With Christmas and New Year’s behind us, my family’s thoughts have turned to Valentine’s Day! We don’t do anything too extravagant to celebrate this loving holiday, but Valentine’s Day story time is a must for us! Today I’m sharing one of my top choices for a Valentine’s Day read aloud, plus FREE Valentines Day 100s Chart Activity.
VALENTINE’S DAY STORY TIME CHOICE
I chose The Valentine Express for our Valentine’s Day story time because I love the illustrations. Nancy Elizabeth Wallace’s books about Pip and Minna always feature adorable cut paper collages. The images are all sweet and inviting, with lots of detail and interest to draw readers in. The story itself is a cute tale about brother & sister bunnies who are busy crafting Valentines for the adults around them. Instead of creating standard cards, the pair assembles puzzles, pennants, mobiles, and more. I love the creativity the author attributes to young Pip & Minna. It’s the perfect starting point to inspire your own kiddos to create their own Valentine goodies.
FREE Valentines Day 100s Chart Activity
I was inspired by the way Pip & Minna created Valentines in multiple ways. I put together two FREE Valentines Day 100s Chart Activity options for young readers.
Children can color each page according to the numbers listed to reveal a hidden Valentine image! There’s a straightforward hundred chart for kids to color. They’ll love getting creative with traditional Valentine’s Day colors while reviewing numbers 1-100. The squares are big enough that crayons work well for this printable.
For children looking for a bigger challenge, I created a more abstract color by number Valentine. Although it only uses five colors, the image itself is trickier to color. It’s great for kids who breeze through hundred charts quickly, since it requires more concentration. My oldest loves the abstract version since it has more of an ‘adult coloring book’ feel to it. Some of the spaces are a bit smaller, so colored pencils are a good choice if you’re planning to color this page.
Although these color by number pages were inspired by The Valentine Express, they would pair well with many Valentine’s Day themed picture books- I’m sure you can find a way to work them in to your story time!
Does your family have any favorite books for Valentine’s Day Story Time? I’d love to hear your picks in the comments!
Download FREE Valentines Day 100s Chart Activity
- You may print as many copies as you ‘d like to use in your classroom, home, or public library.
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