Valentine's Day, with its hearts, flowers, candy and spirit of giving, is an opportunity to remind Catholic children Jesus' message of love. If you're looking for Valentine ideas for your CCD classroom, you need look no further than the Bible.
Through Jesus, the prophets, the saints, the Old Testament chosen people, and the early Christians, the message of love is loud and clear. Valentine's Day opens the door to lessons on loving one another, showing love for God, kindness to others, and God's love for us.
If your CCD lesson plans include lessons on the Beatitudes, God's grace and forgiveness, Valentine's Day is an appropriate place for them, too.
Tokens of Love
Print out Bible verses about love and have your students color them and decorate them. Cut them into small tokens and tell your students to pass them out to friends and family as tokens of love.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all you soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30
“So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” John 3:16
“If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.” 1 John 4:12
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18
“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” John 13: 34
Make a Heart Wreath
Cut out a heart pattern from a piece of red foam sheet. Cut out smaller heart shapes from red, pink and white foam sheets or construction paper. Glue the smaller hearts to the larger heart, overlapping and tilting them for a varied look.
Punch a hole in the bottom of the large heart and the tops of two smaller hearts and attach them with two red ribbons, so that the smaller hearts hang down from the bottom of the large heart.
On the two hanging hearts, write in black marker “God is Love” 1 John 4:7-8, and “Love One Another” John 13:34.
Hang the heart wreath on the front door for Valentine’s Day.
Saint Valentine
Of all the saints, Saint Valentine’s story isn’t exactly child friendly. Jailed for refusing to renounce his faith, Valentine was beaten with clubs, stoned and ultimately beheaded.
So how do we explain to children how this martyr and saint became the patron of love, young people and happy marriages? With a disclaimer that much of what we know about the saints is based on unsubstantiated stories, catechists can play up the not-so-gory stories about Saint Valentine.
Saint Valentine was a Roman Christian, who was jailed and eventually executed for helping other Christians. While in jail, Valentine miraculously cured the jailer’s daughter of blindness. Before his execution, he is supposed to have sent her a farewell note signed “From Your Valentine.”
Valentine Crafts
Find instructions for making Valentine cards, candle holders and "stained glass" hearts in Suite 101's Kids' Crafts page.
Instructions for making Valentine mailboxes and a heart stacking candle are in Creative Valentine's Day Crafts.
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