Valentine's Day Bible Lessons for Kids
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to teach children about Christ-like love in a fun and meaningful way. Jesus commands us in John 13:34 to “love one another”. There are many ideas to help kids engage with the topic of love leading up to Valentine’s Day. Be sure to keep reading for ideas of Valentine’s Day crafts, kid-friendly songs, and scripted Bible lessons that help kids understand what real, biblical love looks like. These engaging activities make it easy to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a strong foundation in God’s Word.
WHAT does the bible say ABOUT Love?
The Bible does not explicitly mention Valentine’s Day, as this wasn’t a celebration observed by people in the Old or New Testaments. However, the Bible has a lot to say about love. Here are some prominent themes in the Bible about love:
God loves us.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
God wants us to love Him.
Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
This Old Testament verse is echoed several times in the New Testament: Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27.
Joshua 22:5 “Be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
God wants us to love other people.
John 13:34 “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Colossians 3:14 “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together.”
Valentine’s Day Bible Lesson for Kids
Are you looking for a simple way to teach about Valentine’s Day? The story of Jesus giving his disciples a new commandment about love is a great connection. The lessons include lesson plans, discussion questions, and printable crafts.
A BIBLE STORY ABOUT LOVE: Jesus Gives His Disciples a New Commandment
In John 13, Jesus is celebrating Passover with his disciples. This is on the night before Jesus went to the cross. Jesus and his disciples were sharing a special meal. We now call this the Last Supper. Jesus knew he would soon leave them, so he wanted to give them one last, very important instruction.
In John 13:34, he said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”Jesus explained that when people see how his followers love each other, they will know they belong to him.
Jesus showed what real love looks like by serving others and by giving his life for us. He wanted his friends and all of us to love others the same way: kindly, unselfishly, and with a caring heart.
HOW DOES THIS STORY CONNECT TO Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is all about love, and Jesus wants us to love others. Valentine’s Day is when we remind people that we love them. It’s a day to tell our family and friends how much we love them. But Jesus’ kind of love isn’t just for one day. We can show love every day with kind words, helping hands, and caring hearts!
Other Bible Stories about Love
There are many Bible stories about love. Here are a few that could be appropriate to teach leading up to Valentine’s Day:
The Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:25-37, is a beautiful lesson about loving your neighbor as yourself.
One of the “Lost Parables”, which includes the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. Each of these teaches us an important lesson about how valuable we are to God.
Ruth and Naomi, found in the book of Ruth, is a story about loyalty, kindness, and love.
David and Jonathan, found in 1 Samuel 18-20, is a story about the love shared between friends.
Zacchaeus, found in Luke 19:1-10, is a beautiful story about how Jesus’ love can change hearts.
Valentine’s CRAFT FOR PRESCHOOL - kindness cupcakes
Kindness Cupcakes are a fun printable craft to do with preschool and kindergarten kids.
God’s love is sweet! And cupcakes are sweet! Share about God’s love with this printable kindness cupcake craft from Valentine’s Day Bible Lessons for Preschool.
In this craft, kids will color and cut out the three pieces of their cupcake (wrapper, cupcake, and icing). Then they will use glue to assemble their craft. On each ice cream is a reminder about God’s love for us, including “God made you special”, “You are loved”, and “You are God’s child”.
Then, kids can write their friends’ names on the cards and hand them out as Valentine’s cards!
Valentine’s CRAFT FOR BIGGER KIDS - kindness coupons
Bigger kids in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades can make Kindness Coupons.
Planning for acts of kindness can become a fabulous way to help kids think about ways to love and serve those around them. Instead of giving a traditional Valentine’s card, have kids create Kindness Coupons for their family.
Be sure to brainstorm ideas with kids about various acts of kindness they could do. These might include shovelling the driveway when it snows, setting the table, letting someone else choose the game for family game night, helping to pack lunches for school, or cleaning the toilet.
Then, using the template provided in Valentine’s Day Bible Lesson for Bigger Kids, have kids write their ideas onto their Kindness Coupons. Once they are finished, staple the coupons together so kids can give the coupons to family or friends.
OTHER Valentine’s CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES
A Heart Wreath: Check out the Resourceful Mama for a cute heart wreath craft. This craft uses supplies you likely already have on hand and can be a beautiful Valentine’s Day decoration. You could even have kids write phrases or Bible verses, such as "God loves me,” “God wants me to love others,” or “John 3:16,” on the various hearts as a visual reminder of the Bible’s teachings on love.
Fingerprint Art: Macaroni Kid has an easy fingerprint heart craft where kids use a stamp pad (or paint) to create a heart shape with their fingerprints.
Love Notes to God: Use any art supplies you already have to decorate cards and write messages to God, thanking Him for His great love.
Coffee Filter Sun Catcher Hearts: Use coffee filters and washable markers to create simple sun catchers to hang in the window. For instructions, check out Farm House Mama.
WORSHIP SONG TO CONNECT TO GOD’S GREAT LOVE
Worship songs are a great way to help kids reflect on the goodness of God. We know that God loves us, and He wants us to love others. Many songs remind us of God’s great love for us and His command to show love to others. Here are some suggestions:
Try using the songs above to open your Sunday School lesson, during transition times, or as a way to wrap up your class with worship and celebration.
Looking for more Bible lessons for kids?
Be sure to check out our 52-week Bible curriculum for both preschoolers and kindergarteners, as well as older children in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grades. These lessons cover stories from the New and Old Testaments, including: Genesis, Moses and the Exodus, the prophets, the life of Jesus, parables, and Jesus’ miracles.
