Don’t Ignore Valentine’s Day in Middle School!
Valentine’s Day in middle school can be a very amusing event to watch unfold. Students may be excited for a dance or event, but they certainly don’t care to talk about it as a whole class. Instead of ignoring it, I take this as an opportunity to flip the script and talk about Valentine’s Day from the perspective of self-love. In middle school, students are at an age where they’re starting to form their identities and build self-esteem, making it the perfect time to teach them about the power of self-love.
Why Teaching Self Love Is Important
I know, you may be thinking that your kids will give you some eye-rolls and attitude if you bring up the idea of loving ourselves on Valentine’s day, but I promise the end result is worth it. When we teach students different ways to show themselves love and accept themselves for who they are, they become more confident, more resilient, and develop the skills to form healthy relationships with others. In a world where anxiety is at an all time high, it can also help students avoid negative behaviours.
Activity Ideas & Curriculum Connections
Now I also know that there is no time to waste in middle school, so I am going to give you ideas that also touch on mental health/wellbeing, coping strategies, and social emotional learning.
Here are a few fun activities that you can do in your middle school classroom to celebrate self-love on Valentine’s Day:
Have Students Complete a 14-Day Self-Care Challenge: I use this resource with my class every year, and every year it is a huge hit. Over the course of 14 days, students will complete worksheets that discuss positive/negative self-talk, affirmations, gratitude, reframing negative thoughts, self-care routines, building confidence and more. They will even draw out or create a collage of their happy place and create a “good vibes” playlist to listen to when they need a boost. Click here if you want to grab this resource!
Create self-love affirmations: Have students write down positive affirmations about themselves on paper hearts and display them in the classroom. If you want a done-for-you, bulletin board ready version of this activity, grab it here! Click here if you’d like to save some money and grab the self-love bundle (craftivity & challenge).
Art projects: Encourage students to create art that celebrates their unique qualities and strengths. You can also have them create posters or presentations that promote self-love and body positivity.
These activities can be integrated into various subject areas, such as language arts, health, and art. By incorporating self-love into your Valentine’s Day activities, you’re helping students build a relationship with the most important person, THEMSELVES!
I promise, these conversations and activities will boost your class morale and give students an opportunity to check in with themselves. Valentine’s Day in middle school no longer has to go ignored or feel stressful for you or the students!
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Click here to get more details on self-love activities you can do in your classroom!
