The Complete Valentine's Day Party Plan for 1st & 2nd Grade (2024)

It is that time of year again….Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! To prepare you for this holiday, (and to take another load off your way too full plate), we have planned out your classroom Valentine’s Day party for you, down to the decorations! If you used our Winter Holiday Party Plan, then you will recognize the template and plans! Now, sit back, relax and take a look at our ideas to make your Valentine’s party a day students will L-O-V-E!

Lucky Little Party Plan

As you can see below, our Valentine’s party plan is stocked with decor ideas, games, crafts, send home options, and more! This post will take a walk through each section of the plan. All you have to do is decide which ideas you want to use for your party, print and ta-da! Your party is ready!

Jump to:

I) Suggested Materials

II) Decor Ideas

IV) Read Alouds

V) Party Games

VI) Party Playlist

I) Suggested Materials

The suggested materials section of the plan lists out things you may want to print out or send home prior to the party. For the Valentine’s Party, here are your need to prep materials:

Valentine Heart Animals

Students love to make cards, drawings and notes for others. Why not tap into this hobby a part of your Valentine’s Day party?

@luckylittlelearners Duet this if you make one! ❤️😍#teachersoftiktok #valentinesday #craft #crafty ♬ Sunroof – Nicky Youre & dazy

Use these blank inside card templates as one of your party craft activities!

Bonus idea: students could make them for the adults in the building and deliver them for a random act of kindness.

Valentine Cards

Print out these greeting cards and let your students writing heart warming messages to their peers or adults in their lives.

Love Potion & Cupid’s Crunch Letter

Every classroom party needs sweet treats! For Valentines, try having a special drink, which we will call love potion AND an easy to make snack, Cupid’s Crunch. (If getting snack items donated is not possible for you, students can bring their own drink or snack.)

Love Potion

Love Potion is really just a strawberry or grape soda float, but don’t tell the students! I always say, “When you take your first sip, you will immediately fall in love with someone!” Oh the giggles! By using strawberry or grape soda, the float stays in the Valentine’s color theme, and it is variety, not just another root beer float!

Cupid’s Crunch

Cupid’s Crunch is a fancy name for Valentine’s themed trail mix. If you used our Winter Holiday Party Plan, you know that trail mix is the way to go when it comes to classroom parties. There is something in it for everyone! Our Cupid’s Crunch recipe is pretty simple. You can vary this recipe any way you want!

Other Snack Ideas:

• Cookies-store bought & easy
• Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes-delicious but must make ahead!

Exchange Valentines

How many of you have had this happen in your classroom….The Valentine’s Day party is about to begin. Students are going to start exchanging Valentines to one another. A students comes to you and lets you know they forgot to bring Valentines. No worries! Our team has created a set of 8 Valentines for students to exchange! These can be prepped before the party just in case.

Print in color or use colored paper with the black and white version.

Valentines Exchange Note

The last suggested party prep item is a note to send home informing families of the Valentines exchange. I always remind my classroom families that Valentines can be homemade as well as store bought. Students love getting little homemade Valentines!

Another option: Have students make Valentines for one another in school.

II) Valentine’s Day Party Decor Ideas

When you think of Valentine’s Day, what pops into your head? Hearts? Purple, pink, red and white? Your classroom can be quickly turned into a sweet Valentines destination with just a few decorations! On the party plan, we have listed these ideas:

Valentine’s Day Party Placemat

These placemats can be easily downloaded from All Access. Place them at each student’s spot for their morning work the day of your Valentine’s Day party, or wait until party time.

Valentine Monster Craft

These adorable Valentine Monsters could be made ahead of the party to add some student art to the decor. They would also make a great craft during the party. BONUS: Students will add change amounts to see how much they “spent” on their monsters!

Tablecloths or Butcher Paper

Using tablecloths or butcher paper with a Valentine color theme (think red, purple, pink or white), can make students feel like it is an extra special day. If you have rectangular desks, these can be pushed together to form larger “banquet” tables. Table cloths can be found at dollar stores, or if you don’t want to shop, use a big sheet of butcher or bulletin board paper. (Students can even decorate these with little Valentine doodles!)

Hearts

This is a simple idea: give students Valentines colored construction paper and tell them to cut out some big and small hearts. These can be strung together or simply hung around the room. What a cute and cozy way to decorate the room!

III) Centers & Crafts

Doing a few centers rotations during a party day can make the time pass faster! Here are a few ideas for your Valentine’s Day party.

Valentine Monster Craft

Although this resource was already mentioned above, it is worth mentioning again! Kids will love this craft, and will be practicing art and math skills!

Valentine Math Puzzles

Teachers and students LOVE math puzzles. These no prep puzzles keep students engaged and can be used in several different ways:

• Scrambled Puzzles: Students will solve the problems, cut it apart and glue it in the correct puzzle order.
• Unscrambled: students will solve the puzzle, then cut it apart and put it back together. Bonus idea: have them take the puzzle strips home to complete as a family fun activity. (Students love having a loved one complete the puzzle THEY made.)
• Editable version: add whichever math skill you want to focus on!
• Black & white for students to color themselves or color for an already completed puzzle.
• Printable OR digital formats available.

Heart Flower Directed Drawing

Directed drawings make art attainable for more students (and teachers)! By following the directions, some students are more likely to feel success than if you had them free draw. Our Team has the perfect directed drawing center for your Valentine’s Day Party: a Heart Flower!

Valentine’s Day Color by Number

IV) Read Alouds

The right picture book can add a lot of fun to a classroom party! The following two books are fun and engaging, and all about Valentine’s Day. Use them to kickoff your school day before the party or to wind down after it is over.

A Crankenstein Valentine by Samantha Berger

Have you read Crankenstein with your students? If not, I completely recommend it! It is a great story to talk about friendship and emotions. A Crankenstein Valentine is just as cute! Students will love the illustrations.

Book Activity Idea: Have students write about how they could make someone’s day better. (Sort of like a random act of kindness idea.)

Buy on Amazon

Valentine’s Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Raise your hand if you have ever read, First Day Jitters to your class on the first day of school. (Yep, my hand is up too!) Valentine’s Day Jitters follows a similar plot, where the character with the jitters is the teacher!

Book Activity Idea: Have students plan out their perfect Valentine’s Day Party! This could turn into a transitional writing prompt.

Buy on Amazon

V) Party Games

When it comes time to play games, our team has got you covered! Try one, two or all of the games below to make your party a smashing success.

Valentine Musical Pictures

This kid loved and teacher approved variation to musical pictures is a big win! Students walk around a circle of seasonal pictures. When the music stops, they each have a picture to stand by. (No more pushing or shoving to get the last chair!) The teacher then draws out a picture from their pile and the student with the matching picture is out. Your students will beg for another round!

Valentine Pictionary

Who doesn’t love a good game of Pictionary? This website: The Game Gal, makes it super easy too with an automatic word generator. All you have to do is select holidays -Valentine’s Day in the dropdown menu.

Pass the Heart

Your students will go home with a smile seeing all of the positive things their classmates have to say with this easy game! We’ve made the template autofill and easy to use.

Valentine Bingo

Why not make your day extra sweet with a game of Valentine themed bingo?

Valentine Math Games

These Win a Heart math games serve a dual purpose: have fun AND practice math skills! Try one or two of these as a station during the Valentine’s Party! With a 1st and 2nd grade version, differentiation is made easy!

Honey Pie, I love you, I just Can’t Smile

This game is just plain fun! Students take turn sitting in front of the room, and the others have a small amount of time to try to make them laugh. Check out further game instructions here: Great Group Games.

VI) Valentine’s Day Party Playlist

Once again, we have put together a song playlist to add to the ambience fo your party. With some classic songs and some dance party anthems, there is something for everyone! Click on the image below to access the playlist.

I hope this Lucky Little Party Plan makes Valentine’s Day a day you and your students truly love!

Happy teaching!