Valentine's Day in ECEC: A Heartfelt Journey Through Sensory Play and Exploration
Updated: Feb 9
Celebrating Valentine's Day with young children in childcare settings is not just about acknowledging a holiday; it's an opportunity to foster an environment of care, empathy, and community among children. While not all agree celebrating this day is necessary, it can serve as a valuable teaching moment to explore themes of friendship, affection, and expressing kindness to others. Such celebrations can enrich the curriculum by incorporating activities that are not only fun but also educational, promoting social and emotional development among children. From an early childhood theorist perspective, Lev Vygotsky's social development theory highlights the significance of social interaction in the development of cognition; Valentine's Day activities can facilitate meaningful social interactions among children, promoting cognitive and social skills through guided play and exploration.
Incorporating Valentine's Day sensory activities in childcare provides a multifaceted educational experience, allowing children to explore their senses, develop fine motor skills, and learn about the value of relationships and emotional expression in a supportive setting.
Safety-When implementing these sensory activities within an Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) setting, it is essential to ensure adequate supervision at all times to maintain a safe and nurturing environment for all children. Activities involving smaller pieces should be tailored to be developmentally and age-appropriate, with larger pieces provided for younger age groups to mitigate choking hazards. Special attention must be given to supervising sensory bins involving water, and any activity requiring boiling water should be conducted away from children to prevent accidents. Educators and caregivers are advised to familiarise themselves with and adhere to their centre's policies on supervision and safety protocols for all activities to ensure the well-being and safety of the children under their care.
Valentine's Day Playdough
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Red food coloring
1 tablespoon glitter (optional)
A few drops of lavender or rose essential oil (optional for scent)
Instructions:
Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a bowl.
Add oil and boiling water. Stir quickly to combine.
Add red food coloring until you achieve the desired shade.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.
Add glitter and essential oil, if using, and knead again.
Store in an airtight container.
Chocolate-Scented Mud Play
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup of water (adjust for desired consistency)
1/4 cup salt
Instructions:
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Gradually add water to the dry ingredients, stirring until you reach a mud-like consistency. If the mixture is too dry, add more water; if too wet, add more flour.
Encourage children to explore the mixture with their hands, providing tools such as spoons, cups, and animal figures for imaginative play.
The chocolate-scented mud offers a safe, edible (though not tasty) alternative for sensory play, appealing to the sense of smell and touch. This activity is designed to provide a rich sensory experience, allowing children to explore and manipulate materials in a way that stimulates their sense of touch and smell, enhancing their fine motor skills and creativity within a Valentine's Day theme.
Heart-Shaped Rice Sensory Bin
Ingredients:
4 cups of white rice
Red and pink food coloring
1 tablespoon vinegar
Heart-shaped plastic toys or cookie cutters
Instructions:
Divide the rice into two batches. In separate zip-lock bags, mix each batch with a few drops of red or pink food coloring and 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar.
Shake the bags until the rice is evenly colored. Spread out to dry on baking sheets.
Once dry, mix the rice and place it in a large sensory bin.
Add heart-shaped toys or cookie cutters for play.
Document your learning with our Valentine's Pack
Valentine's Sensory Bottles
Ingredients:
Clear plastic bottles
Water
Heart-shaped confetti or sequins
Glitter
Glycerin (to slow down the movement of the contents)
Instructions:
Fill the plastic bottles halfway with water.
Add a generous amount of heart-shaped confetti, sequins, and glitter.
Add a few drops of glycerin.
Fill the rest of the bottle with water, leaving a little space at the top.
Seal the bottles tightly with glue, if necessary.
Valentine's Themed Water Play
Ingredients/Materials:
Large basin or water table
Water
Red or pink food colouring
Heart-shaped sponges
Small plastic cups and pitchers
Instructions:
Fill the basin with water.
Add a few drops of food colouring to tint the water pink or red.
Place heart-shaped sponges in the water.
Provide small cups and pitchers for pouring and transferring water. This activity encourages fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and exploration of concepts such as volume and fluidity, all within a Valentine's Day theme.
Valentine's Themed Goop
Ingredients:
Cornstarch
Water
Red food coloring
Heart-shaped glitter
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix cornstarch with water in a 2:1 ratio to create a non-Newtonian fluid.
Add a few drops of red food coloring to tint the mixture pink or red.
Stir in some heart-shaped glitter for a festive touch.
Encourage children to explore the mixture with their hands, noticing how it changes from solid to liquid. This sensory activity offers an exciting exploration of texture and materials, sparking curiosity about science and the properties of different substances.
Valentine's Day Scented Slime
Ingredients:
Clear glue
Baking soda
Saline solution (contact lens solution)
Red food coloring
Heart-shaped sequins
Strawberry or rose essential oil (for scent)
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup of clear glue with 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda.
Add a few drops of red food coloring to achieve a Valentine's Day theme color.
Slowly mix in 1 tablespoon of saline solution to the glue mixture until it begins to form slime. Adjust the amount of saline solution to get the desired slime consistency.
Knead the slime with your hands until smooth.
Add heart-shaped sequins and a few drops of essential oil to the slime for a festive and aromatic touch.
Store the slime in an airtight container to keep it fresh. This activity combines tactile, visual, and olfactory sensory experiences, providing children with a fun and engaging way to explore textures and scents, fostering creativity and fine motor skills development.
Document your learning with our Valentine's Pack
Valentine's Day Themed Sensory Sand
Ingredients/Materials:
Fine pink sand (You can color regular fine sand with pink powdered tempera paint or food coloring)
Heart-shaped molds
Mini shovels and rakes
Instructions:
If coloring your sand, mix fine sand with pink powdered tempera paint or food coloring until you achieve a uniform pink color. Let it dry before use.
Fill a large tray or sensory table with the pink sand.
Provide children with heart-shaped molds, mini shovels, and rakes to encourage them to mold, sculpt, and explore the texture of the sand.
This activity promotes fine motor skills, creativity, and tactile exploration, allowing children to create Valentine's Day-themed shapes and sculptures. This setup offers a visually stimulating and tactilely rich experience, engaging children in open-ended play that supports their sensory development and imaginative capabilities.
Valentine's Day Themed Edible Finger Paints
Ingredients:
Plain yogurt
Food colouring (red, pink, and any other Valentine's colours)
Heart-shaped stencils (optional)
Instructions:
Divide the plain yogurt into small bowls.
Mix each bowl of yogurt with different food colouring to create Valentine's colors like pink and red.
Spread a large piece of paper or a plastic tablecloth on a table for children to paint on.
Provide brushes, stamps, and heart-shaped stencils for children to use with the edible paints.
Encourage children to explore the textures with their fingers, creating tactile and gustatory sensory experiences. This activity is not only safe and engaging for young children but also encourages creativity, fine motor skills development, and sensory exploration through touch and taste.
Valentine's Day Themed Jelly Sensory Play
Ingredients/Materials:
Jelly powder in red and pink colors
Water
Small washable heart-shaped toys and beads
Instructions:
Prepare the jelly according to package instructions, using red and pink food coloring to achieve Valentine's colors.
Before the jelly sets completely, mix in small heart-shaped toys and beads.
Pour the mixture into several large, shallow trays and let it set fully in the refrigerator.
Once set, place the trays on a table and invite children to explore the jelly's wobbly, squishy texture with their hands.
Encourage children to dig through the jelly to find and retrieve the hidden treasures. This sensory activity provides a unique tactile experience, encouraging fine motor skills development and sensory exploration through touch and sight. Document your learning with our Valentine's Pack
Valentine's Day Themed Clay Heart Creations
Ingredients/Materials:
Non-toxic modeling clay in red, pink, and white
Heart-shaped cookie cutters
Rolling pins
Stampers and other decorating tools
Instructions:
Provide each child with a selection of modeling clay in Valentine's Day colours.
Show them how to use the rolling pins to flatten the clay and the cookie cutters to create heart shapes.
Encourage children to use stampers and other tools to decorate their hearts, adding details and textures.
Allow the creations to dry if desired, or simply let the children take their creations home as they are. This activity encourages creativity and self-expression, while also developing fine motor skills through the tactile experience of molding and shaping clay.
Valentine's Day Themed Sensory Path
Materials:
Soft red carpets
Pink fluffy mats
Heart-shaped cushions
Sections of bubble wrap
Various other textured materials suitable for walking or crawling over
Instructions:
Layout the different textured materials on the floor to create a winding sensory path. Include soft carpets, fluffy mats, and bubble wrap sections for a variety of tactile experiences.
Place heart-shaped cushions along the path for added visual appeal and sensory exploration.
Encourage children to walk, crawl, or hop along the path, engaging with each texture and material.
Guide children to notice the different sensations under their feet and hands, enhancing their sensory awareness and proprioceptive sense. This activity is designed to engage children's sense of touch and balance, encouraging exploration and movement in a fun and thematic way.
Valentine's Day Themed Scent Discovery Bottles
Ingredients/Materials:
Clear, sealable plastic bottles
Materials with distinctive scents (chocolate, dried roses, strawberry essence)
Labels with pictures representing each scent
Instructions:
Fill each bottle with a material that emits a distinct scent related to Valentine's Day. For example, place a few pieces of chocolate in one bottle, dried rose petals in another, and a cotton ball soaked in strawberry essence in a third.
Seal the bottles tightly to ensure the scents do not mix or escape.
Label each bottle with a picture representing its scent, such as a chocolate bar, a rose, or a strawberry.
Invite children to smell the bottles and guess the scents based on the pictures, enhancing their olfactory senses and associative learning. This activity focuses on olfactory exploration, allowing children to engage their sense of smell in a fun and thematic way, contributing to sensory development and recognition of different scents.
Valentine's Day Themed Sound Exploration Activity
Ingredients/Materials:
Musical instruments (small drums, shakers, bells)
Red and pink paint
Heart-shaped stickers or designs
Instructions:
Gather various musical instruments suitable for young children.
Paint the instruments in shades of red and pink to align with the Valentine's Day theme. Allow them to dry completely.
Decorate the instruments with heart-shaped stickers or designs to further emphasise the theme.
Arrange the instruments on a table, creating an inviting setup for children to explore.
Encourage children to play with the instruments, exploring the different sounds and rhythms they can create. This activity can be both a solo and a group exploration, fostering social interaction and cooperation. This sensory activity focuses on auditory exploration, providing children with the opportunity to engage with music and rhythm. It promotes an appreciation for sound while developing fine motor skills and a sense of rhythm. Valentine's Day Themed Tactile Matching Game
Ingredients/Materials:
Textured materials (felt, sandpaper, silk, burlap)
Cardstock or stiff paper for backing
Red and pink paint or markers
Instructions:
Cut heart shapes from various textured materials, ensuring you have pairs of each texture.
Glue each textured heart onto a piece of cardstock or stiff paper for durability.
Paint or color the edges of the cardstock in red and pink to keep the Valentine's theme consistent.
Spread out all the textured hearts on a table, mixing them up.
Invite children to match the hearts based on texture by feeling them with their hands. For a more challenging variation, children can be blindfolded to rely solely on their sense of touch. This activity enhances tactile exploration and cognitive skills, encouraging children to differentiate and match textures. It's a fun way to develop fine motor skills, pattern recognition, and memory, all within a festive Valentine's Day context. Valentine's Day Themed Vibration and Sound Sensory Box
Ingredients/Materials:
A large box or container
Small musical instruments and noise makers (small drums, rattles, heart-shaped noise makers)
Red and pink paint, heart stickers for decoration
Instructions:
Gather various items that produce sounds or vibrations, such as small drums, rattles, and heart-shaped noise makers.
Decorate these items and the box with Valentine's Day themed colors and stickers, emphasizing red, pink, and heart designs.
Place all the items inside the box, creating a diverse collection of sounds and textures.
Present the box on a table, inviting children to explore the contents by shaking, tapping, or moving the items to discover the different sounds and vibrations they can produce. This activity is designed to stimulate auditory and tactile senses, encouraging children to explore cause and effect through sound and touch. It's an interactive way to develop sensory awareness, fine motor skills, and curiosity in a festive, Valentine's Day setting. Document your learning with our Valentine's Pack
Valentine's Day Themed 'Feel the Beat' Activity
Materials:
A large, soft drum or cushion
Red and pink fabric for decoration
Heart-shaped stickers or designs
Soft mallets (optional)
Instructions:
Cover the drum or cushion with red and pink fabric, securing it in place so it's tight and smooth.
Decorate the fabric with heart-shaped stickers or designs to enhance the Valentine's theme.
Place the drum or cushion on a table, along with soft mallets if using, inviting children to tap on it with their hands or the mallets.
Encourage children to explore the different sounds and vibrations they can produce by tapping at various speeds and intensities. This activity aims at auditory and tactile exploration, allowing children to feel and hear the rhythms they create. It encourages an early appreciation for music and rhythm, enhancing sensory awareness and fine motor skills in a playful, themed setting.
Valentine' Day Kind word whispers
Materials:
Two large tubes or pipes, long enough to span a short distance
Red and pink paint
Heart-shaped decorations
Instructions:
Connect the two tubes or pipes in a U-shape configuration, ensuring they are securely attached and stable.
Paint the tubes in Valentine's Day themed colors of red and pink.
Decorate the tubes with heart-shaped decorations to enhance the festive theme.
Position the ends of the tubes at different locations within the room, allowing for a clear path for sound to travel. Invite children to take turns whispering kind messages to their friends into one end of the tube while another listens at the opposite end. This activity is designed for auditory exploration, introducing children to the concept of how sound travels. It encourages communication and listening skills in a fun and thematic way, fostering a sense of wonder and curiosity.
Valentine's Day Themed 'Garden of Love' Outdoor Sensory Path
Ingredients/Materials:
Gravel, soft moss, fragrant flower petals, smooth river stones
Heart-shaped signs made of natural materials
Instructions:
Design an outdoor sensory path in a garden or similar outdoor area, incorporating various natural elements and textures for tactile exploration such as gravel, moss, flower petals, and river stones.
Line the path with heart-shaped signs made of natural materials to guide children through the sensory experiences.
Incorporate sections with different scents and textures, such as areas covered in fragrant flower petals or lined with soft moss, to engage children's sense of smell and touch.
Encourage children to walk or gently explore the path, feeling the different textures underfoot and with their hands, and smelling the natural fragrances.
This outdoor activity is designed for tactile, olfactory, and visual exploration, encouraging children to connect with the textures, scents, and sights of a garden. It fosters a deeper connection with nature and enhances sensory awareness in a playful, Valentine's themed context. Valentine's Day Themed 'Whispers of Nature' Listening Station
Ingredients/Materials:
Headphones connected to audio devices/laptop or ipad
Recordings of nature sounds (bird songs, rustling leaves, gentle streams) mixed with soft, rhythmic heartbeats/visuals of red nature landscapes
Red and pink fabrics for decoration
Heart motifs
Instructions:
Set up a listening area in a quiet corner of the childcare setting.
Connect headphones to audio devices preloaded with recordings of nature sounds mixed with soft, rhythmic heartbeats.
Decorate the listening area with red and pink fabrics and add heart motifs to enhance the Valentine's Day theme.
Invite children to wear the headphones and listen to the calming sounds of nature. Encourage them to relax and focus on the different sounds they can hear.
Use this activity to foster a sense of peace and mindfulness, helping children connect with the calming aspects of nature in a themed context.
This sensory activity is aimed at auditory exploration, encouraging children to relax and engage with the calming sounds of nature, fostering a sense of peace and mindfulness within a Valentine's themed environment.
Valentine's Day Themed "Heartbeat Drum Circle" Ingredients/Materials:
Various drums and percussion instruments
Red and pink paint
Heart-shaped decorations
Instructions:
Arrange the drums and percussion instruments in a circle, ensuring each is accessible and comfortably spaced for children.
Decorate each instrument with red and pink paint, adding heart-shaped motifs to align with the Valentine's Day theme.
Introduce the concept of a heartbeat rhythm to the children, demonstrating a simple, steady beat that mimics the human heart.
Invite children to join in, each playing a drum or instrument, to contribute to the collective rhythm. Encourage them to listen to each other and to the collective "heartbeat" they create.
Explore different rhythms and sounds, allowing children to express themselves through music while reinforcing the theme of connection and love associated with Valentine's Day. This activity promotes auditory and tactile exploration, emphasising communal music-making and rhythmic coordination. It's an engaging way to develop children's understanding of rhythm and pulse, fostering a sense of unity and creativity within a thematic context.
Valentine's Day Themed 'Rhythms of Love' Music and Movement Activity
Ingredients/Materials:
Musical instruments (tambourines, maracas, soft drums) decorated with red, pink, and heart motifs
Scarves and ribbons in Valentine's colours
Instructions:
Decorate the musical instruments with Valentine's Day themed colours and motifs.
Arrange a space in the childcare setting with enough room for movement and dance.
Provide scarves and ribbons for children to use, encouraging them to wave and dance with them as they create music.
Introduce different rhythms and songs, guiding children to express themselves through music and dance.
Focus on the joy of movement and the exploration of different sounds and rhythms, encouraging children to participate and enjoy the communal music-making experience. This activity combines auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic exploration, fostering a love for music and dance. It encourages self-expression and creativity, allowing children to explore and enjoy the rhythms of love in a supportive and festive environment.
Valentine's Day Themed 'Touch of Love' Tactile Exploration Station
Ingredients/Materials:
Soft plush hearts
Rough burlap hearts
Silky ribbons
Fluffy cotton balls
Containers with different grains (rice, beans)
Red and pink decorations to fit the theme
Instructions:
Arrange a tactile exploration station with items of various textures, such as soft plush hearts, rough burlap hearts, silky ribbons, and fluffy cotton balls, all in shades of red and pink.
Include containers filled with different grains like rice and beans for an added tactile experience.
Invite children to explore the textures with their hands, encouraging them to describe how each item feels.
Guide them to compare the differences and similarities between the textures, enhancing their sensory processing and fine motor skills.
Focus on the theme of love and care, discussing how different textures can evoke different feelings and emotions. This activity is designed for tactile exploration, allowing children to use their sense of touch to differentiate and appreciate a variety of textures. It's a hands-on way to enhance sensory processing, fine motor skills, and language development in a thematic and engaging environment.
Valentine's Day Themed 'Nature's Heart' Sensory Bin
Ingredients/Materials:
Sand, soil, and small pebbles
Heart-shaped items made of natural materials (wood, stone, clay)
Small gardening tools for digging
Instructions:
Fill a large sensory bin with a mixture of sand, soil, and small pebbles to create a natural landscape.
Embed small heart-shaped items made of natural materials like wood, stone, and clay within the mixture.
Provide small gardening tools for children to dig, explore, and discover the heart-shaped items hidden in the bin.
Encourage children to feel the different textures of the natural materials with their hands and use the tools to uncover the hidden hearts. This sensory activity is designed for tactile and visual exploration, encouraging children to connect with nature while discovering hidden treasures. It promotes fine motor skills, sensory processing, and an appreciation for natural materials in a playful, Valentine's themed way. Document your learning with our Valentine's Pack
