9 Sweet Valentine’s Day Games & Activities for Kids

by Gabby CullenJanuary 9, 2024

#8 is way too cute

Set aside the conversation hearts (except when doing science experiments) and show your kiddos how much they mean by filling the day with oh-so-sweet Valentine’s Day games and activities. From playing musical hearts to making suncatchers to concocting potions, the following ideas are fun ways to share the L-O-V-E. Be sure to check out our favorite DIY Valentine’s Day cards, jokes, and Valentine’s Day gifts kids can make.

1. Four Different Valentine’s Day Games

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A post shared by Hà Dinh~ Happy Days in First Grade Blog (@hellomrsdinh)

Not only are these Valentine’s Day games adorable, but they’re easy to pull together, especially with the printables from Happy Days in First Grade.

2. Pink Bottle Ring Toss

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A post shared by Heidi Kundin – Happiness is Homemade (@heidikundin)

There’s nothing quite like a classic game of ring toss, and this pink version is perfect for Valentine’s Day festivities. Start collecting your bottles now, and order some heart-shaped bracelets to use as rings.

3. Heart Counting Game

a picture of a Valentine's day game — Deirdre Smith

It’s craps meets math with a clever counting game from the Kids Activities Blog. Roll the dice then add the same number of beans to the heart. The first overflowing heart is the winner! Play again and again—it’s a lovely (and educational) way to celebrate the holiday.

4. Musical Hearts

a picture of musical hearts, a Valentines day game — Amy Mascott via Teach Mama

Want to walk all over hearts? It’s acceptable—and encouraged—during a session of musical hearts. Each heart has an entertaining activity written on the bottom. When the music stops, the kids start! Creative mom Amy incorporates reading and acting into each prompt and shares her awesome list of activities on her site, Teach Mama.

5. Conversation Heart Science Experiment

Tiny conversation hearts are big on charm but short on taste. Kids can use these little love messages to start a different type of conversation. First, fill recycled plastic bottles with various forms of liquid. Drop in candy hearts and observe what happens next! Check out Fun-A-Day for the lowdown.

6. Valentine's Day Memory Game

a picture of a boy playing a Valentine's Day game — Hands On As We Grow

Want to put the kiddo’s knowledge to the test? See if they know their ABCs by heart with a colorful set of letters. Find out where Jamie of Hands On As We Grow grabbed her game set, or try your hand at making your very own.

7. Heart Hopscotch

a picture of a girl playing heart hopscotch, a fun Valentine's Day game — Toddler Approved

It’s hopscotch, Valentine’s style. Use cardstock (what else?) in red, pink, and white, add numbers or letters, grab something heavy(ish) to throw, and start hopping! You’ll be crushing on how much your kids are learning, from letter or number skills to physical coordination. Get more details on this simple Valentine's Day game by visiting Toddler Approved.

8. Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt

The clever clues and hand-written love notes in this simple but brilliant treasure hunt we found too sweet not to share. Cut out large hearts for hints and attach treats to each for added sweetness! The treasures at the end can be anything from simple toys to gift cards. Get great tips for making clues by visiting Thriving Home.

9. Valentine’s Day Bingo

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A post shared by Sherilyn ✨ New Mama (@xomisso)

Use candy hearts as place markers in this Valentine’s Day game that every kid loves to play. Get the printable from XOmisso.

with additional reporting by Taylor Clifton

10 Totally Cool Dry Ice Experiments for Kids

by Erica LoopOctober 5, 2023

Frozen carbon dioxide, a.k.a. dry ice, is frozen at a temperature of negative 109 degrees Fahrenheit

Experimenting with ice is cool. But dry ice experiments are even cooler! Unlike the ice cubes in your freezer, dry ice doesn’t melt into liquid. Instead, these blocks sublimate, which means instead of transforming from a solid to a liquid, dry ice goes from a solid to a gas. With the proper precautions, this type of science experiment for kids is safe—so grab gloves and tongs, open a window or take the CO2 outdoors, follow these guidelines from the National Weather Service, and check out these awesome dry ice experiments.

Blow Up a Balloon

dry ice science experiment from Science Kiddo — Science Kiddo

The air from your lungs isn’t the only way to blow up a balloon. This chilly experiment from Science Kiddo helps your budding scientist explore the properties of dry ice.

Build a Volcano

dry ice science experiment from Life with Moore Learning — Life with Moore Learning

Check out this awesome overflowing dry ice volcano experiment from Life with Moore Learning! As if this isn’t enough fun, you'll also get a step-by-step guide to help your kids compare regular ice with dry ice and other freezing explorations.

Plan a Potion

Whether you want to make a witch’s brew for your family's Halloween monster bash or you just want to mix up a cool (literally) concoction, Our Best Bite’s Mad Scientist Potion has everything you need to make a mocktail that’s overflowing with fog.

Find Fog—Magically

Make your own at-home outdoor fog machine with two ingredients—dry ice and hot water. Remember, dry ice doesn’t melt into a liquid. Instead, it sublimates or turns into a vapor. Place blocks of dry ice into a glass or bucket of hot water and then stand back and watch as the fog pours across your yard!

Put Out a Candle

Can dry ice help extinguish a candle quickly? Your littles can easily blow out their bday cake candles, but have they ever used dry ice to make a flame go away? Head over to Life with Moore Learning for the how-to steps to this easy science exploration.

Make a Bubble Ball

How can your kids make a crystal ball? Gather a few pieces or pellets of dry ice, a bowl, dish soap and a kitchen towel. Put the dry ice into the bowl, add hot water and watch the fog show begin. Even though this is exciting, it’s not where the experiment ends. Dip the dish towel into a soapy solution, and spread it around the rim of the bowl. Gently pull the soap-soaked towel across the bowl and watch as a ball-like bubble emerges in front of your eyes.

Compare and Contrast

How does dry ice melt? The answer isn't regular ice. While you might already know this, your child doesn’t. Freeze water, juice, soda, milk, and any other liquid you want. Put the frozen liquid cubes on plates and create a comparison plate with dry ice. Watch each ice option carefully. Your child can jot down what happens to each piece of ice and when.

Inflate a Glove

If you have boxes of plastic or latex gloves hanging around your home, forget about cleaning. It’s time to put these gloves to scientific use, as they are a great substitute for balloons. Drop a shred of dry ice into the glove, tie the end and watch it magically grow. Hint: Don’t use too much dry ice for this experiment. A pellet will do. Overdoing it with the frozen CO2 might create too much gas, causing the glove to burst.

Bubbles and More Bubbles

You’ve covered dry ice with water and watched it fog. But what happens if you put the frozen CO2 into a bath of bubbles? Use your kiddo’s paddling pool or fill the sand table with a water and bubble solution or dish soap mix. Ask your child to predict what will happen as the dry ice sublimates. Observe the bubbles as the CO2 gas fills the water and moves into suds.

Magical Disappearing Ice

When regular ice melts it leaves behind a puddle, but the same isn't true for dry ice. Again, the sublimation process causes it to turn into a gas state. Help your child learn more about the states of matter with easy observation-based science exploration. Place a piece of dry ice in a bowl outside on a warm day or in the sun. Ask your child to predict what they think will happen to the dry ice. Go back later in the day and take a look at the bowl. Like magic, the ice is gone, and nothing is left behind. Discuss what happened. Your child can hypothesize where the ice went and why there is no water in the bowl.

11 Magic Potions for Halloween That Kids Will Love

by Nikki WalshAugust 9, 2023

From witches brew to fairy potions, grab those wands and pick one of these magic potions for Halloween that you can make at home

Part classic science experiment, part Harry Potter, the following concoctions are safe for kids and totally fun to mix up. From fizzing and foaming to bubbling and bewitching, these magic potions for kids can be whipped up in no time. Looking for even more spooky fun? Try your hand at some Halloween crafts, tell kid-friendly ghost stories, and read these witch books that are only a little bit wicked!

Fizzy Fairy Potion

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A post shared by Wee Gems Childcare Group (@weegemschildrensnurseries)

This fairy potion can be made with any color, glitter (if you dare), and the tall glass in the middle will have kids bubbling with excitement.

Magic Pumpkin Potion

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A post shared by Little Learning Club (@littlelearningclub)

Perfect for the spooky season, we love the cute mini pumpkins! Easy to set up and, if you keep it contained, a breeze to clean up, this potion for kids is magical.

Love Potion Lava Lamp

lava lamp love potion for kids — Agnes Hsu via Hello, Wonderful

Part love potion, part lava lamp, we're crushing on this concoction from Agnes at Hello, Wonderful. Using simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry, you can whip up your version in no time.

Mad Scientist Potion for Kids

This simple outdoor session is just lots of good (not so) clean fun. Find out what you need to set it all up over at Mama.Papa.Bubba

Witches Brew

a dry ice potions for kids — Upstate Ramblings

White clouds of witches' brew make these colorful drinks other-worldly. Dry ice is the key to this cool effect (with parent supervision, of course); hot water and soap can thicken the spell. Bubble over to Upstate Ramblings for the tutorial.

DIY Lava Lamp

A little more effervescent than the lava lamp of the '60s, this potion made from oil, water, and Alka-Seltzer will get your kiddos all bubbly. These elixirs are easy-to-do and exciting to watch. Jamie from Hand On As We Grow has the instructions.

Rainbow Potion

this rainbow sugar water density tower can be used as a fun potion and magic spell for kids — Little Bins for Little Hands

Sweet and colorful, this sugary brew makes the gradient with sugar, water, food coloring, jars, and a dropper. Your little wizard will be amazed at these layers, so pop over to Little Bins for Little Hands for directions.

Glow-in-the-Dark Potion

Just glow with it. Potion-masters-in-training will need a little help from parents on this one, but the effort is worth the glow-in-the-dark effect. Ana Dziengel at Babble Dabble Do mixes corn syrup, baby oil, and water with a few "magic" ingredients for a luminous potion that doubles as a science experiment.

Glittering Galaxies Potion

this nebular jar is a fun potion for kids — Trisha Hass via MomDot

Easy to make with minimal mess, little mix-masters can craft their own swirling nebulas with a mason jar, cotton, water, glitter, and paint. You can thank Trisha over at MomDot for this mystical potion that just might get your little magician calm for her afternoon nap.

Have a Potion Party

Potion-making is as easy as mix, whisk, color, and create! Have your little wizards gather half-bottles of household items like shaving cream, and shampoo, then add spice and dabble-e-doo! You’ve got a magic potion party. This fanciful fest was the inspiration of Bar Rucci over at ArtBar.

Garden Soup

Is there anything more natural than kids whipping up a little garden-centric potion on a warm, sunny day? Probably not, which is why we love the setup from Jackie over at Happy Hooligans. With just a few ingredients, your kids can get their dose of outdoor play in a cool setting.

This Hocus Pocus Bouquet Is the Spooky Gift That Keeps on Giving

by Karly WoodSeptember 23, 2021

It’s the worst when the last flower on your bouquet finally bites the dust and you have to toss them all in the trash. Well, thanks to Love Pop, you can enjoy this bouquet all year long!

Disney’s Hocus Pocus Spellbinding Bouquet ($26) starts out as a card fit for the Sanderson sisters, then unfolds into a purple and orange “floral” centerpiece. Above the purple vase and amidst the black vines lie the Sandersons holding the Manual of Witchcraft and Alchemy next to a bottle of magical green life potion.

Once unfolded, The Hocus Pocus Spellbinding Bouquet measures 10.25 inches tall by 7.5 inches wide, making it the perfect size for your dining room table or your desk. Because it starts out as a card, shipping is also a breeze!

You can find this boo-tiful bouquet at lovepop.com.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of lovepop

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School Supplies from the ’80s & ’90s That You’ll Totally Remember

by Shahrzad WarkentinAugust 18, 2021

Back-to-school time is always a perfect time to get nostalgic about your own days in the classroom, but things have changed a lot since you were the one sitting behind the desk. From hand-operated (gasp!) pencil sharpeners to everyone’s favorite folders, scroll down to re-discover some of the school supplies you probably couldn’t live without.

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A post shared by Tarrin McMayo Charles (@tavets)

Trapper Keepers helped you stay organized. But it was the outside design that stole the show.

Scented markers made your papers smell delicious. Lucky for kids everywhere, they're still going strong and available anywhere school supplies are sold.

Pencil sharpeners had to be operated by hand.

You put trolls on your pencils way before Poppy and Branch were cool.

You kept your papers in the whimsical yet slightly psychedelic Lisa Frank folders. Buy this vintage gem at eBay!

You hoped Kissing Potion lip gloss really worked. You can still find it on Amazon!

You loved your Walkman...and the mixed tapes your friends made for it!

You loved when your teacher rewarded good grades with Scratch And Sniff Stickers on your test papers.

You used a tape recorder and had to hit rewind...a lot.

Remember when all your information came from the Encyclopedia instead of Google or Alexa?

And in order to find exactly which Encylopedia you needed, there was the ever-handy card catalog.

Learning to spell was fun with Speak & Spell. And then E.T. used one and sealed its fate as a classic '80s relic.

Avoiding dysentery and watching out for thieves along the Oregon Trail was all part of the educational fun.

Overhead projectors with their erasable transparency sheets have long been retired to make way for projectors that connect to laptops and tablets.

Rainy day movies meant rolling the AV cart out and popping in a VHS for recess time.

Bento boxes with Instagrammable food art have replaced plastic lunch boxes packed with fruit roll ups and gummy sharks (don't forget your matching Thermos!).

Long before the magical cloud existed, these bad boys were all the storage you needed—as long as you didn’t lose them.

The original fidget spinners! Your Tamagotchi wasn't exactly a classroom essential, but at recess, the first thing you did was feed your digital pet.

—Sher Warkentin with Melissa Heckscher

Featured image: Vishwanatha Srinivasan via Pixabay

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Head to Hogwarts in the Newest Harry Potter LEGO Set

by Karly WoodAugust 6, 2021

It’s been 20 years of LEGO Harry Potter sets and the brick business is celebrating with a new product!

The LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition is the ultimate display of magical details. When assembled, you’ll have the perfect homage to iconic characters, moments and famous artifacts.

photo: Courtesy of LEGO

Hedwig serves as the centerpiece, clutching Harry’s Hogwarts letter. Also included in the set is Harry’s wand and glasses, customizable school scarf, chocolate frog, Tom Riddle’s diary, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid minifigures, the Golden Snitch and a potions tray with five potion bottles and ingredients.

With 3,010 pieces, this set is geared towards mature builders and is meant for display. Orders open on Sept. 2 at LEGO stores and LEGO.com and retails for $250.

––Karly Wood

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The LEGO Wizarding World Collab Is Turning 20—And There Are New Sets to Celebrate

by Erica LoopApril 16, 2021

The Wizarding World is expanding—and your child can build it all! LEGO and Warner Bros. Consumer Products recently announced the launch of brand-new Harry Potter sets.

Your kiddo has spent years building with Potter-themed plastic bricks. Now they can add to their collection with sets themed after Harry Potter’s second year at Hogwarts. As if the sets aren’t enough on their own, several of the new options come with an exclusive 20th Anniversary golden minifigure.

That’s right—20 years have passed since the Wizarding World was first introduced in LEGO form. Along with the magical bricks your child has built over the years, the newest additions keep the Hogwarts theme going with scenes your young Potter fan knows and loves.

The new line includes the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts: Polyjuice Potion Mistake, LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts: Fluffy Encounter, LEGO Harry Potter Hogsmeade Collage Visits, LEGO Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets, LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Wizard’s Chess, LEGO Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, LEGO Harry Potter Fawkes, Dumbledore’s Phoenix, and LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts: First Flying Lesson sets.

Marcos Bessa, LEGO Harry Potter Design Lead, said in a press release, “Two decades ago, we launched the first LEGO Harry Potter set—which I played with as a 12-year-old—and fans have remained just as enchanted by the magical adventures that they can relive and replay with the LEGO sets today as they were in 2001.”

Bessa added, “These new products are packed full of captivating features and exciting design twists that we hope will excite and enthrall builders of all ages as they explore some of their favourite moments from the films.”

Nab one of these sets in LEGO Stores, select retailers, or online at LEGO.com starting Aug. 1. Check out LEGO.com for pre-order options right now.

—Erica Loop

Photos courtesy of LEGO

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Freeform & Carvel Conjure Up the Ultimate Halloween Treat

by Jennifer SwartvagherSeptember 28, 2020

Amok, Amok, Amok! Freeform is teaming up with Carvel to bring you a wickedly delicious treat to celebrate the network’s annually anticipated “31 Nights of Halloween” movie line-up. In honor of Disney’s Hocus Pocus and its airings during “31 Nights of Halloween,” Freeform and Carvel dreamed up the ultimate bewitching “Hocus Pocus Shake” for fans nationwide.

Guests can find the magic potion of Carvel’s signature vanilla soft serve mixed with Oreo Cookie pieces, topped with whipped cream and Halloween sprinkles, served in a 31 Nights of Halloween X Hocus Pocus limited edition cup, from Sept. 28 – Nov. 1, 2020. For those who want the delicious treat delivered straight to their door during movie marathons, the “Hocus Pocus Shake” can also be found on third-party delivery providers. For an extra special treat, enjoy $0 delivery fees on all Carvel orders through Uber Eats from Oct. 9 – 11.

“One of our favorite times of the year is upon us,” says Dalia Ganz Vice President, Social Media, Digital Marketing & Synergy at Freeform, “We teamed up with Carvel to share our love of Halloween tricks and treats with consumers across the country and get them even more excited to watch their favorite Halloween movies on Freeform.”

“Carvel fans look forward to our holiday specialty shakes and we are thrilled to bring even more Halloween excitement to our shops this year with our Freeform collaboration,” said Nicolle DuBose, Chief Marketing Officer at Carvel. “The 31 Nights of Halloween Hocus Pocus shake is not only a delicious treat but the limited-edition cup only makes it sweeter for guests to enjoy as they watch their favorite Halloween movies!”

The special shake will be available at all full service Carvel locations and select express shops within the following states and territories: California, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Virginia.

For more information, or to find a participating shop, please visit https://www.carvel.com/halloween. For more information on “31 Nights of Halloween” and for the full lineup of movies, please visit https://www.freeform.com/news/recaps-and-news/31-nights-of-halloween-schedule.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Carvel

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Harry Potter Fans Can Visit Diagon Alley with New Set from LEGO

by Jennifer SwartvagherAugust 31, 2020

You won’t even need Floo powder to get to Diagon Alley. Harry Potter fans will be transported to the most magical shopping street in the world. Now you can build and create the iconic street in your own home.

Diagon Alley is where Harry Potter gets his first glimpse of the wizarding world as Hagrid guides him through the shops. This new LEGO set brings the two worlds together in a magical hybrid, a rich and versatile display model, with a modularity aspect that allows fans to choose how to display the shops. You can choose to set them up all in a row, swap them around, or even place individual shops on different shelves.

Measuring more than a meter wide and made up of 5,544 pieces, LEGO Diagon Alley features the famed wizarding world shops packed with authentic details from the movies to truly capture the ambience of the street.

Behind magnificent and detailed storefronts lie intriguing interiors, fascinating features and familiar characters. Fans can recreate some of their favourite moments from the Harry Potter film series including; discovering the wands at Ollivanders from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone dropping in on Gilderoy Lockhart’s book-signing event at Flourish & Blotts bookstore from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; or obtaining a love potion from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Marcos Bessa, LEGO Harry Potter Design Lead, commented: “I love how faithful the final design is to the architectural details in the film. You can barely see some of these buildings zooming past your screen, but we tracked down different photographs from the sets – some of them from nearly 20 years ago – to make sure everything is spot on. Diagon Alley is the biggest set I’ve designed to-date and I am really proud of how it has come together.”

The set also includes 14 minifigures, including new versions of lead characters Harry, Ron, Hermione and of course George and Fred Weasley who have their own joke shop in Diagon Alley. There are also minifigures of Florean Fortescue and the Daily Prophet photographer, who have never been seen in LEGO form before.

The LEGO Harry Potter Diagon Alley set is available directly from LEGO Stores and www.LEGO.com/EnterTheMagic from Sept. 1, 2020. It retails for $399.99.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of LEGO

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Funko Pop! Is Selling a “Hocus Pocus” Set

by Jennifer SwartvagherAugust 28, 2020

Amok! Amok! Amok! When fall begins do you sip pumpkin spice lattes while watching Hocus Pocus? Now you can invite the Sanderson Sisters (at least in miniature form) to join your movie marathon.

These Funko Pop! figurines of everyone’s favorite witches are bound to become a Halloween favorite.

Available on Spirit Halloween, you can choose from two sets. One set features the three sisters as individual figurines so you can place them in different areas. Each sister is posed with her favorite form of aircraft – Winifred with a broom, Sarah with a mop and Mary with a vacuum.

The other set features the three sisters standing over their cauldron as they cook up a bubbling green potion in a cauldron.

Both sets retail for $36.99. The cauldron set can be purchased both in stores and online, but the individual set of figurines is only available online.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Spirit Halloween

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#8 is way too cute

1. Four Different Valentine’s Day Games

2. Pink Bottle Ring Toss

3. Heart Counting Game

4. Musical Hearts

5. Conversation Heart Science Experiment

6. Valentine's Day Memory Game

7. Heart Hopscotch

8. Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt

9. Valentine’s Day Bingo

Related reads

Frozen carbon dioxide, a.k.a. dry ice, is frozen at a temperature of negative 109 degrees Fahrenheit

Blow Up a Balloon

Build a Volcano

Plan a Potion

Find Fog—Magically

Put Out a Candle

Make a Bubble Ball

Compare and Contrast

Inflate a Glove

Bubbles and More Bubbles

Magical Disappearing Ice

Related reads

From witches brew to fairy potions, grab those wands and pick one of these magic potions for Halloween that you can make at home

Fizzy Fairy Potion

Magic Pumpkin Potion

Love Potion Lava Lamp

Mad Scientist Potion for Kids

Witches Brew

DIY Lava Lamp

Rainbow Potion

Glow-in-the-Dark Potion

Glittering Galaxies Potion

Have a Potion Party

Garden Soup

Related reads

Related reads

Trapper Keepers helped you stay organized. But it was the outside design that stole the show.

Scented markers made your papers smell delicious. Lucky for kids everywhere, they're still going strong and available anywhere school supplies are sold.

Pencil sharpeners had to be operated by hand.

You put trolls on your pencils way before Poppy and Branch were cool.

You kept your papers in the whimsical yet slightly psychedelic Lisa Frank folders. Buy this vintage gem at eBay!

You hoped Kissing Potion lip gloss really worked. You can still find it on Amazon!

You loved your Walkman...and the mixed tapes your friends made for it!

You loved when your teacher rewarded good grades with Scratch And Sniff Stickers on your test papers.

You used a tape recorder and had to hit rewind...a lot.

Remember when all your information came from the Encyclopedia instead of Google or Alexa?

And in order to find exactly which Encylopedia you needed, there was the ever-handy card catalog.

Learning to spell was fun with Speak & Spell. And then E.T. used one and sealed its fate as a classic '80s relic.

Avoiding dysentery and watching out for thieves along the Oregon Trail was all part of the educational fun.

Overhead projectors with their erasable transparency sheets have long been retired to make way for projectors that connect to laptops and tablets.

Rainy day movies meant rolling the AV cart out and popping in a VHS for recess time.

Bento boxes with Instagrammable food art have replaced plastic lunch boxes packed with fruit roll ups and gummy sharks (don't forget your matching Thermos!).

Long before the magical cloud existed, these bad boys were all the storage you needed—as long as you didn’t lose them.

The original fidget spinners! Your Tamagotchi wasn't exactly a classroom essential, but at recess, the first thing you did was feed your digital pet.

Related reads

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