5 Valuable Valentine's Day STEM Activities

If you’re like me, then you hate to waste a second of precious instructional minutes. On the other hand, you also loathe feeling like the “mean” teacher when all the other classes are having Valentine’s Day parties. The perfect solution to your problem is here! Valentine’s Day STEM activities are challenges that push your students to think critically, problem-solve, and collaborate while reinforcing math and science standards. This is brain-busting work disguised as fun! Your kids will love them, and you will too: win-win!

I recommend one challenge per day or week leading up to Valentine’s Day, or even all challenges in one day-long 5-event pentathlon! STEM challenges are always most beneficial when done in multiple iterations, however they can be treated as one-off activities as well.

Here’s a very quick visual of each of the 5 Valentine’s Day STEM Activities in action:

There are five (or eight – depending on how you look at it) Valentine’s Day STEM activities which are sure to keep your students engaged and feeling the love this holiday!

Here’s a quick description of 5 of my fabulous Valentine’s Day STEM activities, plus links to their video walk-throughs and teaching resources for each one:

Valentine’s Day STEM Activity 1: Cupid’s Quiver

Valentine's Day STEM activities are a perfect way to recognize the holiday in a fun way without losing instructional time! Cupid's Quiver is a bow and arrow Valentine's Day STEM challenge that students love!

Cupid’s Quiver– In groups, students will first design and then build a bow and arrow set for Cupid’s Valentine’s Day target practice. (Designing the quiver is optional.) If you find bow & arrow too difficult, an alternative option is to modify the challenge to make throwing darts instead. Students will aim for high scores as they take three shots each at a Valentine’s themed target. Then, take the the sum or average of students’ personal and/or team results to determine the final scores. Learn more in the video walk-through and the teaching resource.

Valentine’s Day STEM Activity 2: “Heavy” Hearts

“Heavy” Hearts — students will design the “heaviest” heart possible. Using a criteria/constraints list, students create small hearts of various colors and sizes. Point values will then be assigned to each color group based on its size. Then, students arrange various configurations of their smaller hearts inside a large, outer heart in order to create the “heaviest” possible heart. Learn more in the video walk-through and the teaching resource.

Valentine’s Day STEM Activity 3: Candy Container

A candy box/confection container Valentine's Day STEM activity Challenge

Candy Container — Working against a criteria/constraints list individually or in partners/groups, students will design and build the smallest container possible to house a candy assortment. Or you can choose to do the “Confection Container” alternative where students design and then build the smallest container possible to house one or more cupcakes (keeping frosting on the cupcakes, not the box!) Learn more in the video walk-through and the teaching resource.

Valentine’s Day STEM Activity 4: Cards In The Clouds

Valentine's Day STEM activity using recycled Valentine's cards

Cards In The Clouds — In partners/groups, students will first design and then build the tallest “tower of love” possible using Valentine’s Day cards they were probably just going to throw away anyway! (Note: for older students or those who don’t exchange cards, use index cards or alternative love-notes handout from product.) Learn more in the video walk-through and the teaching resource.

Valentine’s Day STEM Activity 5: Flower Frenzy

Flower Frenzy — Individually or in partners/groups, students will design and build a uniquely talented bouquet of flowers! Furthermore, this STEM challenge includes four challenge prompts that can be taken separately or simultaneously in groups: