How do I prepare and use Valentine party games to print?
Quick answer: Print the page once to get the 24 bingo calls, ten musical hearts cards, eight compliment cards, the blank nine-square bingo board, the jar guess slip and the host count sheet. Cut the three card decks apart and keep them separate. Copy one bingo board and one guess slip per child, plus a few spare boards. Count the candies in three jars, write the real numbers on the host sheet, then run the games as shared activities: draw and play bingo, dance through musical hearts, swap compliments in pairs and reveal the jar answers. A class can do all four in the example 30-minute plan. A smaller group at home can play them one at a time.
42 Valentine game cards to print
Print the page, then cut the three card groups separately. The bingo board and jar slips are below.
How to play
- Print the page and cut the bingo calls, action hearts and compliment cards into separate decks.
- Copy a blank bingo board and a jar guess slip for each child; count the candies and complete the separate host key.
- Have children draw nine different bingo calls on their boards, then lead bingo with the shuffled paper deck.
- Read one musical hearts prompt to the whole group at each music stop, then give pairs a compliment prompt.
- Collect one guess per child per jar and reveal the counts using the written prize rule.
Draw one when the room is ready
Red heart
Bingo caller deck — 24 calls
Children choose nine different calls to draw on their blank boards. Shuffle the paper deck for play.
- Red heart
- Pink heart
- Cupid
- Arrow
- Chocolate box
- Cupcake with sprinkles
- Teddy bear
- Sealed envelope
- Valentine card
- Red balloon
- Single rose
- Big hug
- High five
- Toothy grin
- Candy conversation hearts
- Swirl lollipop
- Paper doily
- Ribbon bow
- Paper heart chain
- Butterfly
- Rainbow
- Gold star sticker
- Strawberry
- Mailbox
Kind-words compliment prompts — 8 cards
Give pairs a prompt to answer in turn. Print extra copies for several pairs playing at once.
- Tell your partner one thing they are great at
- Say thank you to a friend who shared with you this week
- Give a high five and one kind word to the person on your left
- Name one quality that makes a good friend, with an example
- Draw, in the air, a compliment for someone across the room
- Tell the class helper why their job helps everyone
- Say something kind about someone you want to know better
- Finish the sentence out loud: I smile when you...
Musical hearts action prompts — 10 hearts
One adult reveals and reads a heart at each music stop; everyone can follow the same prompt.
- Hop on one foot until the music starts
- Give a thumbs up to three different friends
- Dance in slow motion for five counts
- Spin once with an imaginary heart held over your head
- Freeze in a heart shape with the nearest neighbor
- Hold a silly face for three slow counts
- Wave like royalty to the whole room
- Take a bow at the end of a big show
- High-five the friend closest to you
- Blow a kiss to the ceiling
What you get when you print the Valentine games
The pack has four games that give children something to draw, act out, say and guess: Valentine bingo, musical hearts, a kind-words compliment game and a guess-the-candies jar game. It works for a classroom or for a smaller group at home.
Everything prints as plain text and blank forms. The bingo calls, musical hearts actions and compliment prompts are written cards with no pictures. The bingo board is a blank 3×3 grid that children draw on, and the jar slip has spaces for a name and three guesses. There is no finished illustrated bingo board. You fill in the jar answers yourself after counting what is actually in your jars.
Does the print button download a ready-made game file?
Quick answer: No. It opens your browser's print dialog for the whole page. You don't get a separate PDF or download.
Since the whole page prints, check print preview first so you know which pages hold the cards, the player sheets and the host sheet. Print the card decks once, copy the bingo board and guess slip for each player, and keep the host count sheet apart from the player copies. It prints with everything else, and children shouldn't see the answers once you've filled it in.
What to print and pack before the party
Do the printing and cutting before the day, and keep the three decks in separate cups or envelopes so they don't get mixed up. Allow about 15 minutes for packing once the printing is done and the candies are counted. That's only a suggestion, and getting ready may take longer.
The quantities below are for a class of 24 children. That number counts the children only, so the adults running the games come on top. If you have a different number, change the per-child items to match.
| Item | How many | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bingo calls | Print 24 calls once | Cut apart and put them in a cup. Keep another cup or a space for used calls. |
| Blank 3×3 bingo board | One per child, plus a few spares | Have pencils or crayons ready, plus nine reusable markers per player if you'll play more than one round. |
| Musical hearts cards | Print 10 once | Fold them into a bowl the adult keeps. Have a speaker and music ready. |
| Compliment cards | 8 per copy. For 24 children, print 2 copies (16 cards) | 16 cards give each of 12 pairs one card, with 4 spare. |
| Jars of red-wrapped candies | 3 containers: a mini jar, a tall jar and a wide jar or bowl | Count each one separately and fill in the host count sheet. |
| Jar guess slips | One per child | Put pencils and a collection cup next to the jars. |
| Running order | One copy for each helper | Agree in advance who leads each game. |
How to draw your bingo boards and play a round
Put the 24 calls up where children can see them, or lay the cards face up. Each child picks nine different calls and draws one in each square. There is no free center square. A red heart, balloon or mailbox may be easier to draw than Cupid, so let children pick pictures they'll recognize again. For example, a child could draw a red heart, a teddy bear and a rainbow across the top row, then pick six other calls for the rest of the board. Encourage different choices rather than having everyone copy one board. A helper can read out the list or help with a drawing.
Before the round, check that children can recognize the pictures on their own boards and follow a demonstrated turn without reading the call list: hold up a card, show the match on a sample board, then let them try. Other party games with no reading required can help if some children still struggle.
To play, shuffle the paper calls, draw one, read it out twice and put it on the used pile. Children cover the matching picture if it's on their board. Three in a row across, down or diagonally wins. Check the three pictures against the used calls. If children finish on the same call, they share the win. Before another round, clear the markers and put all 24 calls back in the cup. Play a second round if there's time.
The on-screen card picker mixes all three decks and can repeat cards, so use the paper bingo deck when you want a round with no repeated calls. If drawing at the start will take too long, have the boards drawn before the party.
If you'd rather have everything prepared ahead, the separate Valentine picture bingo pack uses 28 calls, with matching pictures you add to its own caller cards and boards. Keep its deck apart from this pack's 24 calls, and use shuffled paper cards there too if you want no repeated calls.
How to play musical hearts together
Keep the ten hearts cards in the adult's bowl instead of handing them out. That way the same deck works for eight children or 24, and nobody waits for a card. Play music while everyone dances. When you pause it, draw a heart and read the action aloud, and everyone does it. For "Dance in slow motion for five counts," count slowly together and then start the music again. For a partner action, children can pair up or join a group of three.
If a printed heart doesn't suit the group, swap in another action everyone does together, such as moving like a robot while the music plays and freezing when it stops. Music party ideas offer more prompts like this, and children can still pass on any action.
Nobody is out and no judges are needed. Try music bursts of about 20 seconds, with time to read and do each action. Use up to ten stops in a seven-minute block, and stop earlier if explaining the actions takes longer. A child who doesn't want to do an action can do a seated gesture or a wave instead, and a wave can replace a high five.
What if musical hearts gets too loud?
Quick answer: Make the music bursts shorter, about 20 seconds, and use slow-motion actions for the last three stops. Or stop early and move on to the seated compliment game.
The ten cards give you options, and you don't have to use them all. Moving from dancing to sitting in pairs is an easy way to calm the room before the jar reveal.
Use a cue children will recognize for the change, such as stopping the music and showing them where to sit. If going straight into compliments is hard, try a short seated game first. Calm-down games work best when you name the next activity and lower the pace in stages.
How to run the compliment game for a small group or a class
For a small group, set two chairs facing each other with the eight cards between them. Each child answers a prompt, then they swap cards or draw another. If you want to keep track of turns, put a sticker on the back of each finished card.
For a class, have pairs talk at their seats at the same time. Give each pair one card, read it aloud if needed, and let both children answer before they swap with a nearby pair. If the number is odd, make one group of three so everyone gets a turn. The goal is for each child to have a turn, not for every pair to finish all eight cards. At the end, you can use the class-helper prompt as a group thank-you.
What if a child cannot think of a compliment?
Quick answer: Read the prompt aloud and give a specific example, such as thanking someone for sharing crayons. The child can also draw their answer, ask for help or pick another card.
"Thank you for sharing your crayons" answers the sharing prompt more clearly than "You're nice," so concrete examples help. In a class, pairs answering the same prompt at the same time means nobody waits at one table feeling put on the spot. Children can pass on a prompt and choose another card.
Some children prefer not to give compliments out loud. An optional paired drawing, where partners draw something for each other instead of speaking, keeps them involved. Ideas for games for quieter guests can help you choose activities that suit both the room and the children.
How to set up and judge the candy jar guessing game
The hugs in the original game name are the candies being counted. Children don't have to hug anyone. Label the containers Jar 1, Jar 2 and Jar 3. Count each one before the party and keep the answers away from the player slips.
Example counts: 24 candies in the mini jar, 57 in the tall jar and 112 in the wide bowl. These are only examples, so use your own counts. The slip suggests guess ranges of 1–40, 1–80 and 1–150. Change them if your containers need different ranges.
Each child writes their name and one whole number for each jar. Don't accept ranges. Collect all the slips before showing any answers. The closest guess without going over wins each jar. Children with the same winning guess share that jar's candies, so decide how you'll split any leftovers before you announce the result. If every guess is too high, tell the children a lower upper limit and let them guess again. For the reveal, count the candies out in groups of ten, then count what's left. Allow enough time for all three jars and any ties.
Before announcing the jar rules, decide how shared winners will split candies and leftovers, and whether every winner gets an equivalent prize. Planning party game prizes also means deciding who leads the game and who hands out prizes, which you can simplify if one adult does both.
Check the classroom's rules on candy prizes before you fill the jars. Rules differ from school to school. Counted paper hearts with a prize you've agreed on are an alternative.
Example: running all four games in a 30-minute class party
This is an example order for 24 children and two adults: one adult leads, and the other helps with drawing, reading and collecting slips. Everyone plays each game together, and pairs swap compliments at the same time. Have the cards cut, the jars counted and the supplies ready before you start. Card exchanges and snacks need their own time on top of this.
The 30 minutes covers the four games only, so card exchanges and snacks need their own time on the schedule. A wider Valentine’s party food and games plan for a class helps with approved snacks, card bags or folders with names, napkins and cleanup bags.
- Total: 5 + 8 + 7 + 5 + 5 = 30 minutes.
- If drawing runs over, shorten a game instead of rushing through every card.
- If ties need more time, hand out prizes afterward.
- Keep a copy of the order with the supplies so another adult can take over.
| Time | Activity | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 min | Draw bingo boards | Children pick nine calls and draw them. Set out pre-drawn boards for anyone who needs one. |
| 5–13 min | Play bingo | Explain three in a row, call a round and check winners. Play a second round only if there's time. |
| 13–20 min | Musical hearts | The whole group dances and does the actions, with up to ten music stops. |
| 20–25 min | Compliments | Each pair gets a card and both children answer. Swap cards if there's time. Children fill in jar slips as they finish, and the helper collects them. |
| 25–30 min | Jar reveal | Count in tens and ones, check the slips and write down the winners. Finish with a group thank-you. |
Can a whole class play all four games?
Quick answer: Yes, if you run them as shared activities. Everyone draws and plays bingo, does the same musical hearts action, swaps compliments in pairs and hands in jar guesses.
The 30-minute example above works this way. The two-chair compliment station is for small groups. With 24 children, sending them through one at a time would take far too long.
With 24 children, the station's one-pair-at-a-time format becomes a long wait, while class-wide paired play lets every pair answer at once. A guide to games that work for your group size explains when one game can suit everyone, such as freeze dance, where all children join at the same time.
How many volunteers should I arrange?
Quick answer: The example uses two adults, one to lead and one to help with reading, drawing and slips. Check with the teacher how much help is needed.
The children's needs and the room may call for more adults. The example doesn't promise that two adults will be enough for every class. If you're the only adult leading, keep the activities simple and keep the group together.
Give each adult a named job: one leads, one helps with drawing and reading, and someone watches the group, adjusted to what the teacher knows about the class. Guidance on how adults share supervision also suggests telling the children where you'll be and who to ask for help.
How to play the games at home with a smaller group
You don't need the class schedule with fewer children. You can spread the games out through the party and use the two-chair compliment station.
At home, a Valentine scavenger hunt can replace one game or run at a separate time as a movement break. It needs clues prepared ahead: pick the exact chair, pillow, jar and backpack you'll use and note them. It isn't part of the 30-minute class example.
Can we play at home with fewer children?
Quick answer: Yes. Play the games one at a time with no rotation. For example, play bingo after snack, leave the jars out for guesses and finish with musical hearts before everyone goes home.
Let each child make one guess per jar, and reveal the answers only after you've collected every guess. Use the two-chair compliment station if it suits your group. You only need one bingo board and one guess slip per child. Eight compliment cards are enough for a small group, so one copy of the deck will usually do.
Checklist before the games start
- Checked print preview and printed the page
- Cut the bingo calls, musical hearts and compliment cards, kept in separate containers
- Copied one bingo board per child plus spares, and one guess slip per child
- Pencils, crayons and markers ready
- Speaker and music tested
- Jars counted and host count sheet filled in and kept out of sight
- Decided how to split tied prizes, and checked any candy rules
- Helpers know the running order and who leads each game
| Container | Suggested guess range | My guess: one whole number |
|---|---|---|
| Jar 1: mini jar | 1–40 | ____________________ |
| Jar 2: tall jar | 1–80 | ____________________ |
| Jar 3: wide jar or bowl | 1–150 | ____________________ |
| Container | Actual count | Winning guess | Winner names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jar 1 | __________ | __________ | ____________________ |
| Jar 2 | __________ | __________ | ____________________ |
| Jar 3 | __________ | __________ | ____________________ |
| Activity | Adult leading | Supplies location or change |
|---|---|---|
| Bingo | ____________________ | ______________________________ |
| Musical hearts | ____________________ | ______________________________ |
| Compliments | ____________________ | ______________________________ |
| Jar reveal | ____________________ | ______________________________ |
Player: ______________________________ Board number: __________
Name: __________________________________________
How we will divide tied prizes: __________________________________________
Alternative prize, if needed: __________________________________________
Helper names: ______________________________ Party start time: __________