Valentines Day is such a fun holiday! I have fond memories of decorating a little brown paper bag with hearts and flowers to hold valentines that I would receive from my classmates. I also love the heart-shaped candy and Valentine party that I anticipated with great joy with my classmates! Valentine’s day is the best – especially in elementary school!

My elementary students enjoy Valentine’s day and I have several songs and games that are fun to use in my classroom each February. The first song is Skinamarink A Dink A Dink! This song is a fun little tune from the early 1900’s. The children love adding motions to the song. Here are the motions that I use.

1.  On the words “Skinnamarink a dink a dink” Put your right hand under your left elbow with your left hand pointing up and wiggle the hand back and forth.
2.  On the words “Skinnamarink a doo”  Put your left hand under your right elbow with your right hand pointing up and wiggle the hand back and forth.
3. “I love you”  I – Point to self or your eyes   Love– Hug yourself  You  – Point to classmates
4.  Yes I do     Make right hand into a fist, position it about chest high and shake the fist up and down as if saying “yes”
5. “I love you in the morning” – Raise hands wave hands over your head
6. “And in the afternoon”– Move hands back and forth in front of your waist
7. “I love you in the evening” – Drop hands by your knees and move your hands back and forth
8. “Neath the silv’ry moon” – Make a semi circle over your head like the moon is in the sky.

Another favorite song at Valentine’s day is “You Are My Sunshine”.  I use this YouTube link to teach the sign language that goes with the song. There are a lot of children who tell me this is their special song that parents or grandparents sing to them.

The third song that I use with my classes is a fun little song that I wrote called “Here’s a Valentine for You”, which is also a game. First, teach the song to the children. Second, teach the children the game. You will need a Valentine or paper heart. Have the children sit in a circle, instruct them to put their hands behind their back. Next, have the children close their eyes. While the children all have their eyes closed, choose one child to “deliver” the Valentine while the class sings the song. The student chosen “delivers” the Valentine into the hand of one of the students in the circle and sits back in the circle after delivering the Valentine.

When the song is finished and the Valentine is delivered, everyone opens their eyes. The student with the Valentine has three guesses as to who delivered the Valentine. The student who received the Valentine becomes the next person to deliver the Valentine. When a child has had a turn at the game, they must put their hands in their lap so the person choosing whom to deliver the next Valentine can tell who has had a turn. Children love this game and want to play it again and again!

The songs “Skinnamarink A Dink A Dink” and “Here’s a Valentine From Me” are available in my website store. I hope you and your students enjoy these Valentine songs and game as much as my students and I do! Happy Valentine’s Day!

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
–Charles M. Schulz, Cartoonist