Valentine’s Day Name Practice Activities for Preschool
Are you planning your February activities and looking for some great Valentine’s Day name activities? I have a few fun ideas for you.
Valentine’s Day is such a motivating theme for name work! Kids light up when they see hearts, pink and red colors, and everything Valentine-themed. It’s the perfect time to refresh your name practice routine with something that feels special and exciting.
These Valentine’s Day name activities build literacy and fine motor skills, and they fit into real preschool and Pre-K classrooms—no complicated prep or hard-to-find materials required.
Why Valentine’s Day Is Perfect for Name Practice
Valentine’s Day themes make name activities feel exciting. Kids are naturally engaged with hearts and Valentine designs, which means they’re more motivated to practice their names to reinforce:
- Name Recognition – Kids learn to identify their own names among others
- Letter Order and Spelling – Repeated practice helps kids understand that the letters in their name always appear in the same order
- Fine Motor Development – Tracing, writing, coloring, and cutting all build the hand muscles needed for writing
Valentine Name Tracing Activities (Differentiated Practice)
Name tracing is a foundational skill for preschoolers, and Valentine’s Day makes it extra special. The Valentine-themed name tracing page from the name tracing bundle is great for daily name practice in February.
The Valentine name tracing pages include an editable class list feature so you can easily customize them for your entire class. You simply type in your students’ names once, and the pages generate automatically for each child.
I have two favorite features of this activity. First, they include a starting dot on each letter to help with correct letter formation. Second, they include three differentiated levels:
- Level 1: Full Tracing – Kids trace over their name with dotted letters. Perfect for beginners who are just learning letter formation.
- Level 2: Partial Support – Kids trace part of their name and write the rest independently. Great for kids who are gaining confidence.
- Level 3: Independent Writing – Kids write their name on their own using a model at the top. Perfect for kids who are ready for more challenge.
You can use the Valentine Name Tracing worksheets for:
- Morning Work – Have Valentine name tracing pages waiting at tables when kids arrive. It’s a calm, focused way to start the day.
- Name Journals – Add Valentine pages to name journals throughout February. Kids love seeing their progress with seasonal pages.
- Small Groups – Work with small groups on proper letter formation using Valentine-themed tracing pages.
- Assessments or Portfolios – Use the independent writing level to document progress and add to portfolios.
Heart Name Puzzles
Heart-shaped name puzzles turn name practice into a hands-on Valentine craft that kids absolutely love. These puzzles support literacy learning with in a way that feels like play. You can also paste them onto a strip of paper for an easy Valentine name craft.
Use the Heart Name Puzzles to support these skills
- Name Recognition – Kids learn to identify their complete name
- Letter Recognition – Kids learn to identify letters in their name and in their friends’ names.
- Letter Order – Putting puzzle pieces in order reinforces that letters have a specific sequence
- Spelling – Kids see the individual letters that make up their name
The printable activity is extremely flexible. Here are some ways you can use the heart name puzzles:
- Valentine’s Day Centers – Set up a name puzzle center where kids assemble their names. Add a timer for extra challenge.
- Bulletin Boards – Display completed heart puzzles with student photos for a “We Love Our Names” board.
- Party Activities – Use heart name puzzles as a Valentine’s Day party activity. Kids make their puzzles while waiting for other activities.
- Take-Home Valentines – Send heart name puzzles home as special Valentine’s Day keepsakes. Families love these personalized crafts.
- DIY Valentine – Prep a puzzle and put it in an envelope for an easy Valentine that doubles as a literacy activity.
Heart name puzzles aren’t just for names! You can also use them for:
- High-frequency sight words
- Seasonal vocabulary words
- Color words
- Number words
Valentine Name Coloring Pages (Flexible & Low Prep)
Valentine name coloring pages are incredibly versatile and require almost no prep. These editable coloring sheets feature large bubble letters that kids can personalize in multiple ways.
Your kids will have a blast with these personalized Valentine-themed name coloring pages.
Fine Motor Fun – In addition to working on name recognition and learning letters, your kids can work on fine motor skills. One of the coloring pages has a border with small circles…perfect for hole punching.
Another has a border with large circles….perfect for dot stickers or dot markers.
Here are some ideas for using the easy-to-customize Valentine’s Day name coloring pages:
- Art Centers – Set up a Valentine’s Day art center with coloring pages and various art supplies. Kids can use crayons, markers, watercolor, or q-tip paintint to decorate their names.
- Valentine’s Day Party Activity – Need an easy craft project for a party? This one is perfect!
- Name Tracing Practice – Use the bubble letters on each page for tracing practice. Kids can trace the inside the bubble letters to work on letter formation.
- Valentine Playdough Mats – Laminate the coloring pages and use them as playdough mats. Kids roll playdough “snakes” and form the letters of their names.
- Process Art Backgrounds – Use the coloring pages as backgrounds for other Valentine art projects. Kids can paint, glue, bubble paint, or stamp on top of their names.
- Bulletin Boards and Hallway Displays – Create a colorful Valentine’s Day display with everyone’s decorated name pages.
You can also customize the coloring sheets with words like “Be My Valentine”
The heart coloring sheets also work great as a special DIY Thank You card anytime of year.
Ready to Add Valentine Name Activities to Your Classroom?
Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time to refresh name practice in your preschool or Pre-K classroom. These hands-on learning activities are flexible, easy to implement, and provide meaningful literacy support during a fun seasonal theme.
You don’t need to do everything—choose one or two Valentine name activities that fit your classroom routine and your students’ needs. Even small, consistent name practice makes a big difference.
If you want ready-to-use Valentine’s Day name resources with editable class lists and differentiated options, I’ve created everything you need:
Your students will love practicing their names with hearts and Valentine themes—and you’ll love how easy these activities are to use!
Prefer to shop at Teachers Pay Teachers? You can also get my Valentine’s Day Name Activities at my TPT store.
