20+ Valentine’s Day Messy Play Ideas

Over 20 Valentine’s Day messy play ideas to try with the kids this February! If you love messy play ideas as much as we do, you are going to love this list.

You’ll find a selection of valentine-themed messy art, messy crafts, messy science, and messy sensory play below. You can definitely make some tweaks to each of the activities, differentiating based on the interests and needs of your students.

Messy play encourages problem-solving, creativity, and many other learning skills. And these valentine messy play activities definitely fit that bill. Add them to your February lesson plans now!

kids' activities with text that reads valentine's day messy play ideas

Related: Valentine Activities for Preschoolers

Since this is a collection of ideas, you’ll find multiple links below. I’ve tried to add collages that include images of every activity, too. So take a peek and find the ideas you’re most interested. Then click on the individual links (they’re blue and underlined) of the activities to read about each of them in detail.

Valentine’s Day Messy Play Ideas

Since there are over 20 ideas, I’ve broken them up into two categories. That way you can find what you’re looking for a little easier. Science and sensory activities are in one category, with art and crafts in another one.

No matter which ones you choose, rest assured they’re messy, engaging, and full of learning experiences for your students! I’ve tried many of these activities with preschool, kindergarten, and elementary children. So I can say that they appeal to multiple ages, too.

Valentine’s Day Messy Play Supplies

Here are some supplies you might want on-hand for all of the messy activities (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):

That’s not an exclusive list, but it will definitely get you started! Be sure to check out my post all about the basic messy play materials to keep stocked for all the messy fun you plan!

Science and Sensory Valentines Messy Play

Let’s kick things off with Valentine’s Day messy play ideas that are focused on sensory and science. Lots of hands-on play and learning for the kids!

6 messy sensory play valentine ideas
6 valentines messy play ideas

Which of these messy sensory and science activities would your kids enjoy the most this Valentine’s Day?

Creative Valentine’s Day Messy Play Ideas

Now, let’s take a look at messy art and crafts for Valentine’s Day. Because we all know that creativity can get a little messy, especially when working with young children, right? Mind you, I’m an adult and still make a mess when creating art. So I’m not one to judge.

4 valentine messy play art and craft ideas
8 messy art ideas for valentine's day

Now comes the hard part – choosing which of these Valentine’s Day messy play ideas to do first. Which do you think your students would enjoy the most?

More Ideas for Valentine’s Day

If you’re on a planning kick for February, I’ve got even more suggestions for you! These would line up well with the the Valentine’s Day messy play ideas I just shared above:

Not all of the ideas in those collections are quite as messy, but they sure do have the potential to be. You can also check out my Valentine’s Day Pinterest board if you need more ideas.

Why is Messy Play Important?

There are so many benefits of messy play that I could probably talk about them for a week straight. If you want an in-depth look at why messy play is important, click on the link in the previous sentence. Otherwise, here are just a few of the reasons you should try messy play with your students, it:

  • Encourages creativity
  • Allows for problem-solving practice
  • Helps develop language skills
  • Lets kids learn how to clean up after themselves
  • Supports kids in their development

I really cannot say enough about why messy activities belong in the classroom! Hopefully some of the Valentine’s Day messy play ideas inspire you to give it a try.

Valentine’s Day Lesson Plans

Let Preschool Teacher 101 save you a ton of time with done-for-you early childhood resources. These fully-developed products can be found in our shop. Or join The Pack, our membership for preschool and kindergarten teachers, to get the resources at a steep discount.

Our Valentine’s Day lesson plan bundle is perfect for February. It comes with 4 lesson plan sets so your whole month is covered! Each set includes a weekly over view of the theme, detailed daily lesson plans, whole group activities, small group lessons, center ideas, book suggestions, and related printables.

Click on the image below to get your own set of lesson plans perfect for Valentine’s Day:

You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers.

collage of messy play ideas with text that reads valentine messy play activities

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