If you’re in search of preschool Valentine’s activities, look no further! We’ve got some awesome Montessori-inspired ideas that are sure to bring some extra fun and joy into your child’s day. Check out these creative learning activities for preschoolers that are sure to make Valentine’s Day just that much more magical.
If you’re looking to create a Montessori Valentine’s Day, be sure to add these learning trays to your preschool lesson plans.
Activities Inspired by Montessori Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate in preschool.
I know some people think it’s over commercialized, but I like it. Everything is pink and red and heart shaped. Preschoolers read stories about friendship and practice kindness and sharing.
And who doesn’t enjoy getting Valentine cards! My little boys keep all the cards they get from their classmates and look at them frequently and with fondness.
Mom, Evie gave me this rainbow card because she knows I like rainbows.
Neither of my boys had never expressed any interest in rainbows, until their friend Evie gave them each a Valentine card with a rainbow on it. They think it’s special and save every card in their “treasure box”.
But my little boys also like all the hearts. They do associate it with love, which I’m ok with because, honestly, the world could use a little more love, right?
One morning I found a jagged heart cut out of construction paper and placed in my glass Q-tip jar on my bathroom counter. I’m not sure why it ended up with my Q-tips, but I see it every morning and am reminded of the little boy who carefully cut along the lines his older sister had drawn so he could make me a heart.
Yeah, ’cause I really love you, Mom.
And he pats me on the back as we hug.
See, Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday to celebrate with preschoolers!
Often in preschool, we spend more than just a single day doing preschool Valentine’s activities. If we don’t do a friendship theme in preschool, then we still spend at least week, usually two, enjoying all the Valentine’s activities for preschoolers I can find!
FAQ About Teaching Valentine’s Day in Preschool
It’s traditional to do a card exchange on Valentine’s Day. It’s always something preschoolers look forward to and something that remains special. In addition to that, we also celebrate by doing a valentine process art project and doing thematic learning activities like these printable Valentine’s Day centers. You can try these Montessori inspired tray activities, have a special Valentine’s Day snack, and enjoy this beautiful Valentine’s Day sensory bin.
The best way to teach toddlers about Valentine’s Day is to teach the meaning of the holiday. It’s not about candy and receiving gifts; it’s a time to celebrate love and friendship and the joy of having other people in your life. This is a good opportunity to teach your toddler about kindness, too, by using these 28 days of kindness cards.
Say it back! Sometimes preschoolers don’t hear the words “I love you,” so I say it back to them. It’s important to teach preschoolers it is ok to express their positive emotions. If you feel uncomfortable telling your preschooler you love them, then say something like “I appreciate you,” or “that makes me feel so special,” or “I love having you in my class.”
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Preschool Montessori Trays for Valentine’s Day
The activities I’m featuring here are Montessori-inspired. They work well presented on trays during free choice centers, but I also like them for circle time and small group work, too.
Materials
- Red beads
- White beads
- Pink beads
- Small, child safe bowl for beads
- Small heart-shaped containers (usually found at the Dollar Store)
- Mini-tongs or fine motor tweezers
- Pink or red pipe cleaners
- Valentine’s erasers (usually found at the Dollar Store)
- FREE printable found at the end of this post
The Set-Up
The set-up is specific to each activity, which is explained in each activity below.
Valentine’s Activity #1 – Color Sorting with Heart Beads
Place all three colors of pony beads in the bowl and set on a tray, alongside three heart containers of corresponding colors.
In this activity, preschoolers practice the pincer grasp by transferring the beads by hand from the main container into the color matching heart shaped containers. This also helps them get in more sorting practice. If you don’t have beads, you can also do this activity with conversation hearts.
You can find more sorting ideas here.
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12 Fine Motor Task Boxes$10.00
Valentine’s Activity #2 – Bead Patterning Math Activity
Place all three colors of pony beads in the bowl and set on a tray, alongside the pipe cleaner and the FREE Valentine’s patterning cards. You can grab your free printable at the end of this post.
Invite your child to use beads and pipe cleaner to practice patterning.
Preschoolers can begin by following on of the pattern cards, or they can try to make their own.
You can also make real-life examples for your preschoolers to follow and then invite them to add to the pattern you started to continue it.
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Valentine’s Activity #3 – Mini Eraser Tonging Fine Motor Work
Place the Valentine’s mini erasers in a bowl and set on the tray alongside some mini-tongs or fine motor tweezers.
Invite your child to transfer each eraser from one bowl to another, using the tongs. This activity is designed to strengthen the fine motor muscles in the hand, fingers, and wrist.
If you have a younger preschooler, using their fingers may be a better option. It will help develop their pincer grasp, though, rather than hand strength.
Valentine’s Activity #4 – One to One Correspondence Counting
Using the same heart-shaped containers as the activity above, label the lids with a numeral, and leave the container blank. Set them out in rows like in the picture.
Invite your preschooler to count beads into the containers. While only numerals 1 through 5 are pictured, this activity could extend all the way to twenty for students who need more of a challenge.
Related Reading
Other Preschool Valentine’s Activities
Want some more ideas on how to use these same materials? Try some of these for your Valentine’s preschool center.
- Use the heart beads and pipe cleaner to make friendship bracelets to give away.
- Put varying amounts of beads into the heart containers and give them a shake. How do they sound different?
- Sort the mini erasers by shape.
Grab Your Free Heart Bead Patterning Cards Here!
Just click the image below to grab your free printable task cards.
Then keep on reading for more preschool Valentine’s printables!
Free Printable Valentine’s Day Activities for Preschoolers
Here are some more free Valentine’s printables for preschoolers. Then keep reading for some Valentine process art ideas, play dough, and science activities for kids.
Hands-on Valentine’s Day Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Kids love working on fine motor skills when it includes tissue paper or sensory bottles.
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
Great ideas! I especially like the tonging the erasers – my little girl would love that activity.
How cute! Just pinned, thanks for the ideas.
What great, simple activites! Thanks for sharing!
Great ideas!!! Love them all!
Such cute ideas 🙂