Valentine’s Day in preschool is not only a day of hearts and handmade cards, but above all a great opportunity to talk with children about emotions, friendship, kindness, and mutual respect. In the preschool years, the foundations of social skills are formed. Children learn to recognize their feelings, name them, and respond to the emotions of others. That is why Valentine’s Day can become a valuable part of education, not just a symbolic celebration.
Well planned Valentine’s Day activities support children’s social development and teach empathy and sensitivity to other people’s needs. It is a great moment to talk about what friendship is, how to show affection in an appropriate way, and why it is worth being kind to one another every day, not only on special occasions. Through group bonding games, shared art projects, and circle time conversations, children learn cooperation, sharing, and noticing the strengths of their classmates.
Where does Valentine’s Day come from?
The tradition of Valentine’s Day comes from old European customs that, over time, spread around the world. February 14 is above all a day for expressing affection, friendship, and love, not only through cards or small gifts, but also through kind gestures, shared games, and words of support and goodwill. The custom of sending Valentine’s cards became especially popular in England and the United States, and later was adopted worldwide.
Today, Valentine’s Day in preschool is part of the celebration calendar and helps children explore emotions, learn how to express feelings, and build relationships with others through shared activities, showing friendship, and small surprises.
The story of Saint Valentine: who was the patron saint of lovers?
Saint Valentine was most likely a bishop who lived in the 3rd century in the Roman Empire. According to one legend, Emperor Claudius II banned young men from getting married because he believed the best soldiers were those without families. Valentine disagreed with this decree and secretly performed weddings for couples in love. When this was discovered, he was imprisoned.
Another legend says that while in prison, Valentine became friends with the blind daughter of the jailer and, through prayer, restored her sight. Before his death, he is said to have written her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” which likely inspired the tradition of sending Valentine’s cards.
As you can see, the story of Saint Valentine has several versions. However, when working with children, it is worth presenting it in a simplified, age appropriate way. Long, long ago there lived a man named Valentine. He was very kind and helped others. He liked it when people were kind to one another and supported each other. That is why today, on Valentine’s Day, we remind ourselves how important friendship and kindness are.
This kind of story helps children understand that the heart of the day is kindness and care for another person, not just presents.
The meaning of the words “love,” “friendship,” and “I love you”
Valentine’s Day in preschool is an ideal moment for a child to learn the meaning of the words “love” and “friendship” and to understand when and how to use the phrase “I love you.” In the preschool years, love mainly means care, help, sharing, and being kind to someone. A child learns to understand these ideas and use them in appropriate situations.
A young child learns that feelings can be shown in real life through kind words, an invitation to play together, or help in a difficult situation. Thanks to this, the celebration becomes a real social experience, not just a themed decoration.
Valentine’s Day in preschool: 10 ready to use activity plans
Below you will find clearly described activity ideas that you can use when organizing Valentine’s Day.
1. Valentine Mail
Goal: Developing fine motor skills, creativity, and the ability to express feelings
Children make a simple card for a chosen person. It can be a family member or a friend from the group. The teacher encourages children to say what they like about that person, what they appreciate, and what qualities make them special. In this way, children learn to form positive sentences and name their emotions.
Older children can try to sign the card on their own, while younger ones receive help writing their name or a short message. To make the activity more engaging, children can decorate the cards with different materials, such as colored crayons, stickers, glitter, or heart shaped cutouts.
At the end, willing children give the card to the chosen person and say one kind sentence, for example what they like most about that person or what makes them important to them. Thanks to this, children learn to show affection in practice, build empathy, and strengthen relationships in the group.
The teacher can suggest displaying all the cards as a small “heart gallery” in the classroom. This allows children to see the results of their work and feel proud of what they created together.
2. Valentine patterns with Combo Wall blocks
Goal: Developing creativity, spatial imagination, and fine motor skills.
Children use building blocks to recreate prepared Valentine themed patterns. These can be hearts, flowers, two connected hearts, or the word “LOVE.” The teacher shows examples and discusses with the children how each pattern can be built. Combo Wall blocks work especially well here because they allow children to build directly on the wall, giving them completely new possibilities for creating and experimenting with space.
The activity can take different forms. Children can work individually, creating their own constructions, or in pairs, learning cooperation and sharing blocks. You can also add an element of timed competition, for example who can build the pattern from instructions first, or create a shared construction gallery where everyone adds their heart, rose, or word to a large Valentine composition.
Thanks to this activity, children practice precise hand movements, focus, and spatial imagination, while also learning cooperation, sharing ideas, and the joy of creating something together. Building with Combo Wall also develops a sense of aesthetics and introduces the Valentine’s Day theme in a creative, engaging, and truly innovative way.
3. Who has my heart?
Goal: Practicing memory, logical thinking, and observation
One child leaves the room, and the teacher chooses among the remaining children the person who “holds the heart.” When the child returns, they ask guiding questions, for example “Is it a girl?”, “Are they wearing a blue T shirt?”, or “Are they sitting next to the table?” The other children answer in a way that helps the child guess who is holding the heart.
The game can be played several times so that each child has a chance to be the one who leaves the room and the one who “holds the heart.” You can also add an element of cooperation by letting children analyze the clues together and agree on a person.
Thanks to this game, children develop focus, memory, and logical thinking, learn to ask questions and draw conclusions, and also practice observation in a fun Valentine themed form.
4. Telephone Whisper
Goal: Developing focus, careful listening, and language skills
Children sit in a circle. The teacher chooses a Valentine related word, for example “love,” “friendship,” or “heart,” and can also introduce English equivalents such as “love” or “friendship.” One child whispers the word into the ear of the child next to them, and it is passed along until it reaches the last participant.
At the end, the children compare the starting word with what the last child heard. The teacher talks with the children about the meaning of each word, asks what “love,” “friendship,” or “heart” means to them, and shows that the same words can also be learned in another language, helping children learn new expressions.
The activity can have several rounds so that each child has a chance to pass and receive the word. In this way, children practice focus, auditory memory, and attention, learn new English words, and most importantly think about what the chosen expressions mean and how they can be shown in everyday life. The Valentine atmosphere additionally strengthens motivation and joy in the game.
5. Friendship circle
Goal: Strengthening group relationships and developing the ability to express positive feelings
Children sit in a circle. Each child says something kind to the person on their right, for example complimenting their smile, saying what they enjoy when playing with them, or what they appreciate about them. The teacher helps younger children form sentences and suggests simple phrases so that every child can take part.
The activity can have several rounds so that each child has a chance to hear something kind from all classmates. You can also add small variations, for example saying a kind sentence while making a gesture such as a high five or passing a paper “heart.”
At the end, the children shout together: “We are a great group!”, which helps them feel a sense of community and strengthens belonging. Thanks to this activity, children learn to express positive emotions, develop empathy, build friendship, and experience the joy of sharing kind words in a group.
6. The story of Saint Valentine
Goal: Learning about the tradition of Valentine’s Day in an age appropriate way, developing empathy and kindness
Children sit in a circle and listen to a simplified story about Saint Valentine, a kind person who helped couples in love and showed others love and friendship. The story is told in a simple, accessible way so that children can easily understand the message about kindness and helping others.
After hearing the story, the teacher leads a guided discussion, asking questions such as “What good thing can we do for a friend at preschool?”, “How can we show that we care about others?”, or “What do we like about our friends?” Children share their ideas and experiences, learning to name feelings and recognize good deeds in everyday life.
7. Art projects
Goal: Developing creativity, imagination, fine motor skills, and the ability to express feelings
During art time, children create a variety of Valentine themed works. These can be cards, hearts, flowers, balloons, or words such as “LOVE” and “FRIENDSHIP.” The teacher encourages children to choose colors, decorations, and materials on their own, which develops imagination and a sense of aesthetics.
Children can work individually or in small groups, which helps them practice cooperation and sharing ideas. Finished projects can be used to decorate the classroom or as small gifts for family and friends from the group. You can also create a shared Valentine display.
8. Watch out, a little heart!
Goal: Practicing reflexes, focus, and teamwork
Children stand in a circle and pass a soft heart, for example a small pillow or plush toy, to the rhythm of the music. While the music plays, the heart moves from one person to another. When the music suddenly stops, the child holding the heart is out for that round. The game continues until one child remains.
To add variety, you can introduce different rules, for example passing the heart only with the left hand, passing it above the head, or balancing on one foot. The game develops quick reactions, attention, and teamwork, and brings children lots of joy in a Valentine’s Day atmosphere.
9. Searchers of lost hearts
Goal: Developing observation, spatial awareness, and teamwork
Before the activity, the teacher hides paper hearts of different colors and sizes around the room. They can be hidden in easier and harder places, for example on shelves, under tables, near the board, or between books. On a signal, children start searching and try to find as many hearts as possible. After finding a heart, they bring it to a shared basket or stick it on a prepared board to create a Valentine composition.
After the game, the teacher counts the hearts together with the children, sorts them by color or size, and talks about where it was hardest to find them. To make the game more interesting, the backs of the hearts can include short tasks, for example “Say something nice to someone,” “Give high fives to three people,” “Smile at the friend next to you.” The child who finds a heart does the task alone or with the teacher’s help.
This activity combines movement with a Valentine theme, develops focus and teamwork, and creates an atmosphere of joy and kindness.
10. Valentine Bingo
Goal: Developing focus, observation, listening skills, and teamwork through a movement game in a Valentine’s Day mood.
The teacher prepares bingo cards with drawings or symbols related to Valentine’s Day (for example a heart, a smile, a flower, a kiss, a hug, a handshake). Each child gets their own card. The teacher draws a task card and reads it aloud, and the children’s task is to find the same symbol on their board and perform the movement or gesture assigned to it.
The game is played in several rounds, and after each round children can swap cards or talk with a friend about what they did. When a child finds the symbol, instead of marking it, they perform the gesture and say a short kind sentence out loud, for example “You have a great smile!”, “I like playing with you,” “You are a good friend.” This way, each participant not only practices observation, but also interacts with others.
After a few rounds, the teacher can call out “Bingo!” when a child completes a set number of tasks (for example 3 or 5). At the end, the teacher sums up the game, emphasizing that the most important part was sharing kind words and playing together.
Why is it worth organizing Valentine’s Day in preschool?
Well planned Valentine’s Day in preschool supports a child’s emotional development, teaches empathy, and strengthens bonds within the group. This celebration can become a valuable lesson about relationships, kindness, and mutual respect. Properly led activities help children not only learn about the tradition, but above all learn how to be a good friend every day.