comes in All Colors

Give each child a paper with a heart shape copied on it.  Have the children watercolor their paper using the watercolor paints.   After the pictures are dry cut the hearts out along the black line and put on a bulletin board with the caption "Love Comes in All Colors "

"I Love..." Lift the Flap

(click picture above to enlarge)

Fold one sheet of red construction paper hot dog style.  Next, open the paper and make three cuts from the bottom of the paper to the folded line.  Place the three cuts evenly so you are left with four flaps when you fold the paper back to the hot dog position.  Have the students glue small, pre-cut hearts to the front of each flap or if they are able they can draw them.  Under each flap they can draw a picture of somebody they love (mom, dad, grandma, sister, pet etc).