Valentine’s Day Fun for Kids: Heartwarming Activities for Families
Love is in the air, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to dive into fun, creative, and oh-so-sweet activities with the kiddos! Whether you’re a mom, dad, teacher, or caregiver, these playful and age-appropriate ideas will make your hearts burst with joy (and maybe glitter too!).
Activities for Toddlers (Ages 1-3)
Toddlers are all about exploring and discovering, so keep it simple, sensory-friendly, and absolutely adorable!
Heart Stamping with Sponges
- What You Need: Heart-shaped sponges, washable paint, large paper.
- How-To: Dip those squishy sponges into paint and let tiny hands go wild stamping hearts all over the paper. Bonus points for naming colors as they stamp!
Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin
- What You Need: Pink and red rice or pasta, scoops, heart-shaped toys.
- How-To: Fill a bin with your sensory goodies and let toddlers scoop, pour, and explore to their heart’s content.
Musical Heart Walk
- What You Need: Paper hearts with colors or numbers.
- How-To: Spread the hearts on the floor, play some tunes, and let your little ones walk from heart to heart. When the music stops, call out a color or number for them to find!
Activities for Preschoolers (Ages 3-5)
Preschoolers love crafts, games, and anything that lets them use their imaginations. Let’s spread the love with these ideas!
DIY Valentine’s Cards
- What You Need: Cardstock, stickers, markers, doilies, and glue.
- How-To: Set out supplies and let the kids create their own cards for family and friends. Encourage them to write their names or add a sweet little message.
- Download these free Valentine’s Cards printables!
Heart-Themed Math Fun
- What You Need: Paper hearts with numbers or simple equations.
- How-To: Play matching games by pairing equations (like 2+2) with their answers. Learning + fun = a win-win!
Kindness Tree
- What You Need: Construction paper, markers, tape.
- How-To: Make a big tree trunk on the wall and add paper hearts as leaves. Each heart gets a drawing or message about a kind act they’ve done or plan to do.
Activities for Early Elementary Kids (Ages 6-8)
This age group loves a good challenge and opportunities to show off their creativity. These activities hit the sweet spot!
Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt
- What You Need: Clue cards, small prizes, heart decorations.
- How-To: Hide clues around the house or classroom, leading to a Valentine’s Day surprise at the end. Perfect for little detectives!
Baking Heart-Shaped Treats
- What You Need: Cookie dough, heart-shaped cutters, frosting, sprinkles.
- How-To: Get those aprons on! Kids can help cut, bake, and decorate cookies. The mess is worth the memories (and the snacks).
Love Bug Crafts
- What You Need: Pipe cleaners, googly eyes, pom-poms, glue.
- How-To: Create adorable little “love bugs” to share with friends or family. They’ll melt hearts faster than chocolate!
Activities for Older Elementary Kids (Ages 9-12)
Older kids want activities that let them flex their creativity and independence while keeping the vibe fun and cool.
DIY Friendship Bracelets
- What You Need: Embroidery thread, beads. Click here to get the ones I use for my class!
- How-To: Show them how to make bracelets they can gift to friends. Pro tip: Add heart-shaped beads for extra flair.
Valentine’s Day Escape Room
- What You Need: Printable puzzles, small prizes.
- How-To: Create a mini escape room challenge with riddles and clues that unlock a “love-ly” prize.
Gratitude Jar
- What You Need: Jar, paper slips, pens.
- How-To: Have kids write down things they love and appreciate about friends, family, or themselves. Read them together for a feel-good moment.
Activities for Teens (Ages 13+)
Even teens can’t resist the charm of Valentine’s Day when it’s done their way. Keep it chill but meaningful.
DIY Photo Booth
- What You Need: Props, camera or phone, cute backdrop.
- How-To: Set up a photo booth with Valentine-themed props for some fun photo ops. Let them share their snaps on social media (or just with friends).
Cooking Challenge
- What You Need: Ingredients for a simple dish or dessert.
- How-To: Host a cooking showdown with a Valentine’s twist. Think heart-shaped pizzas or pink pancakes!
Community Kindness Project
- What You Need: Cards, baked goods, donations.
- How-To: Organize a project like delivering homemade Valentine’s cards to a nursing home or treats to a shelter. Share the love in your community!
Valentine’s Day is about love, kindness, and connection. These activities make it easy to create sweet memories with the little (and big) hearts in your life. Which activity are you most excited to try? Share your favorites in the comments below!