I’ve long since given up the fight in attempting to have a “normal” day on Valentine’s Day. While love may not always be in the air, there’s plenty of chocolate to make up for it! However, I do believe that students can continue to learn while having fun during the madness.
I’ve created two different Valentine’s Day activities to help make the day fun for your students and a little easier for you!
One fun activity is the Valentine’s Math Activities and Centers Board.
Students are given a Valentines Choice Board where they can complete three activities in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Each of the activities allows students to focus on a different math skill: measurement, geometry, problem solving, etc. I particularly enjoy the fact that there is little prep work needed. I don’t like to spend tons of time laminating and cutting out a resource I only use once a year. This time of year my motto is to keep it simple.
Valentines Activities for Big Kids
In this activity, students use Sweetheart candy to make different geometric shapes. For this activity you need several pieces of Sweetheart candy, construction paper, and glue. To complete the activity, choose 5 of the shapes below and create the shape by gluing down the candy. Of course, you could also omit gluing down the candy and let students make the shapes and maybe take a picture of the shapes.
Valentine’s Activities For Big Kids-Memory
Another game is a heart memory game where students match written and numerical versions of three, four, and five digit numbers. Students cut out the hearts and place them face down in the middle of the group. Then, they take turns turning over two hearts at a time until they have a match. If a student finds a match, they keep the cards and go again.
Valentine’s Day Activities for Big Kids-Fractions
You have to have flowers on Valentines Day, so why not let students create some fraction flowers. In this activity, students draw a color a bouquet of flowers with given requirements. For example, three-sixth of the flowers are red. Students must understand there is a total of six flowers. The questions increase in difficulty where students must apply their understanding of equivalent fractions.
Problem Solving
I’m all about problem solving, so I was sure to include an activity that allowed students to apply different problem solving strategies. We’ve worked on these strategies all year, and you can read more about how I teach those strategies here.
Valentines Day Activities for Big Kids-Word Problems
Of course, I didn’t leave out word problems. Those are a must! I like to keep students challenged, so I have students WRITE examples of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems.
Dice and Numbers
This is a fun game for students. Students take turns rolling six dice. Both partners should use the digits rolled to create as many number sentences as possible. Use any operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division). You do not have to use all 6 digits for every problem-you just have to make sure every digit in your number sentence is from one of the dice. Whoever writes the most number sentences wins.
Valentines Day Activities for Big Kids-Graphing
Here’s an activity you can do with some of your extra candy. Have students count the M&Ms and fill in the graph to represent how many of each color M&M are included in the bag. There will be more M&Ms of each color than there are spaces, so students will have to determine the best increment for the graph. Be sure to have students label all parts of the graph.
Valentines Measurement
You can also download a Valentines Measurement packet for FREE! This activity focuses on linear measurement and measurement conversions.
Valentines Village
You are going to LOVE this one. I know I do.
One Last Thing
We have some type of federal grant so that every student gets a snack each day. On Valentine’s Day our snack was bananas, and this was what one of my students found. I thought that was just too cool!
Hi! I have in my files a valentine math activity I must have gotten from you a year or two ago, but lost part. It is called Valentine Village and there are two versions of a street to color. I have the answer key, but not the black and white sheet the kids would color–probably ran and then never kept a master. Any way you could send me one.
Here it is! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzbzHaNolwxmSENFOTJ6cXpOOGc/view?usp=sharing
Hi there! I subscribed to your free library resources. It looks like this Valentine’s Day packet is available, but despite typing in the password, I am not able to access the Valentine’s Day measuring activity. The message I receive is that I need to be given permission to access the resource. I’m so sorry to bother you but would love access!! Thank you!