Students can use colorful heart candies to play math games that center around sorting or patterns. Give each student a bowl of Valentine conversation heart candy and either an empty egg carton or a muffin tin. Have the preschoolers sort the candy by color into the separate container divisions. Adapt the activity as a game by giving the students a time limit to demonstrate personal sorting success. For older preschool students soon to enter kindergarten, sort the hearts by imprinted sayings or through the development of patterns.
Preschoolers can create a heart-shaped houseplant with an everyday kitchen sponge. Cut clean kitchen sponges into a heart-shape for each student. Dip the sponge into water and wring out until it is moist. Sprinkle quick-growing grass seed over the moist sponge and spray the seeds with a plant sprayer. Cover the heart with plastic wrap and set in a sunny place. Once the seedlings appear, remove the covering and each preschooler can give it to the gardener in her life.
Have students make heart shapes from construction paper and cut each in half with original zig-zag techniques. Tape each heart half onto the wall or hang from yarn on the ceiling. Ask each child to find the heart of his choice, stand next to it, remove it from the wall or string and find the person who contains the match to that heart. Once their heart partner is found, have each student compliment the other in celebration of Valentine's Day.
Create a home decor piece by making Valentine's Day banners with the preschool children. Using large pieces of construction paper in red, pink or white, cut a banner shape; design a pennant, a hanging banner with an angled end or a medieval-style banner. The students will use each other's paper scraps from cutting out the banner to create heart, cupids or any other themed shape for Valentine's Day. Attach the banner top or end to a wooden craft stick or dowel to hang the banner at home or in school.