Every kid loves Valentine’s Day, and even though your preschooler may not go to school yet and can’t give Valentine’s cards out to the class, he can still have fun. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time of year to teach children about friendship and love. Even if they just want to give a Valentine to their brother or sister, or grandma, let them enjoy the day. Here are some great Valentine’s Day activities that will keep any preschooler happy—and busy!
Valentine’s Day Memory
When you purchase a box of Valentine’s Day cards, you get a whole bunch of cards that are the same. After a couple of years, you probably accumulate more unused Valentine’s cards than you need. Instead of tossing them, turn them into a Valentine’s Day memory game. Go through your cards and find two of each card. Have about 10 pairs (twenty cards total). Place the cards face down and take turns turning two cards face up at a time. If they match, you get to keep your pair. If not, turn them back over and let the next person take another turn. Play until all cards have been matched.
Heart Scavenger Hunt
Cut several paper hearts out of construction paper or pretty scrapbook paper. Hide them all over your house. Give your child a box or a basket and instruct your preschooler to find as many hearts hidden throughout the house as possible. They will never get tired of this fun Valentine Day activity.
Mend Broken Hearts
For this preschool Valentine’s Day activity, cut several large hearts out of construction paper. Then, cut the hearts in half using a different cutting pattern on each heart to make them look like broken hearts. Mix the cards up and have your child try to mend the broken hearts by matching the two sides together. You can also play this with older kids by writing a message across the heart and then playing it with a large group. Each child gets one half of a heart and must find his or her match.
Candy Sorter
Preschoolers love sorting, so use all that extra Valentine’s candy and turn it into a game. Take a bowl of various Valentine’s candy (such as conversation hearts, M & Ms and jellybeans) and have your child sort through the candy to put like candy together. They can sort by candy type, color, or even size. You can be certain that this activity will keep them busy for a long time.
I Love You Because
Preschoolers are sweet, so set a timer to three minutes and have your child say what they love the most. You can also have them say things like, "I love my daddy because," or "I love my brother because." See how many nice things they can say about their loved ones.
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