Valentines Day Word Games
Valentine’s Day is a “lovely” day to incorporate Valentines Day word games into your lesson plan. There is a lot of Valentine’s Day vocabulary that is fun for students to practice using games. You can invent your own games for students to play, look up new games online, and learn new games from your colleagues who have played Valentines Day games with students in the past. Keep reading to learn more about word games that you and your students will have a fun time playing on Valentine’s Day.
Valentines Day Word Games
As with any holiday, it can be very easy to incorporate vocabulary into your classroom. Just use the words in puzzles, hangman games, word searches and jumbles, and fill-in-the-blank Madlib games. Use the vocabulary on worksheets you hand out to the class, and incorporate it into as many facets of your classroom as possible.
Coming up with Valentines day word games does not have to be hard. Have students write a “love letter” (or “like letter) to anyone – a friend, a parent, a classmate, their favorite celebrity, even a fictional person – using as much Valentine’s Day vocabulary as they can. Play Valentine’s Day charades with your class. Have them write short stories, riddles, or jokes using the words, and have them share their work with the class.
Sometimes Valentine’s Day can feel like a lonely time for your students. They might not get as many valentines as their peers, or feel left out from dates, friend get-togethers, and other activities. Consider how games can be more about friendship and less about love to foster friendships between your students and let everyone feel loved on this special day.
Valentine’s Day Vocabulary
The best way to share holiday vocabulary with your students is to do so using teamwork. Instead of just sharing a Valentine’s Day word list, have your students all brainstorm as a group. This way they get to practice using their creative skills and build teamwork skills at the same time. Encourage them to think of words themselves using provoking questions, such as “What do we pass out to our classmates on Valentine’s Day?” or “What month is Valentine’s Day in?” When they are stumped, add a few more complex vocabulary words to the list.
Here are some words to keep in mind as your students build a list:
- Valentine’s Day
- love
- chocolate
- candy
- candy hearts
- flowers
- roses
- red
- pink
- February
- valentine
- sweetheart
- love letters
- girlfriend
- boyfriend
- friend
- sweet
- sugar
- happy
- family
- be mine
Alternatively, students learn a lot from listening to you read Valentine’s Day themed books. This can become a fun, competitive game for students: Read a Valentine’s day themed story, and ask them to write down as many themed words as they can that they hear in the story. Students who come up with the most words can win a Valentine’s Day treat.
Links to Online Valentine’s Day Word Games
- Blackdog.net is a comprehensive site with many options for word games, including jokes and riddles, word games, vocabulary lists, word searches, word jumbles, and other activities. There is a range of skill levels needed to play this game, so you will be sure to find something appropriate for your students.
- Black Dog 4 Kids features lots of activities that are specifically about Valentine’s Day words. If your kids need something to do in their downtime, or if you want to get great ideas for your own Valentine’s Day games, this is a good site to check.
- ABC Teach has great word games for all holidays, including Valentine’s Day. You might be surprised at the variety you see on the site designed for teachers. One of the great features is that you can print out Valentine’s Day cards with lots of vocabulary related to the Valentine’s Day theme. Worksheets, print-out activities, Valentines Day word games, and a lot more are featured on this website.