The year is 1928, and the good hostess is planning a Valentine's Party for her friends and family. "The Farmer's Wife", a popular magazine of the day was ready to supply "games for a jolly crowd". In some ways, parties were more elaborate and well planned then, but at the same time a good hostess used what simple resources she had available. She was "frugal" without even realizing it!
~Musical Hearts~ (Elementary)
This game is similar to musical chairs. First you must make one big red heart that a person can hold in both hands. Everyone stands in a circle. A parent, teacher, or a student then plays music (it can be any popular love song or song about friendship). As the music plays you pass the paper heart clock-wise. When the music stops the person standing on the left of the person holding the heart is "out" - he or she must exit the game. The game continues when the music begins again. The game continues until the last person remains holding the heart. Give the winner a box of candy!
~Race the Heart~ (Elementary)
This game is a fun outdoor game for a group of kids. You will need just one small paper red heart (small enough to fit into someone's closed fist). First divide everyone into two teams. Team A and Team B. Each team should then pick one person to be captain. Each team must have a home base at opposite ends of the playing fields. Be sure that you point out boundaries. The two captains meet and decide who will begin first. One team takes the paper heart and huddles (gets into a small circle) so that the captain can secretly give one person the paper heart. Since the other team is probably watching everyone may want to pretend they have the heart. Then both teams line up facing each other about four feet apart. On the word "go" by a teacher or parent the team without the heart must then chase and tag members of the other team. When tagged you stop and open your hands to reveal if you have the heart or not. If the person tagged does not have the heart he or she says, "sorry - race for the heart!" He or she then must stand in place while the tagging team seeks out other players. The team player with the heart must run towards the opposite team's safety base. If he or she gets there safely without being tagged then their team gets a point and the game starts over. If he or she gets tagged, then the heart is given to the other team and the play begins again. You can set the number of total points to win.
~Be My Valentine Smile~
This is exactly like the game, "If you love me honey, please smile!" Have everyone sitting in a circle with one person being IT in the middle. The person who is IT then goes up to anyone and says, "Hi! Can you please be my valentine, please smile!" The person then must respond to it by says, "Sorry, I cannot be your valentine. I cannot smile." The person saying this cannot smile at all. If he or she does, then they become IT and have to go into the center and start the game over. The person who was IT takes the seat of the person going in! Lots of laughs!
~Hide the Heart~
All you have to do is make some red paper hearts and hide them around the room (or classroom). Have your friends go and find them.
~Guess the Nametag~
Create some nametags with words that relate with Valentines Day. Such as hearts, flowers, red, white, pink, and love. You will then tape these tags on people's backs. But they cannot look for the names. They must not find out what word is on their tag until the game starts. Everyone goes around and gives each other clues about the "valentine word" on their backs. You can ask a person only one question at a time. The game continues until everyone has found what theirs tag says.
~The Biggest Smile~
This is not a game, but its a great group activity to see who can give the biggest smile! You can give prizes to the person with the biggest smile. You can choose one boy and one girl winner. One at a time measure people's smiles with a ruler (or measuring tape). This is fun. You can also measure the zany faces! You can take photos as you do this as people are smiling BIG!
~Guess Who?~ (Older elementary, pre-teen, teen)
This is a fun guessing game which should bring a lot of smiles. Pass out little strips of paper to everyone in your group. Have them write the most embarassing thing that may have happened to them on the piece of paper. Make sure it is not anything too gross or inappropriate. Everyone then folds up the papers small and it is collected. One by one the strips are read aloud and everyone has to guess who the person is.
~My Prince Charming~ (A Couple's Game)
This is a fun game for couples. Place chairs facing inward in a circle formation. All the girls sit in the chairs with their boy partners on their knees in front of them. The boys take off both of their partner's shoes. The shoes are then thrown into the middle of the circle. Then each boy in blindfolded by their girl partner. On "GO" the boys must go (with verbal directions from their girl partners) and retreive their shoes and put each shoe back correctly on the appropriate foot. When both shoes are put on correctly the girl partner takes off the boy's blindfold. Continue the game until the last couple does it right!
Another version of this is to just have the boys on GO retrieve the shoes one by one not blindfolded.
