Granny's Homemade Ways: Valentine Party Games, Stories and Lessons for Boys and Girls-February 2, 2010

Since we are planning a Valentine's Day Party, we are going to have to have some party games for our guests. You can't have a party without some fun games and since it's a Valentine's Day party, you know there is going to be a heart or two included. Here are some special Valentine 's Day party games to try at your next party.

Step to a Heart Relay

Supplies:

• 2 Large construction paper hearts per team

How To Play:

Divide everyone into teams.

Decide on a "course" with a beginning and an end.

The first player of each team takes the 2 hearts and lays one of the hearts out on the floor in front of them.

Then the player steps on the first heart and places the second heart in front of them.

After stepping on the second heart, the player steps on the second heart, reaches back and picks up the first heart and then places that heart in front of them.

They continue moving the hearts until they reach the end of the course and then run back and give the 2 hearts to the next team member.

The team that complete the course first wins!

Find a Heart

Supplies:

• Large laminated red hearts, taped to the floor, one for each player (You can buy laminated hearts at your local dollar store or make them from red construction paper.)
• Songs

How To Play:

Every player begins by standing on a heart that has been taped to the floor.

Start the music and have the everyone walk around the room.

When the music stops, everyone needs to stand on a heart or they're out.

Remove one heart after each musical segment.

The last one to be standing on a heart, wins!

 Have a Heart...

Supplies:

• Construction paper heart for each player with instruction written on one side and a heart-shaped chocolate taped on the other.
• Instructions witten on the hearts might include: sing a song, count backwards from 10, hop like a bunny, walk like a crab, bear walk, skip, walk backwards, etc.

How To Play:

Players are divided into two teams.

Put the hearts at the end of the room in two piles.

On your mark the first player from each team runs to the pile, takes a heart and does what the heart says, then returns to sit down with their team.

The next team player then runs to the pile...etc.

The first team to be sitting down wins.

Everyone enjoys a piece of chocolate candy in the end.

Here is another story from "The Mammoth Book" which was published by Whitman Publishers, Racine, Wisconsin in 1924 but does not list authors. 

Toodles, the snub nosed puppy, watched his owner, Bobby, open an envelope.

"Oh, dear," exclaimed Bobby, Here is a valentine from the little girl next door and I forgot to send one to her."

"Woof!" said Toodles.

Bobby looked at him, then he had an idea. He decided he would make a valentine of red paper and a paper lace doily, and have Toodles deliver it next door. In no time at all, he had the valentine finished and in an envelope.

"Take it next door," he told Toodles. Toodles took a corner of the envelope in his mouth and ran outside. In a few minutes, he returned.

Bobby wondered how Toodles could have gone next door and returned in so short a time. He telephoned the neighbor girl.

"Did Toodles deliver a valentine?" Bobby asked. The girl said that she had not seen any.

"I guess I will have to hunt for it," said Bobby. He went outside, taking Toodles with them.

"Where did you put the valentine?" asked Bobby. Toodles just stood there, wagging his tail. Then Bobby noticed Toodles' footprints in the snow. They led around the corner of the porch. Bobby traced them, and sure enough, under the porch where Toodles hid his favorite bones and ball, was the valentine.

Bobby laughed. "I guess Toodles though I made the valentine for him!