For Valentine's Day, or any day you need a dose of love and hearts, celebrate with a special Poetry Teatime. Have a Valentea!
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Use the crafts and recipes below as inspiration for creating your own Valentine’s Day-themed Poetry Teatime!
Books and Poems about Valentine's
Here's Jack Prelutsky's, "My Mother’s Chocolate Valentine."
My Mother’s Chocolate Valentine
I bought a box of chocolate hearts,
a present for my mother,
they looked so good I tasted one,
and then I tried another.
They both were so delicious
that I ate another four,
and then another couple,
and then half a dozen more.
I couldn’t seem to stop myself,
I nibbled on and on,
before I knew what happened
all the chocolate hearts were gone.
I felt a little guilty,
I was stuff down to my socks,
I ate my mother’s valentine…
I hope she likes the box.
—Jack Prelutsky
Other Books and Poetry about Valentine’s
Here are a list of Valentine’s Day poetry books for young children that you might enjoy:
Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie Friedman
The Ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson
I Love You Bushel and a Peck by Frank Loesser
My Heart Is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall
It’s Valentine’s Day by Jack Prelutsky
If You'll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant
The Biggest Kiss by Joanna Walsh and Judi Abbot
Mouse’s First Valentine by Lauren Thompson
Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Woof: A Love Story by Sarah Weeks
Crafts
1) Write a rhyming Valentine’s poem or note appreciating someone. You can use paper doilies to make the notes look especially pretty.
2) Make a candy filled love letter! Take an envelope: Cut a rectangle from construction paper. Cut the corners of one of the narrow sides so that one end is triangular, like an envelope. Then fold the other side of the paper in half and staple the edges. You should have an envelope with a triangle on top. Fold the triangle over and glue it shut (maybe with a heart-shaped piece of paper).
Supplies: colored paper, scissors, stapler, and glue
3) Illustrate either the note or your envelope with roses made with paint and celery sticks! With the help of an adult, trim a bunch of celery so that you have about 3-4 inches from the base. Fill a plate with pink paint, dip the end of the celery into the paint, and use it as a stamp! The celery will make the shape of a rose. Note: You may need a rubber band around the celery stalks to keep them from falling apart. You can also substitute a head of romaine lettuce for the celery sticks.
Supplies: a bag of celery with the stalks still joined together; red and white paint, a bowl/plate and brush or spoon for mixing paint; rubber bands.
Treats
- Make your favorite sugar cookies, cut them into heart shapes, and let the kids decorate them with red, pink, or white sprinkles.
- Fill a teacup or two with Valentine's Day candies.
- For your teas, you can brew cranberry, pomegranate, cherry, or other pink-tinted teas. These will make your teatime look especially festive!
- If you don’t want to go to the work of making a batch of cookies, you can use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut mini-sandwiches in the shape of hearts.
Decorations
- Use leftover candy canes from the holidays to make a festive-looking heart-shaped wreath!
- Check out these 50 table decoration ideas for Valentine's Day (we especially love the floating heart candles).
- If you don't have a lot of time, here are some easy-to-create paper crafts.
