How to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in the Classroom
When it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day in school, it’s often about hearts, exchanging cards, and yes, candy! But, what about the history of Valentine’s Day? Yes, there are so many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the classroom and learn at the same time. Here are a few activities and resources to use in your classroom this February.
How Do You Teach Valentine’s Day History?
Valentine’s Day has a long history that is fun to share with students. It started over 1,500 years ago in ancient Rome with a festival called Lupercalia, which celebrated love and fertility. Later, it became known as Valentine’s Day to honor Saint Valentine, a priest who secretly married couples.
Valentine’s Day Escape Room
Start with a Reading Comprehension and Valentine’s Day Escape Room activity. This resource contains passages and puzzles about Saint Valentine, traditions, Lupercalia, and Romulus and Remus. All of these topics teach your kids more about Valentine’s Day and its historical context.
This fun activity has leveled reading passages and a variety of puzzles to keep your kids engaged while learning about Valentine’s Day.
They’ll have fun solving all of these Valentine’s Day puzzles!
- Cryptogram
- Qwerty
- Atbash
- Text Message
- Pigpen
- Polybius
Who Was Saint Valentine?
Saint Valentine was a Christian priest living in Ancient Rome during the 3rd century. At that time, the Roman Emperor Claudius II made a law that young soldiers couldn’t get married because he thought single men made better soldiers. Saint Valentine believed in love and secretly performed weddings for couples. The emperor found out, arrested, and put Saint Valentine to death. Over time, he became known as a symbol of love and bravery. Today, we celebrate Valentine’s Day in the classroom in his honor, focusing on love, friendship, and kindness.
Share PBS videos and resources (including vocabulary) to show who Saint Valentine was and how he connected with the holiday of love and kindness.
Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt
Another fun activity to teach Valentine’s Day is a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt. Students have 10 reading passages and hunt around the classroom for 10 code words to solve puzzles and learn more about Valentine’s Day. The topics include Valentine’s Day, Saint Valentine, traditions, Lupercalia, Romulus and Remus, history, and Ancient Rome.
Of course, the scavenger hunt, like the Valentine’s Day escape rooms is ready to print or share and use right away in your classroom. This activity is perfect for anticipatory sets, early finishers, stations, simple sub plans, individual work, partner activities, or even extensions!
How is Valentine’s Day Celebrated Around the World?
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in different ways around the world. In Ghana, it’s also known as National Chocolate Day. China’s Valentine’s Day is called Qixi Festival, where couples celebrate by giving flowers and showing affection, honoring an ancient love story. In Denmark, people exchange pressed white flowers called snowdrops and send funny poems or anonymous cards. Couples in Italy gift each other chocolates and small romantic tokens, especially in places like Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet.
Valentine’s Day Around the World Color by Number
One of my favorite activities is the Valentine’s Day Color by Number because it focuses on so many different traditions. It also brings in coloring and art for your students. The topics include Valentine’s Day traditions in Ghana, China, Denmark, Italy, and more.
The activity includes 1-word design, 12 questions, 1 reading passage ( 2 pages – front/back), and 1 anticipation guide. Just bring out your standard colors of markers, colored pencils, or crayons, and get ready for a fun Valentine’s Day around the world lesson!
Secret Acts of Kindness
Valentine’s Day is about history, of course, but it’s also about love. One way to spread love is with secret acts of kindness. Share The Secret Kindness Agents with your students.
Moved by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Ferial Pearson wondered if small acts of kindness could make a difference in someone’s life. She thought about her students and what might happen if they started secretly doing kind things for others at school. Could something so simple change a life?
She asked her students, and while they didn’t know the answer, they were willing to try. Together, they became the Secret Kindness Agents. The agents spread kindness in small but powerful ways. These students changed lives at their school and around the world with their movement.
This book by a teacher inspired a movement, a TEDTalk, and was featured on Hallmark. Try your own Secret Kindness Agents movement for Valentine’s Day! First, start by having your students think of acts of kindness to spread at school and in their community. Of course, have them start on Valentine’s Day and come up with their own Secret Agent names. What would your Secret Agent name be?
Valentine’s Day Cards and Toys
Of course, Valentine’s Day also means Valentine’s Day cards and gifts. Consider some non-food Valentine’s Day gifts if your students have allergies. Fun trinkets that also work as social-emotional tools or brain boosters are my faves! Here are some fun Valentine’s Day gifts to pass out in the upper elementary classroom.
Students and adults alike get anxious. Worry stones are smooth heart-shaped rocks that your students may rub or hold in their hands when they are anxious or nervous. This helps with sensory issues and simply just staying focused. What a nice way to be kind and celebrate Valentine’s Day!
Metal Puzzles for Valentine’s Day
These trinkets are so much fun for students. Although they are not Valentine’s Day themed, these 24 brain teasers are “perplexing puzzles” that are made to untangle and solve. Consider sharing these with your students.
Of course, you do not need to spend your hard-earned money on student gifts. Sharing fun activities with your students, even making little cards or writing notes shows them love and kindness on Valentine’s Day! Share your love of Valentine’s Day, ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day around the world, and escape rooms and puzzles to help your students learn more about this special day.
