As many of us were gearing up and helping our kids write out Valentine's Day cards for a classroom exchange last year, we had probably just started hearing about COVID-19. Almost a year later, we've realized we're far more resourceful and resilient than we ever imagined. In 2020, friends and family learned how to celebrate birthdays during the coronavirus, conduct drive-by baby showers, and even attend socially distanced weddings while still adhering to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on gatherings.
And now, for Valentine's Day 2021, many parents find themselves wondering how kids can celebrate Valentine's Day online with virtual classmates. If you're looking for ways to make February 14th special this year, incorporate some of these ideas to help your child have fun with their friends, even if they can't hang out together in person.
Check with your child's teacher: Will Valentine's Day be celebrated in the classroom?
Valentine's Day ideas for kids: Activities to do with virtual classmates
Try these fun Valentine's Day activities to bring virtual classmates closer.
-
Have a virtual recipe exchange. Students can each submit their favorite cookie or treat recipe to compile a virtual classroom cookbook. Make it extra special and official-looking with a cookbook template from Canva. This would make a fun memento for your student to commemorate their virtual-school-year journey.
-
Send valentines to friends. Consider getting kids to send one another virtual cards. Conversely, if there's interest, have students send physical cards — either store-bought or homemade — to one another in the mail. While it may not be the same as passing out Valentines in the classic decorated Valentine's box, for kids interested in getting mail, it could be a fun idea. Addressing envelopes and teaching kids proper envelope format could also be a mini-lesson itself, as mentioned in Amanda Boyarshinov's activity outlined above.
-
This Baby Yoda card craft from Simple Everyday Mom is sure to be a hit with students of all ages, whether they're Star Wars fans or not.
-
Encourage students to get outdoors and gather leaves for this nature craft from the Oooly blog. Kids can collect leaves near their homes and then decorate them together virtually while chatting about their favorite books.
-
Incorporate science into the day and learn about polymers while creating this festive Valentine's Day slime from The Farm Girl Gabs blog. Kids can collect the supplies before class meets and make slime together.
