Valentine’s Day is such a lovely opportunity to teach your preschooler about kindness, love, and friendship through hands-on activities. Whether you’re a parent looking for at-home fun or a teacher planning for your preschool classroom, these Valentine’s Day activities will fill the Day with creativity, laughter, and learning. Each idea is simple to set up, engages multiple senses, and helps children develop social-emotional skills while enjoying a bit of holiday magic.
Create a Valentine Card Station
A few things make preschoolers feel as proud as creating their own handmade cards. Set up a “Valentine Card Station” with colored paper, heart stickers, doilies, crayons, and glue sticks. For younger children, pre-cut heart shapes so they can focus on decorating rather than cutting.
Encourage your child or students to make cards for family members, classmates, or community helpers. While they craft, they talk about what it means to show love and gratitude. Ask simple prompts like, “Who do we love to share hugs with?” or “Who helped us this week?” These moments help build empathy and emotional awareness—important foundations for social development.
Pro tip for educators: Let kids dictate short messages like “I love playing with you!” or “You make me happy!” and write them on the card for them to trace or copy. This promotes early literacy and handwriting practice in an authentic, joyful way.
Bake Heart-Shaped Treats Together
Nothing says “I love you” quite like baking together. Invite your preschooler to help measure, pour, and stir ingredients for simple sugar cookies or heart-shaped Rice Krispies treats. Cooking activities build fine motor skills, patience, and foundational math concepts such as counting and sequencing.
If you’re in a classroom where baking isn’t possible, you can try a no-bake snack alternative. Use graham crackers, strawberry cream cheese, and sliced strawberries to make edible Valentine’s sandwiches. Let kids spread, layer, and assemble their creations. You can also discuss colors (“What shade of pink is this?”) and shapes (“Do you see a heart shape?”) for a quick learning connection.
To make this experience extra special, talk about how we can share treats with others as a sign of friendship. Preschoolers love the sense of giving and community that comes from offering their handmade snacks to others.
Explore a Valentine’s-Themed Sensory Bin
Preschoolers learn best through touch, exploration, and play. A sensory bin is an easy way to combine those elements into one engaging Valentine’s Day activity. Fill a bin with red rice, pink pom-poms, and small heart-shaped containers. Provide tools such as scoops, spoons, and measuring cups so children can safely scoop, pour, and transfer materials.
For a fun educational twist, hide small letter beads or foam hearts with letters printed on them. Invite kids to find matching pairs or spell simple Valentine words, such as “LOVE” or “HUG.” The mix of tactile play and literacy exploration keeps little ones engaged longer, while also calming their busy energy.
If you’re looking to create a themed sensory experience, try searching for Valentine’s sensory bin ideas for more creative combinations and extensions.
Make a Love-Themed Storytime and Puppet Show
Storytelling is one of the best ways to connect with preschoolers and introduce big emotional ideas in an accessible way. Choose a few Valentine’s Day picture books that explore friendship, caring, and kindness. After reading aloud, talk about what each character did to show love—did they share something, help a friend, or use kind words?
Next, turn storytime into a playful puppet show. You can make simple puppets from paper bags, socks, or popsicle sticks. Encourage children to create their own short skits about friendship or helping others. This blend of imagination, art, and expressive language naturally supports confidence and communication skills.
Teachers might even record a short class performance to share digitally with parents, giving families a peek into their child’s creative world.
Build a “Kindness Tree.”
End your Valentine’s celebration with a heartwarming project that keeps the love going all week long—a Kindness Tree. Start by cutting out a large paper tree trunk and taping it to the wall or a classroom board. Then, cut out dozens of paper hearts from pink, red, and white construction paper.
Each time a child does something kind—like sharing toys, helping a friend zip their coat, or using gentle words—add a heart to the tree with their name or drawing. Over time, the tree becomes a blooming showcase of kindness and positive behavior.
Parents can adapt this idea at home using a poster board and stickers. It’s a beautiful visual reminder that love grows when we act kindly.
Celebrating Love in Simple, Joyful Ways
Valentine’s Day with preschoolers doesn’t have to be scripted or complicated. The absolute joy comes from slowing down, spending time together, and finding small moments to share affection and appreciation. Whether you’re making cards, baking cookies, or exploring a sensory bin, these experiences nurture emotional growth as much as they spark creativity.
So, grab a little glitter, cue up the heart stickers, and prepare for giggles, hugs, and warm memories. Because the sweetest Valentine’s gifts don’t come from a store—they come from time spent together.
