Does anyone else get giddy over making Valentine's Day boxes at school?!?! It has to be one of my favorite things to do during February. One year, we were short on time and so I had the students make their boxes at home and bring them into school. There were so many creative boxes showing up, like the one shown above!
I always let my students pass out Valentines to each other (as long as they have one for EVERY student). As for me, I skip the store bought Valentines and hand out these Valentine themed No Homework Passes. I swear, my kids always get so excited! More so than when I actually BUY something for them! In first grade, we assign weekly homework packets. The packets go home on Mondays and get returned on Fridays. I tell students that they can cash in their No Homework Pass on any one assignment they want, they just need to staple it to the packet. These Valentine themed No Homework Passes are free in my TPT store. You can download them HERE or by clicking the image below.
So let's talk about Valentine's Day! I love to spend the ENTIRE day celebrating with my students. Check out the following activities you might find me doing in first grade below. ALL of these activities are a part of my NO PREP, VALENTINES DAY BUNDLE:
Now I know there are a ton of Valentines Read Alouds out there. But my favorite, hands down, is the book Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch. It's a heart warming story about a man named Mr. Hatch who keeps to himself. One day, the postman delivers a package to Mr. Hatch that says "Somebody loves you" and suddenly his world is turned upside down. You can order your own copy of this amazing story on Amazon HERE. You can also watch actor Hector Elizondo read it on STORY LINE ONLINE. He does such an amazing job reading the story! Seriously. Go watch it. You may tear up.
I've created some literacy response pages that are great for follow up after you've read Mr. Hatch with your students including a story map for character/setting/problem/solution, comprehension questions, character analysis, & a plot graphic organizer. Of course, my favorite follow up with this story is the writing portion. I have my students make mini booklets sharing ideas on how they can show kindness to others. These little mini booklets are a great conversation starter on KINDNESS! I love to generate an anchor chart filled with their ideas to post in the classroom! We also incorporate mystery kindness notes, where students write an appreciative note to their peers as well as staff in the school. All of this, because of MR. HATCH. Have you read it yet?! What are you waiting for ;) You can purchase my Mr. Hatch Unit on TPT by clicking HERE or on the picture above. Do you do anything special for Valentine's Day? What are your favorite activities?
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