Love is in the air…  And while all you need may be love, it also helps to have some great activities, songs and books.  :)  Get ready for a fun kindergarten Valentine’s Day with these easy ideas!

First, let’s set the mood with some great books:

The Day It Rained Hearts is a sweet story from the illustrator of  the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series – Felicia Bond.  Cornelia Augusta is a little girl who one day discovers that it’s raining hearts rather than raindrops.  She catches some and decides to turn them into lovely valentines.  Each heart is different, and so she chooses just the right recipient for each one.  The simple text and beautiful illustrations make this picture book especially great for English Language Learners and for sparking imagination!

CKA Board Member and Treasurer, Helen Faul says that her favorite is “The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting, pictures by Jan Brett.  Mr. and Mrs. Bear have never celebrated Valentine’s Day.  Why?  They hibernate during winter.  I like to read this because it helps children understand the concept of a long sleep (hibernation).  It also expresses the love that the two bears share. We discuss what is make believe and what is real in the story.”

To round out the fictional texts, Welcome Books Let’s Get Ready for Valentine’s Day is a non-fiction book which explains the holiday using real photographs and simple text that’s perfect for supporting your English Language Learners and sparking conversations.

Some songs to whistle while we work: 

Skinnamarink, Sharon, Lois and Bram

The More We Get Together, Raffi

Friends, Greg and Steve

The Hug Bug, Charlotte Diamond

Four Hugs a Day, Charlotte Diamond

Next, let’s do some math:

Quick and Easy Valentine’s Patterns

 

Kiss Boredom Good bye and Say Hello to Hands-on Math Graphing

 

 

Then it’s time for some art (which marries well with some more math):

Valentine’s Day “Stained Glass”

 

Last, but definitely not least, it’s time for an amazing writing activity with some more art thrown in for good measure:

 

 

Love Makes the World Go Round

 

We hope you have a very happy Valentine’s Day!  Stay tuned next week for yet another easy and fun Valentine’s activity!