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Spread the Love: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Kindness

Writer's picture: California League of Middle SchoolsCalifornia League of Middle Schools

Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to foster kindness, community, and inclusivity in your classroom. While the holiday is often associated with candy hearts and greeting cards, shifting the focus toward meaningful activities can create a lasting impact on your students.

Heart cookies

Here are a few fun and inclusive ways to celebrate:


  1. Kindness Cards for Everyone

    Invite your students to create homemade kindness cards that go beyond the traditional Valentine. Provide a variety of art supplies and encourage them to write a compliment or share something they appreciate about each classmate. To ensure everyone feels included, consider creating a system where students draw names to distribute their cards.

  2. Compliment Chain

    Turn your classroom into a web of positivity by starting a "compliment chain." Each student writes down something kind or encouraging about a peer, and you link the notes together to form a colorful paper chain. Hang it around the classroom to serve as a visual reminder of the supportive community you've built.

  3. Gratitude Notes

    Take a moment to reflect on the people who make a difference in your students’ lives. Have them write heartfelt thank-you notes to teachers, school staff, or family members. This activity not only cultivates gratitude but also spreads the love beyond the classroom.

  4. Acts of Kindness Challenge

    Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a class-wide kindness challenge. Create a list of simple acts of kindness—helping a friend, sharing supplies, or offering a kind word—and see how many your students can complete by the end of the day. Recognize their efforts with a certificate or a round of applause.

  5. Story Time with a Lesson on Love

    Choose a book that highlights the importance of kindness, inclusion, or friendship. Stories like Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli or The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig are excellent for starting meaningful discussions about what it means to care for others.

Hearts

This Valentine’s Day, help your students celebrate the true meaning of the holiday by focusing on kindness and connection. By making the day inclusive and memorable, you’ll create a positive experience that stays with them long after February 14.

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