Note: If you are at a school that doesn’t observe holidays, you can easily adapt all of these ideas. Special Delivery
You will need a large paper grocery sack and envelopes for this game. Cut the top half off the grocery sack and write “Special Delivery” on it. Cut a paper strip 2” by 15” and staple it to the bag to make a handle. Write each child’s name on an envelope and place it in the mailbag. One child is “it” and skips around the room as you sing the song below. At the end of the song, “it” reaches in the bag and chooses an envelope. “It” delivers the envelope to that child and they exchange places. The game continues until each child has had a turn and received an envelope.
A Letter Is on Its Way (Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
A letter is on its way. A letter is on its way.
I’ll deliver it to my friend
For Valentine’s Day.
Five Little Cookies
(Hold up 5 fingers to begin.)
Down around the corner at the bakery shop
Five little cookies with sprinkles on top.
Along came child’s name with a penny one day.
He/she bought one cookie and ate it right away!
4…3…2…1…
*Make cookies out of felt or fun foam. Pass out pennies to five children have them exchange their penny for a cookie when their name is called.
(I used puff fabric paint to make my sprinkles.
Sweet Smelling Play Dough
1 cup flour
½ cup salt
1 package unsweetened strawberry Kool-Aid
2 T. vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water
Stir and knead all ingredients well. Store in a zip bag.
*Use other flavors of Kool-Aid to tie in with themes and seasons. For example, lime for St. Patrick’s Day, orange for Halloween, etc.
*Children will also be thrilled with surprise dough balls. Prepare the dough mixture omitting the Kool-Aid. Make small balls from the dough and stick your finger in the middle of each ball to make a hole. Sprinkle the Kool-Aid in the hole and seal. As children squeeze the dough – SURPRISE – a color will appear!
Heart Puzzle
Cut 4" circles out of red paper. Cut 4" squares out of red paper. Give each child a circle and a square. Demonstrate how to fold the circle in half and cut on the crease to make two half circles (aka semi-circles). Can the children make a heart from the two halves and the square?
Valentine Concentration
Cut 4” squares out of red poster board. You will also need children’s valentines (2 of each) to glue on the squares. Have children place the squares face down on the carpeting. Play a memory game where children turn over two squares at a time and try to match up like valentines. (Valentine stickers can be used to make a similar game on 3” squares.)
