4 Conversation Heart Games
Oh, those colorful candy hearts with their cute little sayings—such a classic Valentine’s Day symbol! But did you know these sweet, chalky treats can also be the perfect tool for building classroom community and encouraging student teamwork?
With a little creativity, conversation hearts can turn into an exciting “Minute-to-Win-It” style game marathon that gets students working together, laughing, and having FUN! Plus, these games are easy to modify for individual play, making them a great fit for any classroom setting. If you’re looking for simple, yet engaging activities to bring your class together on this exciting day, these games are just what you need!
Game 1: Candy Relay Race
MATERIALS:
-A bag of conversation hearts
-One plastic spoon per team (or popsicle sticks for a bigger challenge)
-Two plastic cups per team (bowls would work as well)
HOW TO PLAY: Break students into teams of 4. Each team gets one cup (with conversation hearts) on one side of the room and an empty cup on the other side. Be sure to have the distances between cups equal for each team. Set your timer for one minute. Without running, students will take turns, relay style, taking scoops of candy hearts from one container to the other as quickly as possible. If any hearts are dropped, they must get them off of the floor with their spoons. The team with the most candy moved to the other cup within one minute, wins. You could also choose to not set a timer and just have the winning team be the first one that moves all of their candy to the other cup.
Game 2: Candy Cup Toss
MATERIALS:
-Bag of conversational hearts
-Two plastic cups (or bowls) for each team
HOW TO PLAY: Each group will get a cup with a small handful of candy inside. There will also be an empty cup located at a predetermined distance from them, perhaps on the floor or on their desk. Set your timer for one minute. Taking turns, students will toss their candies, one at a time, into the cup. The team with the most candy in the cup in one minute, wins.
You could also choose to not set a timer and just have the winning team be the first one that moves all of their candy to the other cup. Another variation is teams can also finish tossing any missed candies for their teammates.
Game 3: Candy Stack
MATERIALS:
-Bag of conversational hearts
-Tools for each team such as tweezers, chopsticks, straws, pencils, etc.
HOW TO PLAY: Provide each team a handful of candy on their desk, along with any tools for moving the hearts as listed above (or they could just use their hands if you prefer). Set a timer for one minute. Taking turns, students will try to stack all of their candy into a tower without them falling. The group with the tallest tower in one minute, wins.
Variation: You can also have students stack candies on their sides or upside down in rows on their desk. There are a lot of options here.
Game 4: Candy Drop
MATERIALS:
-Bag of conversational hearts
-Tools for each team, such as tweezers, chopsticks, straws, pencils, etc.
-Empty plastic water bottle for each student
HOW TO PLAY: Provide each team a handful of candy on their desk, an empty bottle, along with any tools for moving the hearts as listed above. Set a timer for one minute. Taking turns, students will pick up their candy only using their tool provided and drop their candy in to the water bottle. The team with the most candy in the bottle in one minute, wins.
These games can be played whole class or even be modified for centers rotations with parent helpers. With just a bag or two of conversation hearts, some cups, spoons, and simple tools, you now have several games for your students this Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Michelle
P.S. If you’re looking for another great way to build classroom community this Valentine’s Day, be sure to check out these Valentine Shout Outs. There are perfect for students to share what they love about their class, peers, teachers, and other staff members in your building.
Check them out HERE
