If your students are still learning remotely, it may be a little bit harder for them to celebrate Valentine’s Day as a class. But luckily, we have lots of digital tools available now to make it easier and fun. Here are some ideas from teachers:
Erin Flanagan has a great blog post on digital Valentine ideas. She offers tips for using Google Slides, Wakelet, Padlet, and Flipgrid. Others recommended using Jamboard for this holiday with one page for each student.
Squeaky Altman will have her students go “old school” first. “Instead of sending a card to each person, just make one overall card. Have students use crayons, markers, etc. and make one [Valentine] for the entire class. Then share it in class or via Flipgrid.”
Another teacher recommended the Virtual Valentines Project. “The Virtual Valentines Project is an easy, free project designed to teach students geographical awareness and cultural understanding while connecting classrooms all around the world for Valentine’s Day.” The free project is open to students in grades K-12 and offers two different options for global connections.
If your students are using Zoom, have them create a Valentine’s Day background. They can use some of Canva’s customizable templates and add their own creativity. (Please note that Canva is free to use, but does require an account.)
Older students might prefer creating a poem or other piece of writing than a card. If so, here are some good Valentine writing prompts:
- Why do you think we get off school for certain holidays, like Thanksgiving, but not others, like Valentine’s Day? Should Valentine’s Day be a school holiday?
- Write a twist on the classic poem “Roses are red, violets are blue…”
- So many Valentine’s Day cards feature puns and wordplay. What’s the funniest Valentine’s Day pun you can think of?
- Write a Valentine to someone who deserves a little extra love and thanks this year.
- Is Valentine’s Day only for romantic love, or is it also a celebration of friendship and family love? Defend your position.
- Before computers and email, people sent more hand-written cards and letters. Is the fact that we use emails and text more often now a loss or a gain? Why or why not?
Valentine-themed templates for Google Slides and PowerPoint abound. Here are just a few I found:
- Be My Valentine
- Happy Valentine’s Day
- Love and Valentine (cartoony but cute)
- Several different cute templates
- Free Valentine PowerPoint Templates
- Slide Carnival Templates (hundreds of free templates available here)
How will you help your students celebrate the day of love this year?
