The holiday craziness is over, and you’ve spent January getting back on track. Now, state testing is looming and that brings its own amount of stress. Just the thought of all the untouched standards is enough to send your brain spinning. It can feel tempting to just put your head down and power through without an ounce of fun until testing is over. But I have some Valentine’s Day activities that can bring fun to your classroom while still keeping your students on track!
Valentine’s Day Close Reading
Close reading is a great way to get students digging deeper into a text, so they truly comprehend it. In fact, I wrote an entire blog about my writing routine, which uses close reading strategies.
Close reading using a strategy of reading multiple times and moving higher up the critical thinking ladder. You can never spend enough time building students’ comprehension, especially with testing season approaching. So, why not continue with this Valentine’s Day activity? With this Valentine’s Day close reading resource, students will read an informational text about Valentine’s Day. I included the close reading steps on a bookmark, so students can work through the process and dive deeper into their comprehension.
They will also answer ten comprehension questions, and complete seven different graphic organizers to practice a variety of comprehension skills. These graphic organizers include the main idea, text evidence, central ideas, KWL, author’s purpose, key vocabulary, context clues, and more.
Sweet Treat Party
Let’s be honest, the biggest thing on the minds of our elementary students around Valentine’s Day is candy. Kids love sweet treats, so why not use them in a Valentine’s Day activity?
Engage primary students with an interactive and hands-on practice of adding and subtracting whole numbers by having them plan a Sweet Treat Party. For upper elementary students, they can engage in the same activity, but practice adding and subtracting decimals instead.
With this resource, students buy items for their party and plan for a party of different sizes. While this resource is perfect for a Valentine’s Day activity, it isn’t holiday-specific, so there are a number of other times throughout the year this could come in handy. This activity would be great for small groups, centers, or even as an assessment.
Valentine’s Day Science
My students always enjoy hands-on science experiments, so I had to make it a Valentine’s Day activity. Each of these experiments are designed to practice the scientific method, while also being hands-on and incorporating some holiday fun. Plus, the look on students’ faces during the sparkly explosion experiment is always my favorite.
There are eight science activities or rotations total. Students will write and reveal secret messages, create a sparkly explosion, use various solutions to make candy hearts disappear, and build, test, and revise a heart catapult. They’ll also make Valentine’s Day slime, create crystal hearts, and use various materials to build a heart tower.
You can use these as science station rotations, or a whole-class demonstration if you’re short on time or materials. If you have time to plan ahead, you can also send home the included “materials needed” page. I’m always pleasantly surprised by the amount of supplies families will send in with their students when we ask ahead of time.
Valentine’s Day Gift Bags
If you planned to have a Valentine’s Day celebration, then you’ll like this Valentine’s Day activity. On Valentine’s Day, I will read a Valentine’s Day themed book with students. Personally, I like This is Not a Valentine’s Day by Carter Higgins. Then I use these Valentine’s Day Gift Bag Tags and share a little treat with students.
These gift tags make it super quick and easy to print off and pair with a special gift. This bundle comes with ten punny gift tags to pair with inexpensive gifts, such as markers, crayons, and glue.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with students in your elementary classroom can be simple and meaningful. By using these Valentine’s Day activities, you can spiral in review of past skills or introduce new ones. I’ve found that when we tie things to holidays, students find them more engaging in the moment and retain the information longer. Use this holiday to sneak in some good academic fun without losing sight of the big goals for the second half of the year.
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