Do you celebrate Valentine's Day with your students? This holiday gives teachers an opportunity to show their students how much they appreciate them--and most of all to point out how much God loves them!
A standard Valentine's Day activity is to bring special treats to your class. Sweets are traditional for this holiday. Some ideas are:
You could ask students and their families to bring some of the treats.
This Valentine's Day activity is also traditional: exchanging cards.
I try to mail or hand out Valentine cards on which I have written personal notes of affirmation. This is a perfect opportunity to acknowledge and reinforce positive behavior and to let students know how much I appreciate them.
Sometimes teachers provide time for students to exchange Valentine cards during class.
You could bring supplies such as red, white, and pink paper; paper doilies, scissors, markers, crayons, glue sticks, etc., and set aside time during class for students to make cards for each other or family members.
You may wish to do more than just bring treats or exchange cards. If you wish to do a complete lesson on Valentine's Day--one which will help your students think about what love really is, check out this lesson: WHAT IS LOVE?
Supply paper hearts and markers or colored pencils and have students express their love to Jesus. Help them think of things to write:
I love You, Jesus, because _______________
Jesus, You make my heart happy.
Jesus, You are the best Valentine because _______________
Jesus, thank you for being my best friend.
I use coloring pages sparingly during class time because some students love to color but others not so much. Those who do not like to color get bored quickly. However, it's nice to have some pages on hand for when "big church" goes long or for when you need to occupy part of the group while the rest of the group is doing something else.
Here are some free coloring pages you can use with your students for Valentine's Day.
These pages remind us that God is love:
These pages remind us about the true meaning of love:
Ministry to Children - Christian Valentine's Day Coloring Pages
I hope you enjoy these Valentine's Day activities with your students and work to create a loving atmosphere in your classroom always.
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another."
John 13:35