There’s no better way to celebrate this holiday than with an interactive movement game that will get kids up and out of their seats. This Valentine’s Day game for kindergarten and preschool can help teach letters, letter sounds, numbers, counting, sight words, and more!
It also pairs well the the festive book “The Day It Rained Hearts,” by Felicia Bond. This adorable book depicts a rather unusual weather event, where beautiful paper hearts rain down from the sky.
In this delightfully lighthearted book, one lucky little girl is able to catch some of these hearts, and she uses them to make one-of-a-kind valentines for her very deserving friends. It will be the perfect addition to your Valentine’s party!
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In addition to early academic skills, this activity can help increase hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Even more importantly, it’s a great way to have some silly fun while learning!
Materials:
- red and pink construction paper
- scissors
- a dark-colored marker
- safety goggles
Steps:
To make the most out of your paper, fold the paper in half 3 times before cutting the hearts. So, you fold it half once, fold it in half again, and then fold it in half 1 last time. In the end, you’ll have a shall-ish rectangle that looks like this.
Along the center fold of the paper, cut out a half-heart shape. The paper below shows the type of line your scissors should follow to get something resembling a heart.
The 3 folds will allow you to create 4 hearts with just 1 cut.
Once you have the desired amount of hearts cut out, use the marker to write individual letters, numbers, or sight words on each heart. Use as many letters from the alphabet as you want. You can use upper case letters, lower case letters, or a combination of the two.
After writing the letters, fold all of the hearts into a closed position and use your nails or fingertips to crease the paper. This will help the hearts to stay closed. Next, put all of the hearts into a bowl, bucket, pitcher, or container of some kind.
If you read Bond’s book, you can get your kids excited by telling them, “It’s going to rain hearts today, just like in the book.” Slowly shake the hearts out over your kids’ heads and have them catch all of the hearts they are able to grab mid-air. While catching hearts, it’s important the kids wear safety goggles to protect their eyes.
After all of the hearts have fallen, have your kids open the hearts that they caught and read the letters, numbers, or sight words on the inside. Since they won’t be able to catch all of the hearts at once, you can play the game multiple times.
This activity can also be adapted to use for counting, and a variety of math concepts like addition, subtraction, fractions, and more!
Erica has lived in East TN for over 10 years. She enjoys exploring this gorgeous region with her husband and 3 lively children. As a former teacher turned homeschool mom, she loves finding fun and affordable activities the entire family will love, especially if they cultivate a love for learning!
I love Valentine’s day and what a great idea for incorporating even more fun and learning into the holiday. Thanks for sharing!