Love is in the air, and it’s time to spread the V-Day sparkle to the kiddos with some thrilling Valentine’s Day games for kids! Whether you’re planning a school shindig or a cozy family fête, choosing the perfect activities can be a love-filled adventure.
Get your Cupid arrows ready!
The Grand List of Valentine’s Day Games for Kiddos in Elementary School
Discovering the best Valentine’s Day games for kids ensures a memorable day of laughter, bonding, and heartfelt fun. These games offer more than just entertainment; they weave the essence of camaraderie and sharing into the fabric of the day.
Whether you are in search of something for a festive classroom party or a cozy family gathering, the key lies in finding engaging, age-appropriate Valentine’s Day games that will captivate the hearts and imaginations of the young ones.
We have you covered with several choices that the students or kiddos will love!
How to Play Catch My Heart
Materials Needed:
- Vday (Valentine’s Day) bowl from the Dollar Tree
- Small rubber band hearts
Instructions:
- Prepare the Playing Area:
Choose a clear, flat space where you will play “Catch My Heart.” A tabletop, a hardwood floor, or any other stable surface would work well. - Set Up the Bowl:
Place the Vday bowl in the center of the playing area. The bowl will serve as the target where players attempt to toss the rubber band hearts. - Distribute the Hearts:
Give each player an equal number of small rubber band hearts. If you are playing alone, simply use all the hearts available to you. - Decide on the Rules:
Before you start, decide how far players should stand from the bowl. Also, determine how many rounds you will play and whether there will be any special rules for scoring. - Taking Turns:
Each player takes turns trying to toss their rubber band hearts one at a time into the bowl from the predetermined distance. If you’re playing alone, record how many hearts you land in the bowl out of the total attempts. - Keep Score:
Assign points for each heart that lands in the bowl. Decide if hearts landing on the edge or rim count for partial points. - Announce the Winner:
After all players have taken their turns for all rounds, tally up the scores. The player with the highest score wins. In a solo game, try to beat your personal best with each new round. - Bonus Challenges:
For added fun, create special rounds where players must toss the hearts with their non-dominant hand, behind their back, or by bouncing them off the playing surface.
Five Easy Preschool Game Ideas for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for grown-ups! It’s the perfect occasion to engage little hearts with some fun and loving activities that celebrate the spirit of love and friendship.
Here are five easy preschool game ideas that are perfect for a Valentine’s Day celebration in the classroom or at home:
1. Heart Hunt
Create a treasure hunt around the room with paper hearts. Hide them in various places where preschoolers can reach. Each heart can have a letter that spells a Valentine’s message when collected, or it could correspond to small prizes or sweet treats.
2. Pass the Heart
Similar to “Hot Potato,” this game involves passing a plush heart around in a circle while music plays. When the music stops, the one holding the heart can share something or someone they love. It’s a great way to encourage speaking skills and build classroom camaraderie.
3. Musical Hearts
Cut out large heart shapes from construction paper and write different actions on them like “jump,” “twirl,” or “hug a friend.” Play music and let the children walk around the hearts, and when the music stops, each child must perform the action on their nearest heart.
4. Matching Hearts
Prepare heart-shaped cards with matching pairs – they could be colors, patterns or pictures. Mix them up and lay them face down. Children take turns flipping two at a time, trying to find the matching pairs. It’s not only fun but also great for memory development.
5. Love Bug Relay
Have the children pretend to be “love bugs” by crawling or hopping in a relay race. Set up obstacles they have to navigate around. Each participant could carry a valentine or a heart-shaped object to drop off at the finish line, emphasizing the theme of delivering love and kindness.
These games are easy enough for preschoolers to understand and enjoy, but also incorporate themes of love, kindness, and friendship. They’re perfect for a heartfelt Valentine’s Day celebration!
Games for Kindergartners for Valentine’s Day Party
Valentine’s Day presents a wonderful opportunity for children to celebrate friendship and kindness. Below are five Valentines day games for kids perfect for bringing joy and a sense of togetherness to a kindergarten class on this special day.
1. Valentine’s Day Memory Match
Materials Needed:
- Red and pink construction paper
- Stickers or printed images related to Valentine’s Day
How to Play:
Create a set of Valentine’s themed cards using construction paper. Place stickers or images on the cards, ensuring that each image has a duplicate. Mix up the cards and lay them face down. Children take turns flipping two cards over, trying to find matching pairs. Each match counts as a point, and the game continues until all pairs are found.
2. Heart Hopscotch
Materials Needed:
- Colorful sidewalk chalk
How to Play:
Draw a traditional hopscotch grid but in the shape of hearts rather than squares. Children toss a small stone or beanbag onto the grid and hop through the hearts to retrieve the object, being careful not to step on the borders or skip any hearts.
3. Cupid’s Arrow Toss
Materials Needed:
- Foam or paper arrows
- Large cardboard with a heart target
How to Play:
Kids take turns tossing foam or paper arrows towards a heart target. Points are awarded based on where the arrow lands. The further from the center, the fewer points awarded. It’s a gentle way to teach aim and coordination, with a valentine’s twist.
4. “Love Bug” Relay Race
Materials Needed:
- Plastic spoons
- Small heart-shaped candies or red pom-poms
How to Play:
Children race, holding a plastic spoon with a heart-shaped candy or red pom-pom in their mouths, from a starting line to a finish line without dropping the “love bug.” If it’s dropped, they must return to the start and try again. This game emphasizes balance and patience.
5. Valentine’s Day Musical Hearts
Materials Needed:
- Valentine-themed music
- Large paper hearts spread on the floor
How to Play:
Similar to musical chairs, music plays and children walk around the room stepping from one heart to another. When the music stops, the children must find a heart to stand on. Each round, a heart is removed, and the game goes on until only one heart is left for the children to try and stand on.
These games are not only fun but are also beneficial for developing cognitive, coordination, and social skills. They can be a highlight of any kindergarten Valentine’s Day party, sure to make the day memorable for the little ones.
Get ready for giggles and heart-shaped happiness with these “punny” Valentine’s Day games perfect for first-graders!
Valentine’s Day in the first grade can be a mix of sweet and silly fun. Here are five game ideas to get the giggles going:
- Cupid’s Arrow Toss
Prepare a large heart-shaped target with points assigned to various rings, like a dartboard. Fashion ‘arrows’ out of paper straws with heart-shaped tips. The children take turns tossing the arrows at the heart, gathering points for each successful hit. - Valentine’s Day Pictionary
Create a deck of cards with simple Valentine’s Day themed words like “heart,” “rose,” or “chocolate.” Children draw a card and then draw the word on a whiteboard or large paper for their classmates to guess. It’s a great way to combine creativity with vocabulary building. - Heart Hopscotch
Make the traditional hopscotch grid with a twist – use heart-shaped stops instead of squares. Students throw a small bean bag on the grid and hop through to collect it, just like traditional hopscotch. - Giggly Gift Wrap Relay
Children are divided into teams. Each team is given wrapping paper, tape, and a faux present (a box or a book). The objective is for each team member to wrap the ‘gift,’ one at a time, each adding a layer of paper and passing it along. Speed and teamwork are emphasized while everyone will surely be laughing at the growing package. - Musical Hearts
Play a Valentine’s version of musical chairs. Instead of chairs, place heart-shaped cutouts on the floor. Kids walk around the cutouts to music, and when the music stops, they must find a heart to stand on. Remove one heart after each round. The fun is in the dancing and the friendly scramble for hearts when the music stops.
Incorporating these game ideas can bring joy and playful learning to your classroom’s Valentine’s Day celebrations! Enjoy the laughter and love in the air!
Hilarious Second Grade Valentine’s Day Games
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about sweet cards and chocolates; it’s also a day filled with laughter and fun. For a second-grade classroom, one quirky and surprisingly hilarious idea is to incorporate themed games with a silly twist. Here’s a delightful game that will have the kids giggling with joy:
“Cupid’s Silly Symphony”
In this game, laughter is guaranteed as kids combine the lighthearted theme of Valentine’s Day with the universal humor of tooting sounds.
Materials Needed:
- Balloons (preferably red, pink, and white)
- Permanent markers
- Valentine’s Day stickers
- Music player with dance music
- A silly “toot” sound maker (optional)
Instructions:
- Balloon Prep: Before the game begins, inflate several balloons and use the markers to draw heart shapes or write funny Valentine-themed phrases on them. Decorate them with Valentine’s stickers to add to the festive atmosphere.
- Circle Up: Have the kids stand in a circle, and give each child a balloon.
- Musical Balloons: Start the music and let the children pass the balloons around the circle.
- Stop and Toot: Randomly stop the music. The child holding a balloon has to sit on it until it pops, making a farting noise. If you have a “toot” sound maker, the child can also use this for added hilarity.
- Valentine’s Vows: Once the balloon pops, the child can say a Valentine’s Day vow, like “I vow to be kind to my friends,” or a silly phrase like, “I vow to eat chocolate every day!”
- Dancing Joy: The game continues with children dancing and passing balloons until all balloons have popped.
- Award Silly Prizes: Hand out silly prizes, such as whoopee cushions or sticker sheets, to all participants to keep the joyful spirit going.
This playful game encourages children to enjoy the lighter side of the holiday. It’s a delightful way to celebrate the day of love with laughter, ensuring a memorable and amusing Valentine’s experience for every second-grader involved.
3rd Grade Valentine Game Ideas that will make you LOL
Valentine’s Day is not just about candy and cards; it’s also a great opportunity for some playful learning and a lot of laughter. If you’re looking to bring some fun into your 3rd grade classroom or party, check out these hilarious Valentine’s Day game ideas:
1. “Sweet Words” Storytime
Give each child a set of word cards related to Valentine’s Day (like “heart”, “candy”, “love”, “friendship”, etc.). They take turns drawing a card and have to incorporate that word into a funny Valentine-themed story. The stories become more hilarious as they go along, especially with some creative encouragement.
2. Bobbing for Conversation Hearts
Fill a large bowl with water and add conversation hearts. The kids have to try to bob and get the hearts out with their mouths, which is not as easy as it sounds! Have towels ready because this can get splashy.
3. “Find Your Match” Costumes
Before the party, prepare name tags with one half of famous pairs (think peanut butter/jelly, salt/pepper, milk/cookies). When they arrive, each child gets a name tag, and they must find their matching pair only by asking yes or no questions. The twist? They must ask the questions in a silly voice pre-determined by the roll of a die (robot voice, high-pitched, slow-motion, etc.).
4. The Giggly Candy Sort
Pour a big bag of mixed Valentine candy into a bowl. Set a timer and challenge the kids to sort the candy into categories (by type, color, or message) before the time runs out. But every time the timer beeps (set it to beep every 15 seconds), they have to stop and do a silly dance or face for 5 seconds.
5. Wacky Valentine’s Day Charades
Prepare a list of Valentine-inspired scenarios for a game of charades. The children act out things like “a cupid who lost his arrows” or “a chocolate box with a frog inside.” The sillier the scenarios, the better.
These games are not only guaranteed to provoke laughter and joy but also help to create a memorable and fun Valentine’s Day for your third graders. Spread the love, and let the games begin!
4th Grade Party Game Ideas: Easy Ideas
Hosting a party for fourth graders requires creativity and an understanding of what kids at this age enjoy. Fun and simple games that engage them both physically and mentally are usually a hit. Here are four easy party game ideas that will keep your fourth graders entertained and active:
1. Treasure Hunt
A treasure hunt is a classic that never fails to excite. Hide clues around your party area that lead kids to various locations until they finally find the “treasure.” The treasure can be anything from a box of goodies to a piñata waiting to be burst open.
How to Play:
- Write clues on pieces of paper and hide them in safe, age-appropriate locations.
- Divide the kids into teams.
- Give the first clue to each team and let the adventure begin!
- The team that finds the treasure first wins a small prize.
2. Balloon Pop
This is not only fun but also a great way for kids to burn off some energy.
How to Play:
- Before the party, blow up balloons and insert slips of paper with funny actions or dares (appropriate for the age group).
- Scatter the balloons around the party space.
- Play music and have the kids dance around.
- When the music stops, each child grabs a balloon and pops it to reveal their challenge.
- They must perform the action or dare before the music starts again.
3. Simon Says
“Simon Says” is a simple game of follow-the-leader with a twist, requiring kids to pay close attention and follow directions only when the command is prefaced with “Simon says.”
How to Play:
- One person is “Simon” and stands at the front.
- Simon gives commands to the other players, like “Simon says touch your toes.”
- Players must only follow the command if it starts with “Simon says.”
- If Simon gives a command without saying “Simon says” first, and someone does it, they’re out.
- The last player standing becomes the next Simon.
4. Freeze Dance
Freeze dance is a music-based game that helps kids work on their reflexes and just have fun.
How to Play:
- Play some of the kids’ favorite songs and let them dance around.
- Without warning, stop the music, and everyone must freeze in their current position.
- Anyone who moves or falls over is out.
- Keep playing until only one dancer remains.
These games are designed to be easy to set up with minimal materials, ensuring that you can focus on creating a memorable experience for the children. Remember to have a few small prizes on hand for the winners—it always adds to the excitement!
Valentine’s Day Playground Games for 5th and 6th Graders
Here are five engaging Valentine’s Day game ideas for 5th and 6th graders to enjoy on the playground:
1. Cupid’s Arrow Tag
In this variation of tag, the person who is ‘it’ represents Cupid. Instead of simply tagging others, Cupid must gently toss a soft foam arrow to tag other players. If hit by Cupid’s arrow, players must freeze with their hands over their hearts until another player gives them a ‘heartbeat’ by tagging them back into the game.
2. Matchmaker’s Memory
Create a large memory game with Valentine’s Day-themed cards, laid face down on the ground. Students take turns flipping two cards at a time, trying to find matching pairs of romantic items or symbols. The student with the most pairs at the end of the game wins.
3. Giggle Tag
How to Play:
- Choose one player to be “it,” and they have the power to make others giggle.
- When “it” tags someone, instead of freezing, the tagged person must start giggling uncontrollably and perform a silly dance.
- The tagged person continues to giggle and dance until another player tags them to set them free.
- The game continues until everyone has had a turn to be “it.”
Why It’s Fun:
- Unpredictable dances and creative giggling make the game hilarious for participants and onlookers.
- It encourages spontaneity and imagination.
2. Reverse Hide and Seek (Sardines)
How to Play:
- One person is chosen to hide, while the rest of the players cover their eyes and count.
- Instead of seeking separately, once a hider is found, the finder joins them in the hiding spot, squeezing in like sardines.
- The game ends when the last person finds the group hidden away.
- The last person to find the group becomes the next person to hide.
Why It’s Fun:
- It flips traditional hide and seek, leading to unexpected pile-ups and cramped hiding spots.
- The increasing difficulty as the space gets crowded adds to the excitement.
3. The Laughing Game
How to Play:
- Players stand in a circle, facing each other.
- The first player says “Ha,” the second “Ha-Ha,” and so on, adding an extra “Ha” with each turn.
- The catch is that players must keep a straight face. If anyone laughs or smiles out of turn, they’re out.
- The last person to keep their composure wins.
Why It’s Fun:
- It’s a challenge to keep a straight face, and the increasing repetition of “Ha” makes it sillier with each round.
- It helps students practice self-control in a fun and interactive way
Wrapping Up
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Wrapping Up Cupid’s Favorite Games for Kids
In summary, this article provides a collection of kid-friendly games for Valentine’s Day, perfect for those organizing festivities such as parents, teachers, and librarians. The selection is designed to be both easy and affordable to create, ensuring everyone can have fun without a fuss. Good luck and enjoy the celebrations!
Marta Rivera says
That “Minute to Win It” referenced brought back some bad memories! I was such a perfectionist that I would be devastated if I didn’t win! LOL!!!
Cas says
That sounds like my brother! He could be that way at times when we were younger, lol.
Amber says
Cupids shoot and score game sounds like good fun for the family! Just doing a Valentines Day inspired game would be fun for some quality family time!
Cas says
Thanks, Amber! I absolutely agree it is a lot of FUN and the kids love it! 🙂
Jenni LeBaron says
These sound like great games for the whole family and a fantastic reason to get together to spend some quality time with everyone.
Rachel says
I don’t think I am helping at the party this year, but I am definitely passing it on to some friends that are.
Glenny says
omg how cute are these games? I dont have kids of my own but these would be such creative ways to celebrate valentines day for sure