As a parent, you know that your kids learn every second of every day. They pick up on the words you use and notice the changing seasons in detail. Valentine’s Day is an excellent opportunity to mix festivities with learning. Discover how you can share the love and fun of the season with your child while also passing on life lessons and valuable skills.
1. Learning to Love Math
Make math fun! You can use beans or other counters to explain addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Instead of using beans, use candy hearts as counters and a reward at the same time. A spoonful of sugar helps the mathematics go down!
2. Mixing and Measuring
Baking is a great way to help kids learn about measurements. Learning about teaspoons, tablespoons and recipes will give your child baking skills while also improving his understanding of math. Depending on age, your kids can help out by scooping, mixing, measuring, preheating, and even keeping track of the baking time. Whatever you make – cupcakes, cookies, muffins or brownies – everyone wins when playing this game.
3. Spreading the Love
You can use Valentine’s Day to help your kids understand all the things service people do to keep the world running. Make Valentine’s for your postman, pediatrician, daycare provider, and other professionals who make a difference in your child’s life. You can also make cards for neighbors to show kids the importance of community.
4. Planting Flowers
Flowers are a Valentine’s Day favorite, and February is the perfect time to start some sprouts on your windowsill. You can buy seeds year-round. To start your flowers, you will need a flower pot and soil. If you don’t want to buy a pot, you can reuse a two-liter soda bottle by cutting it in half and poking holes along the bottom. Fill your pot with soil and then read the seed packet to know how deep each type of seed needs to be planted and how much sun it needs. As your plant grows, remind your child about the holiday of love it represents.
5. Writing Poetry
To practice writing, a Valentine’s Day poem is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. If your child needs a jump start, brainstorm a list of Valentine’s Day words first, or use the words on candy hearts for inspiration. Put the finished poem up on the fridge or print out a few copies and send them to friends and relatives.