This Valentine's Class Party Guide from FamilyFun and VolunteerSpot is chock full of craft, snack and valentines ideas, with a room parent and teacher gift checklist too!

1. Class Party
Ideas for
Valentine's Day
PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDRA GRABLEWSKI
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2. Valentine's Day
Must-Haves from
magazine
Our exclusive guide for class
parents has all you need to help
the students celebrate Valentine's
Day, including card ideas that are
as exciting to make as they are to
hand out, fun party activities, sweet
(and savory!) nibbles, and gift ideas
for the teachers they love. Time to
share some smiles!
PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCY SCHAEFFER
To make these, trim
card stock to fit into
a clear treat bag.
Use a marker to
draw the message
and tic-tac-toe board.
Slide the card into the
bag, add five each of
two colors of M&M’s,
then seal the bag
closed with tape.

3. ■ Ask the teacher for the class-party
start and end times.
■ Brainstorm non-candy card ideas.
■ Create a class party
SignUp for parents to help with:
• Decorating and setup
• Snacks and beverages
• Crafts, games, and activities
■ Alert snack parents about food allergies.
■ Keep decorations simple—think paper
tablecloths and balloons.
■ Don't forget cleanup supplies
(trash bags, paper towels, etc.).
■ Use a kid's wagon to carry supplies
through campus.
■ Remind parents to set phones to silent.
■ Ask a parent to take pictures.
■ Have FUN! The kids will have a special day
no matter what happens!
Room-Parent
Party Checklist ✔
PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCY SCHAEFER
Thread bendy straws through holes
punched into card stock to make
these Little Sippers valentines.

4. Save Time With FREE Class Party SignUps!
• More parents pitching in means
more FUN for everyone!
• Quick, easy setup for room
parents and teachers. Parents
choose what to bring and how to
help from anywhere on any device.
• No passwords needed!
• Plus, automated reminders keep
everyone on track!
Try it now:
SignUp.com

5. Valentine's Day Party Crafts
Special Deliveries
Envelope
Tie an envelope to each student's
chair to collect all their cards.
Before the party, print and assemble
the envelopes from the template
(familyfunmag.com/printables). Cut the
shape out of felt, then lay it out with the
cropped point at the bottom. Fold in both
sides so the points meet. Fold in the bottom
and top flaps to overlap the side flaps
about 1/3 inch. With an iron set on cool,
press the folds (an adult's job). Make one
for each child. Run fabric glue underneath
the edges of the bottom flap, and press
it onto the side flaps; let dry. On the back
of the envelope, cut two slits along the
top fold and two about four inches below.
Insert two yard-long pieces of ribbon. In
class, have kids decorate and add their
names with letter stickers.
PHOTOGRAPH ALEXANDRA GRABLEWSKI

6. Your Biggest Fan
Make these clever greetings in
class for children to bring home to
their parents.
Before the party, download the fan
template (familyfunmag.com/printables).
Fold an 8- by 11-inch sheet of patterned
paper in half length-wise, trace the
template shape onto it, cut it out with
scissors, and unfold it. Make one for each
student. In class, have the students
accordion-fold the paper widthwise, with
each fold about ½ inch wide. Staple the
center of the folded paper. Glue a craft
stick onto each side of the staple on the
longer side of the folded fan. When the glue
is dry, open the fan by bringing the sticks
together. Write a message on a piece of
paper, then glue it to one stick. Pinch
together the top flaps and glue or tape
closed; let dry. Keep the fan open or closed
with a rubber band. Click to see a video!
PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDRA GRABLEWSKI

7. Make-Ahead Cards for the Class
Have a Ball
This sugar-free card includes a
bouncy ball for extra fun!
Cut a large heart out of black or dark blue
card stock. Use a craft knife (adults only)
to cut a circle that’s slightly smaller than
the bouncy ball. (Tip: Make holes in scrap
paper until you get the right size, then
use that hole as a template.) Add stars,
planets, and your message with a gel pen.
Insert the ball; it should fit tightly and
stay in place.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDRA GRABLEWSKI

8. Keep the kids happy at your holiday party
with a no-mess project. Using our template,
cut face pieces and hooves from dark and
light brown felt. Adhere each hoof with dou-
ble-sided tape to a packaged candy cane.
Sweet Mice
Say cheese! This tiny treat will
make any student smile.
Download and print the ear and foot
templates (familyfunmag.com/printables).
Cut the shapes from card stock. Remove
the paper flags from two Hershey’s
Kisses. Fold the feet as shown on the
template, then use tacky glue to sandwich
the feet and ears between the Kisses. Glue a
4-inch length of gray yarn to the
underside of the back Kiss. Add googly
eyes. Attach the mouse to the
cheese-shaped piece of card stock with a
glue dot, then write a note.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDRA GRABLEWSKI

9. Catch of the Day
Kids can tell pals how they
really feel with the help of a school
of Swedish Fish.
Use scissors to cut a piece of blue card
stock into a trapezoid with a wavy top
(we have a template at familyfunmag.com/
printables if you need one!). Use a marker
to write a message on the card stock and
place it inside a 5- by 11½-inch cellophane
candy bag with a few Swedish Fish. Seal
the bag with a twist tie. Trim the top of the
bag with scissors, if needed.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDRA GRABLEWSKI

10. Valentine's Day Party Snacks
Cupid Kabobs
Make a bunch for the
party and watch these
arrows fly—they're so
cute the kids won't even
notice they're healthy!
For each, diagonally trim
away the ends of two grape
tomatoes, then cut small
arrow and fletching shapes
out of cheddar cheese.
Assemble the pieces on a
toothpick as shown.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOE POLILIO

11. Have a Heart
Treat your child’s class to this
striking snack, and they’ll love
you forever.
Coat a 9- by 13-inch pan with cooking spray.
Prepare four (3-ounce) boxes of red gelatin
according to package directions, pour it into
the pan, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Loosen the
edges of the gelatin with a spatula and invert it
onto a cutting board. Use a mini cookie
cutter (ours is 1½ inches) to shape it into
hearts. Clean, dry, and respray the pan, then
arrange the hearts in it, spacing them
evenly. In a medium bowl, pour 2 envelopes of
unflavored gelatin over ½ cup cold water. Let
it sit for 1 minute, then stir in 1½ cups
boiling water and one (14-ounce) can
sweetened condensed milk. Use a spouted
bowl or cup to pour the mixture around, but
not over, the gelatin hearts (you may have
some mixture left over). Refrigerate the
dessert until firm, about 2 hours.
To serve, cut into squares.
PHOTOGRAPH bBY ALEXANDRA GRABLWESKI

12. Wave a Wand
Pop these frosted cookies onto a
lollipop stick—no messy fingers!
Sandwich white frosting and a lollipop
stick between two small cookies, such as
Lorna Doones. Freeze them for 10 minutes.
Heat candy melts with 2 teaspoons of
vegetable oil. Dip the cookies in halfway,
then sprinkle on edible glitter (find it, plus
the sticks and candy melts, at craft stores).
Let them set on waxed paper overnight.
PHOTOGRAPH BY LEVI BROWN

13. Teacher-Appreciation Checklist
Planning & Gift Ideas
✔ Keep it simple and meaningful.
✔ Survey the teacher for likes
and dislikes.
✔ Check school policies on gifts.
✔ Get lots of parents involved with
teacher appreciation activities like:
• Valentine's Day brunch or potluck
• Class group gift
• Digital Valentine's card from parents
• Class photo album or scrapbook
✔ Encourage students to write their
teacher a valentine.
✔ Use free, online class party SignUps.

14. Valentine's Day Stories
Get students
into the spirit with
Valentine's Day tales
• The Biggest Valentine Ever
by Steven Kroll and Jeni Bassett
• Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse!
by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond
• Pete the Cat: Valentine's Day Is Cool
by James Dean and Kimberly Dean
• The Day It Rained Hearts
by Felicia Bond
• Amelia Bedelia's First Valentine
by Herman Parish
• The I LOVE YOU Book
by Todd Parr

15. Save Time with SignUp.com's FREE Online SignUps
• Class parties
• Field trips
• Weekly readers
• Potlucks
• Performances
• Service projects
• Fundraisers
• Team snacks
• Parent conferences
For Everything You Organize:

16. Check out
magazine for more craft
ideas, recipes, and activities
for kids!
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PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEXANDRA GRABLEWSKI