Easy Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt for kids
Celebrate the month of love as you practice the alphabet (and lots of other skills) with this simple Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt for preschoolers.
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a good scavenger hunt around here, but they continue to be some of my kid’s favorite activities. There’s something about the thrill of the “chase” that gets kids excited every. single. time.
Plus, you can adapt scavenger hunts for a variety of ages and skills you want to practice. They’re pretty awesome!
Today’s hunt is Valentine-themed, and it’s so so simple. Grab some paper and a marker, and let’s get hunting!
Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt for letters!
Materials Needed
- construction paper
- a marker, or something to write with
- scissors
Set up
- Cut out 9 paper hearts (I used construction paper, but you can use whatever you have on hand) and write one letter of the word V – A – L – E – N – T – I – N – E on each one.
- Hide the hearts around the house.
How to Play
PART ONE:
Invite your child to hunt for the hearts, bring them to you, and line up the letters to spell the word “valentine”.
- For younger children, you could write the word “valentine” on a piece of paper and see if they can use it to help them order the letters correctly.
- For older kids, challenge them to unscramble the letters and figure out the “mystery” word.
PART TWO:
Once your child has found all the letters and arranged them, you’re ready for the next stage! Challenge your child to find an item around the house that starts with each letter in the word valentine.
Ask, “What starts with V?” (Ideas could include: vegetable, video, vacuum, vase, v-neck shirt, etc.)
Place the items next to the matching letter and see if you can find all 9!
Variations:
Remember how I said scavenger hunts are super versatile? Here are more ways to play!
- Names: Instead of writing “valentine” on the hearts, write the letters of your child’s name.
- Numbers: Number your hearts 1-10 and encourage kids to find 1 car, 2 dinosaurs, 3 balls, etc. to place next to the found hearts.
- Sight words: Write “heart words” on each heart for beginning readers to practice their high-frequency words. Not sure which words to choose? This list will help!
- Matching: Make a set of lowercase letters to hunt for and have kids match them to uppercase-lettered hearts that you keep at “home base”. Or do the same with numbered hearts matching to dots or hearts drawn on the second set of hearts.
So many possibilities!
Want more Valentine’s activities? Try these!
- Heart Monsters: simple Valentine’s Day craft for kids
- 5-in-1 Valentine’s Day preschool games
- Free printable Play Doh valentines for kids
- 20+ fun ways to play & learn with conversation hearts
Want more Valentine’s Day fun?
Check out the Valentine’s Day Activity Bundle for kids!
It includes 14 different print-and-play activities that will bring more laughter and love to your family this February…without the stress.
Just print them, keep them nearby, and pull out an activity anytime your kids need a boost of fun! (P.S. – They’re also perfect if you are planning a classroom Valentine’s party this month!)