Valentine’s Day is next week and you are not ready. Your little preschoolers will be crushed! AH! No need to panic – we’ve all been there. Don’t you worry – I’ve got your back.
Here are some fabulous February activities for preschoolers you can set up in a jiffy. You are going to love these ideas. Come take a tour of Benjamin’s preschool classroom to see the incredible activities for preschoolers Michelle and Heather have set up for the kids.
Many of these activities have to do with a “love” or Valentine’s Day theme. I just adore bringing the holidays alive with learning activities for kids.
So let’s get right to it! (affiliate links are provided for your convenience.)
Heart Gems on the Light Table. Goodness I love this open-ended invitation to play on the light table with heart gems! This really is such a calming activity for little ones. (And if you are on a budget – be sure to check out my DIY Light table tutorial. Just a few minutes and a few dollars!)
Plexiglass Tracing Station. How neat is this idea!! Michelle told me she inherited this plexiglass from her Gramma and promptly re-purposed it. If you aren’t so lucky, this desk mat would work just as well. I adore this tracing station! Think of the possibilities – letters, numbers, shapes, different emotions on faces – anything! Just pop it under the plexiglass, add some dry erase markers and those little ones will be playing and learning again and again.
Search and Find Valentine’s Sensory Play. Dye some rice a pretty pink (here is my 2 step simple tutorial), add some sequence, a little ribbon, and even a battery operated tea light candle to set the calming mood. Then hide a few little trinkets and have those preschoolers search and find. Sensory play is so important for little ones. I write all about it in this post on sensory play for kids.
Valentine Day Socks on the Line. Look what was hiding in the play washer and dryer! Benjamin was so excited about his Valentine’s Day sock discovery and he quickly popped them on the line. This is such a great activity to build imaginative play as well as strengthening those little hands with squeezing the clothespins.
Write a Love Note! This little Valentine writing station is just so cute. I love the little stamps and ink pads — what preschooler can resist! Add a few note cards or blank Valentine’s and watch the kindness take over. I bet so many little love notes will be created and shared.
Over and Under Obstacle Course. One of the three million and twenty two things that I love about this beautiful preschool is the opportunity for little bodies to move. While outdoor play/gym time is a part of every morning, there is always a place for busy little bodies to move right in the classroom. This lovely over and under obstacle course is a great way to get those bodies moving while learning about patterning and recognizing words.
Squeeze and Sort. This is a great invitation to sort. I am in love with this wooden Montessori sorting tray and see so many uses for it. This Valentine’s Day activity is a fun one for little ones – using tongs to squeeze the pompoms and sort them by colours!
Match the love. Another fabulous way to practice those letters! This activity is excellent for letter recognition as it requires just matching. For older children you could have them match upper to lowercase letters – or even fill in the missing letters! (And if you are looking for more information on getting these little ones reading ready – please check out my book, Beyond the Alphabet: Play into Reading Readiness)
Mail Station. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to set up a post office! Encourage that writing and reading by adding in a photo chart with pictures of little friends and names underneath. You can check out my at home post office right here.
Clip and Match. This is yet another fabulous way to practice letter recognition! And strengthens those little fingers too. Aren’t those clothespins adorable? Goodness I love things like this – check out all of the amazing clothespins I found!
Count the love! Hot gluing these heart cookie cutters onto foam hearts make for great little gem holders. Add a few numbers to encourage counting, one-to-one correspondence, and number recognition!
The Chocolate Factory. The playdough table has been transformed into a very yummy smelling chocolate playdough. Michelle told me she simply added some cocoa to make this playdough smell as divine as it does! (Here is my simple, no-cook playdough recipe) Add some empty chocolate boxes, heart shaped cookie, cutters, scissors, and other playdough tools and you have hours of fun!
There you have it friends! Isn’t this preschool wonderful?! I always find so many fabulous activities and ideas to try at home with my boys. I hope you are finding these ideas helpful too.
I will continue to add a new tour each month as the activities for preschoolers are changed monthly:
January February March April May June September October November December
I hope you are having a fabulous week friends. Than you so much for reading!
I love your ideas so much!!! They are so original!!! After teaching in the classroom for 15 years I was beginning to burn out because of teaching concepts the same ol’ same ol’. Love your blog!!!
Aww thank you so much Becky!! I am glad you have found a few fresh ideas. And look at you freshening things up for your kiddos even after 15 years. You are amazing!