Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Valentine’s Scavenger Hunt to Find the Ways I Love You

Click here to read Valentine’s Scavenger Hunt to Find the Ways I Love You on Hands On As We Grow


I have been wanting to do a Valentine’s scavenger hunt for a long, long time… probably since last Valentine’s Day! I wasn’t sure how exactly I wanted to do it, but I had ideas floating around in my head.

We’ve done a simple Valentine’s scavenger hunt in the past with just some numbered hearts to find and match. It was a great number learning activity and the heart twist made it fun.

I knew I wanted it simple like that again, but it wasn’t until I saw this heart-a-day banner from Jones Design Company that I knew exactly what our scavenger hunt would be.

A Valentine's scavenger hunt to find all the ways I Love You

I told the boys the night before that we were going to do this Valentine’s scavenger hunt. George was so excited in the morning that he wanted to do it right away.

I’ve been trying to get them to play more outside lately, so this was my ticket. In order for me to set up the scavenger hunt, they would need to head outside and play first in the morning. They ended up going for a walk with Dad and I had some time to get this ready.

To set up this Valentine’s scavenger hunt:

I cut out lots and lots, and lots more hearts. I cut out about 30 for each of the kids, each kid got a different color.

The number of hearts depends on the number of days until Valentine’s Day. I also cut out extra to do a bigger hunt on this day. They ended up having 8 hearts to find for this particular hunt, but the scavenger hunt will go on every day until Valentine’s Day.

The kids can cut out the hearts too if you want to include them in on the setup. See the pretty heart garland they cut and made last year.

On each of the hearts I wrote something I love about each of the boys. Henry had the purple color, George the light pink and Louis had the bright pink. I actually didn’t end up writing any on Louis’s because he can’t read them and wouldn’t appreciate it much yet anyway. His were kept blank.

Hearts written with all the ways I love my kids for Valentine's scavenger hunt

We used 3 hearts as directions for our Valentine’s scavenger hunt.

The first “direction” heart was the beginning of the scavenger hunt that they would find when they got back home:

Valentine's scavenger hunt for kids to find all the ways I love them

On the back of Henry’s starting heart, I wrote extra directions since he is the only one that can read.

It asked him to read his brothers’ hearts to them so they’d know what to do, as well as the ways I love them. I also wrote to tell him that there would be 8 hearts to find today, and 1 heart each day until Valentine’s Day.

Then another heart gave them directions to hang the hearts they find on their bedroom door. A fun way to see the reasons I love them so much!

Valentine's Scavenger Hunt Direction Heart to Hang on Doors

And the last direction on a heart said that when they spot someone else’s heart to not let them know about it. Let them find it!

Of course, these were hidden, so the directions weren’t followed from the start. But that’s okay. I meant for them to follow this for the additional days until Valentine’s Day  more than this initial scavenger hunt.

Valentine's scavenger hunt to keep other's hearts secret

And then they came home!

It was excitement from the start!

Henry was in before the other boys and read his right away.

Beginning the Valentine's scavenger hunt!

George and Louis gathered around him as they came inside too. And then they were off to find their 8 hearts!

Searching and finding all the hearts with reasons I love them

They were so excited to read the ways I love them.

I even got extra hugs and kisses when they found the hearts that said I love their hugs and kisses.

Here are even more scavenger hunt ideas for kids!

Lots of love and hearts to find!

And now their hearts are hanging on their doors to be added to every day until Valentine’s Day.

Hang the hearts from the Valentine's scavenger hunt on bedroom door - a new heart every day

A new heart, and reason I love them, will be hidden each night (much like you guys that do the Elf on the Shelf) and the boys will search and find the heart every morning until Valentine’s Day.

And their bedroom door will hold all the reasons I love them so much!

Have you ever done a scavenger hunt with your kids?



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