More Valentine's Day Activities

As we began in the previous blog, we're focusing on Valentine’s Day in February.  This holiday provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate what we're all about as school counselors — cultivating kindness, empathy, and connection in school communities. We can use this holiday and time around it to highlight broader themes of friendship, self-care, and gratitude.

Engaging students in meaningful activities can foster a culture of emotional well-being and positive relationships. Below are some fresh ideas to incorporate into your school counseling program this Valentine’s Day!

1. "Secret Kindness Cupid" Challenge

Inspired by "Secret Santa," this activity encourages students to spread anonymous acts of kindness throughout the week leading up to Valentine's Day. Assign each student a classmate (or allow them to choose at random), and their mission is to secretly do something nice for their "kindness buddy."

Acts of kindness could include:
💌 Leaving a kind note in their locker or cubby
🍪 Sharing a small treat or handmade card
📝 Complimenting them in class
🌟 Helping them with schoolwork

At the end of the week, students can guess who their "Kindness Cupid" was and reflect on how good it felt to give and receive kindness!

2. "What’s in Your Heart?" Reflection Activity

Encourage self-awareness and emotional expression by having students create heart-shaped mind maps about what they love and value most.

Steps:
❤️ Provide students with large paper hearts.
❤️ Have them divide the heart into sections representing things that matter to them (family, friends, hobbies, goals, positive qualities, etc.).
❤️ They can decorate their hearts with drawings, words, and colors.
❤️ Facilitate a discussion about how love isn't just about others—it also includes self-acceptance and gratitude!

This activity is great for promoting self-reflection and confidence.

3. The "Warm Fuzzy" Jar

Boost classroom morale with a collective kindness jar. Provide small slips of paper where students and teachers can write anonymous notes of encouragement or appreciation for their peers.

Throughout the week, students drop their notes into the jar. On Valentine’s Day, the counselor or teacher reads them aloud (or distributes them privately).

This simple yet powerful exercise reinforces a positive and uplifting school atmosphere.

Alternative:  Begin this activity on the first day of the year and then share the notes as the jar fills up, at the end of the semester, or at the end of the year.

4. "Love & Friendship Through Literature" Book Read-Alouds

Host a special counseling session featuring books that celebrate kindness, friendship, and love in all its forms. Some great selections include:

📖 The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (belongingness and kindness)
📖 Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli (acts of love and friendship)
📖 Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud (encouraging kindness)
📖 Love by Matt de la Peña (exploring different forms of love)

After reading, lead a discussion about the messages in the book and how students can apply them in their own lives.

5. "Mix & Mingle" Friendship Stations

Set up rotating stations where students engage in different friendship-building activities. Some ideas:

💞 Compliment Cards – Write kind messages to classmates.
💞 Teamwork Challenge – Complete a fun problem-solving task together.
💞 Empathy Role-Play – Act out scenarios about kindness and understanding.
💞 Self-Love Pledge – Write affirmations about personal strengths.

This activity helps students step outside their usual social circles and connect with different classmates.

6. "The Power of Love" Gratitude Tree

Create a large tree poster with blank hearts as leaves. Encourage students to write something or someone they are grateful for on each heart and attach it to the tree.

The Gratitude Tree serves as a beautiful reminder that love exists in many forms—family, friendships, teachers, pets, and even small moments of kindness.

7. "Love Letters to Myself" Activity

Teach students the importance of self-love by having them write letters to themselves. They can include:

✉️ Things they’re proud of
✉️ Compliments about themselves
✉️ Encouraging words for tough days

These letters can be sealed and returned to them later in the year as a confidence boost!

8. "Kindness Rocks" Project

Decorate small rocks with messages of love, kindness, and encouragement. Students can leave them around the school or community for others to find.

This interactive and creative project reinforces the idea that even small gestures can make a big difference in someone’s day.

9. "We’re Better Together" Puzzle Mural

Give each student a blank puzzle piece to decorate with words or drawings representing kindness, teamwork, and love.

When all pieces are put together, they create a collaborative classroom mural symbolizing unity and community!

10. Mindfulness & Meditation: "Heartful Breathing"

Valentine’s Day can sometimes bring feelings of loneliness or exclusion for some students. Lead a guided mindfulness exercise focusing on self-love and compassion:

💓 Deep Breathing: Inhale deeply while visualizing warmth and love entering the body.
💓 Positive Affirmations: Silently repeat kind thoughts (e.g., “I am worthy of love,” “I am enough”).
💓 Visualization: Imagine being surrounded by people who care and appreciate you.

This calming activity promotes self-acceptance and emotional well-being.

Final Thoughts: Celebrating Love in Every Form

Valentine’s Day is about more than candy and cards; it’s a time to highlight the beauty of kindness, empathy, and self-worth. By incorporating these activities into school counseling programs, we can help students understand that love is found in friendships, family, and even in themselves.