Preschool Learning: Celebrating Friendships on Valentine's Day

There are so many great ways to help preschoolers celebrate their friendships on Valentine's Day. Why not throw a Valentine's Day friendships party with crafts, Valentine card exchanges, balloons, healthy party snacks, and games?

Valentine Crafts

Making simple Valentines out of heart-shape doilies, and precut construction-paper hearts, can be easily assembled with a glue stick, and a few well-placed heart-shape stickers. Also provide each child with a large envelope (to hold their Valentine-exchange cards) and help them write their name, while adding more heart stickers.

Allow preschoolers to give Valentines away to their special friends throughout the day. These can be collected in their envelopes and taken home with the bonus surprises detailed below.

Flower Friendship Leis

Colorful baking cupcake liners can be strung together (with assistance) by pre-punching center holes, and using a rounded-edge needle and yarn. The end result is an over-sized floral friendship lei to wear, or give away to mom as well as special friends.

Fruit Snacks

Beautiful red strawberries should be rinsed, with the green leafy area trimmed off, thinly sliced (look like hearts). Place strawberry slices onto graham cracker sections, spread with cream cheese, and you'll have an elegant red and white strawberry treat.

A seedless watermelon sliced ½" thick can have several hearts cut out of each slice, using a heart-shape cookie cutter. Try cookie cutters on pre-made red Jello (using less water, in a flat pan). Wiggle-giggle hearts can be shared amongst friends.

Valentine Games

Preschoolers love games, as do all kids, but it is easier to please the little ones with simple games like bean-bag tossing, block stacking, parachute ball-rolling, and of course balloons. Many dollar stores will now inflate balloons with helium while you wait, and much to the delight of preschoolers, present many new games for them.

Simple balloon games include chasing, kicking, and jumping to catch floating balloon-ribbon ties. If a dozen helium-filled balloons are the only party game you are offering, no one will be disappointed! Balloons can also be the prize at the end of a preschool party day, by offering them as incentive for helpful, classroom clean-up.

Decorating Muffins

Instead of cupcakes, pre-make healthier fruit muffins to frost, and allow your kids to decorate them. This activity does not have to be fancy to be the hit of your Valentine's party. Simply provide an assortment of sprinkles to create a muffin masterpiece.

Make sure hands get washed after games and balloon chasing, but before snacks and muffin decorating festivities. Your preschoolers will have so much fun celebrating their friendships that they might not want to leave. So load them up with their Valentines, balloons, flower leis, and muffin creations to share with family members at home.