Friday was such a fun day in kindergarten! I have had the opportunity to celebrate Valentine's Day with kindergartners twice now, and it is easily one of my favorite days of the year. To help sum up my day, here's my list of the top 8 reasons Valentine's Day is the greatest in kindergarten:
8. The pink and red – This year, our principal asked us and the students to wear as much pink and red as we could. My kiddos had a blast with this. I had a handful who had special Valentine’s Day shirts, and they were so proud to show them off. Their smiles were huge when they saw various teachers decked out in pink and red. It is great fun to see them that happy.
7. The valentines – I loved looking through my valentines bag. The different characters represented were vast, and I know that each valentine meant something to my kiddos. As we opened them, the students squealed with excitement for the really cool ninja turtles valentines and the sweet Princess Sophia valentines. It is a window into the students’ personal lives and an opportunity to learn even more about them.
6. The art/crafts – This year, we made hearts to hang from the ceiling and heart paintings for the hallway. I worked up a fun heart-themed bulletin board with sparkly scrapbook paper, and our valentines bags spread throughout the room helped to spread the message that the day of love was here. I wish we had more time to create more art based around love; our classroom certainly looks cozy and welcoming.
5. The joy – I have one kiddo who doesn’t get excited about much. On Friday, he got excited. I lost count of the number of times I had to ask him to put his valentines bag back on the counter; he was so, very excited to open that bag and check out his treasures. The joy of the holiday shined on his face. Of course, he wasn’t the only one. Each student wore a smile from ear to ear as they passed out their goodies, each one specifically chosen for a friend.
4. The candy – Oh my! The candy! I loved watching the students as they looked at all of the goodies their friends had given them; I could see the sugar comas in their near future. It was Friday, though, so I didn’t mind that thought! As a sweets-lover myself, I couldn’t help but feel like a kindergartner as I pulled sweet after heavenly sweet from my bag.
3. The effort – Students and parents go all out to create the cutest tokens of love. In my classroom this year, I had heart crayons made from melted crayons, robots made from juice boxes and candy, and cereal with the phrase “I CEREALsly like you, Valentine!” We do creativity on Valentine’s Day in kindergarten, and we do it well!
2. The appreciation – My class has never been so grateful for anything until Friday! I was touched by the number of “Thank You’s” flying around my classroom - so touched, actually, that I had a moment of threatening tears. Some of my young kiddos couldn’t stay in one spot – they had to get up and find the person who had gifted them such an exquisite valentine and thank them up close. It made me smile.
1. The love, oh, the love! – On Monday, we wrote about the things we love. Reading those lists sent me through the roof! These tiny, young bodies I’ve been charged with to take care of are capable of love so big it could lift anyone up. I, personally, felt the love to my core on Friday. So many of my students talked about the special valentines they picked out for me. They were also especially kind. I had a couple of girls who were intent on making sure I knew they appreciated me. All day long, they came up to me and said things like, “Mrs. Hansen, we really like you” and “You are very pretty, Mrs. Hansen.” My bucket was overflowing!
8. The pink and red – This year, our principal asked us and the students to wear as much pink and red as we could. My kiddos had a blast with this. I had a handful who had special Valentine’s Day shirts, and they were so proud to show them off. Their smiles were huge when they saw various teachers decked out in pink and red. It is great fun to see them that happy.
7. The valentines – I loved looking through my valentines bag. The different characters represented were vast, and I know that each valentine meant something to my kiddos. As we opened them, the students squealed with excitement for the really cool ninja turtles valentines and the sweet Princess Sophia valentines. It is a window into the students’ personal lives and an opportunity to learn even more about them.
6. The art/crafts – This year, we made hearts to hang from the ceiling and heart paintings for the hallway. I worked up a fun heart-themed bulletin board with sparkly scrapbook paper, and our valentines bags spread throughout the room helped to spread the message that the day of love was here. I wish we had more time to create more art based around love; our classroom certainly looks cozy and welcoming.
5. The joy – I have one kiddo who doesn’t get excited about much. On Friday, he got excited. I lost count of the number of times I had to ask him to put his valentines bag back on the counter; he was so, very excited to open that bag and check out his treasures. The joy of the holiday shined on his face. Of course, he wasn’t the only one. Each student wore a smile from ear to ear as they passed out their goodies, each one specifically chosen for a friend.
4. The candy – Oh my! The candy! I loved watching the students as they looked at all of the goodies their friends had given them; I could see the sugar comas in their near future. It was Friday, though, so I didn’t mind that thought! As a sweets-lover myself, I couldn’t help but feel like a kindergartner as I pulled sweet after heavenly sweet from my bag.
3. The effort – Students and parents go all out to create the cutest tokens of love. In my classroom this year, I had heart crayons made from melted crayons, robots made from juice boxes and candy, and cereal with the phrase “I CEREALsly like you, Valentine!” We do creativity on Valentine’s Day in kindergarten, and we do it well!
2. The appreciation – My class has never been so grateful for anything until Friday! I was touched by the number of “Thank You’s” flying around my classroom - so touched, actually, that I had a moment of threatening tears. Some of my young kiddos couldn’t stay in one spot – they had to get up and find the person who had gifted them such an exquisite valentine and thank them up close. It made me smile.
1. The love, oh, the love! – On Monday, we wrote about the things we love. Reading those lists sent me through the roof! These tiny, young bodies I’ve been charged with to take care of are capable of love so big it could lift anyone up. I, personally, felt the love to my core on Friday. So many of my students talked about the special valentines they picked out for me. They were also especially kind. I had a couple of girls who were intent on making sure I knew they appreciated me. All day long, they came up to me and said things like, “Mrs. Hansen, we really like you” and “You are very pretty, Mrs. Hansen.” My bucket was overflowing!