5 Valentine-Inspired STEAM Activities for Young Children
💕 5 Valentine-Inspired STEAM Activities for Young Children
Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to bring a little extra joy, colour, and curiosity into early learning. These five Valentine-inspired STEAM activities combine science, literacy, engineering, math, and art in ways that feel playful, hands-on, and developmentally meaningful.
Because learning doesn’t need to be quiet, seated, or worksheet-based—it can be active, joyful, and full of discovery.
💫 1. Valentine Love Potion (Science)
At the science table, children created a Valentine love potion by mixing red-tinted baking soda and vinegar. The fizzing and bubbling sparked instant excitement and curiosity.
As they experimented, children explored:
- Cause and effect
- Early science concepts
- Fine motor skills
All through hands-on play and natural investigation. Simple materials + big reactions = powerful learning.
💖 2. Valentine Literacy: Letter Heart Hunt
Literacy came to life with a letter heart hunt, where children searched for and matched letters displayed on a large sheet of paper.
This active literacy experience supported:
- Letter recognition
- Gross motor movement
- Early reading foundations
Literacy doesn’t have to happen at a table—when children move their bodies, learning sticks in a whole new way.
🧱 3. Engineering with a Valentine Twist
In the engineering area, Valentine-coloured LEGO® inspired creativity, problem-solving, and big ideas.
As children built, balanced, and redesigned their structures, they strengthened:
- Spatial awareness
- Persistence
- Early engineering and design skills
Learning happens best when children are free to create, explore, and try again.
❤️🔢 4. Valentine Math: Counting Hearts
In the math centre, children filled heart containers with pompoms—scooping, sorting, and counting as they worked.
This playful math invitation supported:
- One-to-one correspondence
- Counting and number sense
- Fine motor development
Hands-on math makes numbers feel real, approachable, and fun—exactly how young children learn best.
🎨 5. Absorbing Hearts Art Invitation
For art, children explored absorbing hearts using tissue paper, paintbrushes, and red-coloured water. As the colour spread and blended, children watched the magic unfold.
Through this process-based art experience, they practiced:
- Cause and effect observation
- Fine motor control
- Creative exploration without pressure for perfection
Simple materials. Big learning.
💕 Final Thoughts
These Valentine-inspired STEAM activities show how meaningful learning can happen through play, curiosity, and connection. When children are engaged, moving, and exploring, learning feels joyful—and that’s when it sticks.
Want to see these activities in action? CLICK HERE for the full video!
Happy Valentine’s Day—and happy learning! 💗
7 Valentine’s Day-Themed Activities for Preschoolers
Love, Learning, and Little Hands: 7 Valentine’s Day-Themed Activities for Preschoolers
February is the perfect time to blend love and learning with engaging, hands-on activities. Learning through play fosters curiosity, creativity, and confidence in young children. This blog will explore STEAM, fine motor, sensory, literacy, and math activities—all with a Valentine’s Day twist!
STEAM Exploration: Science
1. Fizzing Heart Science
- Materials: Baking soda, water, vinegar, heart-shaped cookie cutters, food coloring
- Exploration: Mix baking soda with pink/red colored water, shape it into hearts using the cookie cutter. Let it dry and then drop it on a plate of vinegar and watch it fizz!
- Learning: Introduces simple chemical reactions and cause-and-effect.
2. Floating Hearts – A Surface Tension Experiment
- Materials: Dry-erase markers, white ceramic plate, water, straw or spoon
- Exploration: Draw small hearts on the plate with a dry-erase marker. Slowly pour a small amount of water onto the plate. Watch as the hearts lift off and float! Use a straw or spoon to gently move them around.
- Learning: Introduces kids to surface tension and water resistance. Encourages observation and prediction in a fun, hands-on way.
Fine Motor Fun: Strengthening Little Hands
3. Heart Threading Garland
- Materials: Yarn, hole-punched paper hearts, plastic needle
- Exploration: Encourage kids to thread paper hearts onto yarn to create a festive garland.
- Learning: Develops hand-eye coordination and fine motor control.
4. Valentine’s Day Playdough Invitation
- Materials: Pink/red playdough, heart-shaped cookie cutters, buttons, beads
- Exploration: Let kids press, roll, and shape the dough into fun Valentine’s-themed designs.
- Learning: Supports creativity and strengthens finger muscles for pre-writing skills.
Sensory Play: Engaging the Senses
5. Valentine’s Sensory Bin
- Materials: Dyed rice (red/pink) or pink/red shredded paper, heart-shaped objects, foam hearts, scoops, small containers
- Exploration: Let kids scoop, pour, and sort items in the bin.
- Learning: Encourages sensory exploration, sorting, and fine motor skills.
Literacy and Math Exploration
6. Heart Letter-Matching Game
- Materials: Paper or foam hearts with uppercase and lowercase letters
- Exploration: Cut hearts in half with one side having the uppercase letter and the other half with the matching lowercase letter. Kids match uppercase and lowercase letters to complete the heart.
- Learning: Reinforces letter recognition and early literacy.
7. Counting Hearts Game
- Materials: Paper hearts with numbers, small manipulatives (pom-poms, beads)
- Exploration: Children place the correct number of manipulatives on each numbered heart.
- Learning: Develops number sense and one-to-one correspondence.
Incorporating Valentine’s Day into learning offers a great opportunity to foster inquiry, discovery, and exploration at home. These activities make learning fun and meaningful while strengthening early childhood skills. This is a great way to embrace playful learning and enjoy quality time with your little ones.