Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Some people hate it, some people love it… Homeschoolers see an educational opportunity and school holiday party rolled into one. =)

Now, I know that none of you have waited until the very last minute to decide whether or not you were going to do anything or to plan what you’re going to do – you probably have the entire week lesson-planned down to paper heart crafts and love-themed Haikus. If, hypothetically speaking, some of you might need a little bit of direction, you’re in luck. You just happen to be reading a complete Valentine’s Day lesson plan checklist to help you pull off your last minute learning opportunity. Enjoy!

The Complete Valentine’s Day Lesson Plan Checklist

History

When it comes to Saint Valentine and Valentine’s Day, it’s hard to tell what is history and what is legend.

We do know that there was a man named Valentine who was martyred for his faith on February 14, 269 AD. (Actually, there may have been a second man named Valentine who was martyred for his faith on a different date, as well.) We also know that church gave him the title of “Saint” and honored him on February 14th. We also know that he died in Rome, during the Roman festival of Lupercalius (the festival of fertility and love.)

Later in history, the Catholic Church attempted to abolish the old Roman festival traditions by placing emphasis on Saint Valentine’s Day instead. Over time many of the old Roman symbols and traditions blended with the Catholic holiday to create what we know as Valentine’s Day today (and commercialism did the rest!)

Here are some links to help you in your own research:

• Martyrdom of Saint Valentine – Christianity.com
• St. Valentine the Martyr – Voice of the Martyrs Persecution Blog
• Saint Valentine – Wikipedia
• Origin of Saint Valentine’s Day – BibleStudy.org
• Valentine’s Day – Wikipedia

Bible

Christ-Centered Holiday Themes Themes & Scriptures:

1.) God’s Love for Us
• Psalm 36, Psalm 86, Psalm 136, John 3:16, Romans 5:7-9, 1 John 4
2.) Love One Another
• John 13:34-35, John 15:1-17, Romans 12:9-21, Romans 13:8-9
3. ) “True Love” – As God Defines It
• 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 3-4

Math

• Math Ideas – about.com
• Math Worksheets – mathdrills.com
• Math Games – What the Teacher Wants
• Symmetry Hearts – Just Julie Teaching 3rd Graders

Reading

• Saint Valentine by Ann Tompert
• My Valentine for Jesus by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton
• Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda

Science

• Color a carnation
• Take a look at at the human heart: one, two, three
• Heart science lessons
• Dancing Candy Hearts Experiment
• Frozen Vinegar Hearts

Language Arts

• V-Day Notebooking Pages
• V-Day Copywork & Language Arts – Mama’s Learning Corner
• First Corinthians 13 Copywork Packet – Cynce’s Place
• Write Valentine themed Haiku or Acrostic poems

Arts & Crafts

• Heart Symmetry Art
• Crayon resist waterpainting
• 10 Crafts for Older Kids

Lunch

• Pizza Hearts
  
• Valentine Snack Mix
• Healthy Vday Snacks

Check out these other links, too!
(These links were originally submitted through an InLInkz linky… but since InLinks is gone, I was able to salvage the entries and post the links here in the post.)

• Love Scavenger Hunt
• Lettuce Love One Another – Use Nice Words
• Lettuce Love One Another – God Loves You
• Lettuce Love One Another – Show Love to Others
• Valentine Book List
• Candy Heart Math Printables
• Valentine Playdoh “Baking”
• Valentine’s Worksheets
• Be My Valentine Game Printable
• Valentine Heart Crayons
• Valentine’s Books
• Valentine’s Day Activities
• DIY Valentine Crayons
• Valentine Slime

Of course, this list isn’t truly complete in every way, but you can help make it more so!

Leave your links to your own Valentine themed crafts, lesson plans, recipes, and more in the comments down below. Show us what you’ve got!

Image Background Source: Heart of Love by George Hodan
Photo by Laura Ockel on Unsplash