Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time to incorporate themes of love, kindness, and friendship into your elementary classroom. Using books to teach these important values can spark meaningful conversations and creative learning opportunities. Whether you’re reading about a rain of hearts, a lonely monster searching for love, or a classroom filled with secret valentines, these stories are perfect for engaging young readers while reinforcing positive social-emotional skills. Here’s a list of must-read Valentine’s Day books for elementary students, along with fun activities to make the most of the season of love.

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Books for Valentines Day

1. The Day it Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond – This charming story follows Cornelia Augusta as she catches hearts raining from the sky. She creatively uses the hearts to make unique valentines for her friends. The book emphasizes kindness, thoughtfulness, and creativity.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Create Your Own Valentine: Provide paper, scissors, markers, and craft supplies for students to create valentines for classmates or loved ones. Encourage them to personalize the valentines with unique messages.
• Writing Prompt: “If it rained something besides hearts, what would you want it to rain and why?”

2. Love Is by Diane Adams and Claire Keane – This sweet and poetic story illustrates the bond between a girl and a duckling she cares for, portraying love as selfless, patient, and enduring. It’s a great introduction to the idea of nurturing relationships and letting go when the time is right.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Draw and Share: Ask students to illustrate a time they showed love to someone or cared for a pet. Let them share their stories in small groups.
• Acrostic Poem: Have students write an acrostic poem about “LOVE,” emphasizing ways to show kindness and care.

3. Somebody Love You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli – Mr. Hatch is a lonely man until he receives an anonymous box of chocolates with a note that says, “Somebody loves you!” This small act changes his perspective, and he begins to spread kindness throughout his community. It’s a heartwarming story about the impact of love and kindness.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Kindness Chain: Start a classroom chain of kindness where students write one kind thing they did or noticed on a paper link. Add to the chain throughout February.
• Secret Valentines: Assign students secret classmates to make small, thoughtful gifts or notes for during the week.

4. Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff – In this installment of the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series, Mouse makes valentines for all his friends, celebrating their unique qualities. The book is a wonderful introduction to expressing gratitude and affection.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Friendship Attributes: Discuss the qualities of a good friend. Then, have students make heart-shaped awards (e.g., “Best Listener”) to give to classmates.
• Math Tie-In: Use the book to introduce graphing by charting how many valentines each character in the story receives.

5. Love Monster by Rachel Bright – Love Monster is a little monster living in a world of fluffy, adorable creatures. He struggles to find someone who loves him just as he is. The book emphasizes self-acceptance and the idea that love often finds you when you least expect it.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Monster Masks: Have students create and decorate their own “love monster” masks using paper plates and craft supplies.
• Class Discussion: Talk about what makes someone unique and lovable. Pair this with a journal entry about what makes the student special.

6. Valentine’s Day Jitters By Julie Danneberg – In this humorous addition to the Jitters series, Mrs. Hartwell and her students prepare for Valentine’s Day celebrations. The book highlights the excitement and nervousness that often accompany holidays, providing relatable classroom situations.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Role-Playing: Act out different Valentine’s Day scenarios, like exchanging cards or planning a class party. Focus on cooperation and compromise.
• Jitters Journal: Ask students to write about a time they felt nervous and how they overcame it.

7. Pete the Cat Valentine’s Day is Cool by James and Kimberly Dean – Initially, Pete the Cat doesn’t think Valentine’s Day is cool, but his friend Callie convinces him otherwise. Pete decides to make valentines for everyone he cares about and learns the importance of expressing love and appreciation.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Valentine Card Factory: Set up a “card factory” station where students can make cards for each other. Include stamps, stickers, and fun embellishments.
• Music Time: Sing the “I Love My White Shoes” song with Valentine-themed lyrics.

8. Arthur’s Valentine by Marc Brown – Arthur receives secret valentines and tries to figure out who his mystery admirer is. This fun story incorporates humor and suspense, along with lessons about friendship and honesty.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Mystery Valentine: Create a guessing game where students secretly write clues about themselves on cards. The class guesses the “valentine” based on the clues.
• Comic Strip: Have students draw a comic strip of Arthur’s adventure or create their own Valentine’s Day story featuring Arthur and friends.

9. The Biggest Valentine Ever by Steven Kroll– Two mice, Clayton and Desmond, work together to make the perfect Valentine for their teacher. This story emphasizes teamwork, cooperation, and problem-solving.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

• Teamwork Challenge: Pair students to create the “biggest” Valentine they can, using art supplies. Discuss the importance of teamwork after the activity.
• Problem-Solving Roleplay: Discuss how Clayton and Desmond resolved their disagreement. Ask students to brainstorm solutions to common problems.

10. How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? by Jane Yolen – Through playful and rhythmic text, this book explores how even mischievous dinosaurs show their love to their parents. It’s a delightful way to teach children about forgiveness and affection.

If you read this as one of your books for Valentines Day in your classroom you can try out these activities:

Dinosaur Art: Students draw or craft a dinosaur showing love (e.g., a dinosaur hugging or sharing).

Behavior Sort: Create a sorting activity where students separate “loving actions” and “unloving actions,” tying in character education.

Ideas for All Books for Valentines Day

Valentine’s Day Writing Center:
Set up a center where students can write love notes or appreciation letters to family, friends, or teachers. These finish the story writing prompts themed for February have you covered with over 80 pages of February-themed writing.

Book Comparison Chart:
Compare themes, characters, and lessons across the stories. Discuss commonalities, like kindness and love.

Valentine’s Day Party:
Combine crafts, games (like heart relay races), and read-alouds from the books.

Class Bulletin Board:
Create a “Wall of Love and Kindness” where students can add hearts with acts of kindness or things they appreciate about their classmates.

Here are some additional ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day in the classroom.

Valentine’s Day is about more than candy and cards—it’s an opportunity to nurture kindness, empathy, and connection among your students. By using these thoughtfully chosen books for Valentines Day and engaging activities, you can create a classroom environment that celebrates love in all its forms. From heartfelt crafts to meaningful discussions, your students will not only enjoy the festivities but also learn valuable lessons that extend far beyond February 14th. Let this Valentine’s Day be one to remember!