Love is in the air....a love for all things party that is! Who doesn't love a fun classroom party? With Valentine's Day right around the corner now is the time to start planning some fun activities for your students. Just a few fun ideas can transform your boring walls and predictable routines with some Valentine's Day fun! You might even sneak in some learning along the way.
The first step to a fun classroom celebration is to transform your space. Get creative and use some colorful decorations to switch your classroom up and get your students excited. I started by using some weathered wood paper to cover up our front board. My students were so excited to see our board covered they knew that this meant something different was headed their way. To secure in place I used some Mavelous tape. I clustered some pink chevron and pink paper fans at the top of my backdrop. You can hang them easily using repositionable hooks. Personally, I like to staple my fans together; this makes them easy to hang and remove for future use. I added some colorful hearts and a cute Valentine banner to complete the cuteness. 
A few weeks before Valentine's Day I like to set up a writing center where my students can make Valentine's cards for their classmates. I give each student a list of student names. They cross each friend off the list as they create a special valentine for each one. I stock the center with scrapbook paper, colored pencils, scissors, glue sticks, stickers, doilies, ribbons and other various craft items. Students can use these supplies to create little notes for their friends. You can set up classroom mailboxes or bags for students to deliver their student notes to. I love taking a moment to write each student a special note and place it inside a mini heart canvas bag, I include a couple of kisses and place this on their desk on Valentine's Day. It's a great way to let your students know just how special they are. What's a Valentine's Day party without an art project? Have your students create fun Valentine critters using pre-made craft kits that are so easy and fun to put together. These adorable snails were my favorite.
On our party day I like to include a few fun games and activities, a classroom fave is bingo. My students love to take turns being the bingo caller, sometimes we play as a whole class and sometimes I let smaller groups play together. They use some candy hearts to help mark their cards. 
I often find myself inventing new games to help practice those basic math skills. Spin it to win it quickly became a new class fave. Students would take turns spinning the wheel, they would spin it twice and then multiply the numbers they landed on. You could also practice addition the same way. It's a great way to review those math facts while having a little fun. 
What's a party without a few treats? My students enjoyed yummy donuts and fruit for their Valentine's Day treat. They each had a special place set at our Valentine's table. I used red checkered tablecloth rolls to line the tables, and added some sparkle with a gold table runner and gold chargers. Color blocked Valentine's Day plates held their personalized notes. As students waited to get their treats they read their special valentine. 
To wrap up our Valentine's fun I gave each of my students a colorful little Valentine's Gnome. These cute little characters were a big hit and so was our party!
