Valentines Day - some planning ideas

[sarah707]

To follow seasonal celebrations and children's interests in shapes / hearts / Valentines Day activities.

Enjoy!


PSED

Talk about love and discuss who the children love and who is a special friend. Talk about the difference while you are making a card for someone they love / see as a friend. Children might want to make a card for mummy or daddy – this is fine, they are too young to realise we send cards to the opposite sex on Valentine’s Day;

CLL

Write a poem with the children (it does not have to rhyme). Tell them the old ‘roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you’ rhyme for inspiration;

Make some heart shaped mark making paper (or print some paper with a heart shaped border). This should be in your mark making area for the children to access independently;

Explore the letter ‘v’ – find it in books, make it using straws, draw it in wet sand in the messy tray, see how it fits together using playdough, think about other words that start with ‘v’, look in alphabet books or on charts to find ‘v’ etc;

Read ‘Guess How Much I Love You’ by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram.

There are lots of other books listed here - http://www.teachingheart.net/valentinebooks.html;

PSR&N

Cut out lots of hearts from either wrapping paper or drawn. Use them for putting into size piles before making a picture with them;

Make some pink buns (use natural food colouring so they are healthier) and let children save one for each parent. Bun making covers all 6 areas of L & D, but here I am thinking of weights, measures, shapes & sizes;

More recipes here –

http://parentingteens.about.com/od/r...ntinesday.htm;

And there are more recipe ideas in the recipe section on Pauline's www.childmindinghelp.co.uk site;

Create repeating patterns by using heart shaped sponges;

Play a memory game using the heart shapes here - http://www.abcteach.com/valentine/valconcent.htm;

KUW

Find out the history of Valentine’s day and what old style cards used to look like by exploring images on Google. Do not forget, always check out links before calling them up when children are there, and put a list into favourites. This is to stop children seeing inappropriate images;

Online games to support children’s hand eye coordination and fine motor skills here –
http://www.primarygames.com/holidays...nes/games.htm;

Help the children send a free e-card online to a special parent or friend;

Explore texture by cutting out some sandpaper heart shapes. Use them for rubbings;

PD

Make a big heart shape out of pink or red paper and get children to put a hand print in the middle, using white paint;

Take a big piece of paper, cover it in hearts – paper, drawn, stencilled, painted, lace etc. When dry, laminate (KUW) and use as your Valentine’s day placemat;

CD

Think about the colours usually associated with Valentines Day like red and pinks. Put some white paint or gloop in the messy tray and add red. Experiment to get different shades of pink using size words such as ‘more’ and ‘less’ (PSR&N);

Make a heart instrument – cut a paper plate into the shape of a heart, decorate the underneath with sparkles. When it is finished, put some beans inside and fold it over down the centre line of the heart. Secure it round the edge with staples – risk assess these and if you have any children who fiddle with things, cover the pointy bits with tape. If you are feeling very creative, you can slot in red and pink ribbon or crepe paper before you staple the edges so they dangle as it is shaken;

Lots of colourings and crafts here - http://www.abcteach.com/valentine/valconcent.htm;

The kangaroo is very cute - http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/mkangaroo.htm. There is a heart dog on this site too.

Other websites for ideas –

http://www.theideabox.com/ib.php?web=special&id=vday;

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/valentine/

http://crafts.kaboose.com/valentines-day-crafts.html

[ajs]

wow thank you

we have just started cutting out hearts and talking about what we are going to do this afternoon

might have to do some baking too

[Zoemum2four]

Wow thank u some gr8 ideas,

[Zoemum2four]

Forgot to say thanks for sharing

[manjay]

Thanks so much Sarah. Some great ideas. All I have to do is add a bit of Welsh Language and it's applicable to me too xxxxxx

[katickles]

Thanks for all those extra ideas Sarah x

[emler]

Thanks sarah

[marian]

Thank you Sarah

Marian x

[oneofeach]

Thanks Sarah!

[Monkey1]

Thank you Sarah!

[cherry]

Thank you Sarah

[mum22]

You make it all seem so easy, thank you so much

[tomthumb]

Thnak you Sarah!

Elodie XX

[Twinkles]

Cheers 'm dear

Lots to do now !!!

[Shar]

Thank you Sarah, going to be a busy week!!

[Spangles]

Thank you Sarah.

[samd35]

Thank you x

[Polly2]

Thanks

[LittleMissSparkles]

Thank you x

[mrs c]

Thank you for sharing Sarah.