Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday to celebrate in kindergarten, since it might be the first time that some of your students have experienced a classroom Valentine party. If you’re looking for a fun activity in addition to the tradition of opening Valentine cards and enjoying treats, I have a great option for you! I’m going to share a mystery that your students can solve during your kindergarten Valentine party.
The Case of the Secret Valentine
This activity invites your students to put on their detective hats and solve a Valentine’s Day mystery. (You could even make cute Valentine-themed detective hats if you want them to literally put on their detective hats!)
The mystery begins when Bear receives a Valentine’s Day card but she doesn’t know who sent it. Students are invited to help Bear solve the mystery by reading the clues included in the case file.
Step One: Meet the Suspects
The first clue in the case file provides pictures of the five suspects in the case. You can spend time introducing and discussing each suspect to help the class activate prior knowledge. For students to be able to make inferences based on the clues, they will need to be familiar with the characteristics of each suspect.
Step Two: Read the Clues
Once you’ve had a chance to discuss the suspects together as a class, you can go through the rest of the clues one at a time. Each clue is numbered, so you can review counting and numerical order with your students as you decide which clue envelope to open next.
After listening to the clue, your class can think about which suspect can be ruled out based on the information in the clue. This is when those suspect picture cards can come in handy! You can put them on display in a pocket chart or on the board, then turn around the picture of a suspect once they have been ruled out. There is also a recording sheet included, so students can cross off the suspects on their own worksheet as the activity progresses.
Step Three: Solve the Mystery
There will be one clear suspect remaining after all the clues have been read and discussed. This means it’s time to make an inference about who sent the secret Valentine card to Bear! The recording sheet that students have been using to track the suspects also has space for students to draw a picture of the suspect who sent the card.
Then, students can write a sentence to explain why they came to the conclusion that they did. This is a great opportunity for students to cite text evidence and make inferences.
Once the mystery has been solved, students will be eager to open their own Valentine cards from their classmates and continue the party. They’ll likely be on the lookout for secret cards!
4 Benefits of a Class Mystery
There are many reasons why a class mystery like this is such a worthwhile activity for Valentine’s Day festivities:
1. Introduce Valentine’s Day
As I mentioned earlier in the post, some students might not be very familiar with how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the classroom. You might decide to use this activity a few days before Valentine’s Day to set the stage for your classroom celebration. It could even spark a discussion about how important it is for students to sign their names on the Valentine cards they’ll be bringing to class so their classmates know who they’re from.
2. Address Anticipation
I think that the majority of teachers have their class celebrations in the afternoon before dismissing students for the day. That can be a long wait for students, especially young kindergarteners! This inferencing activity can help you cut down on some of that anticipation by giving your students a fun seasonal activity to complete as they wait for the classroom festivities to begin.
3. Practice Comprehension Skills
With so many important skills to cover during the school day, it’s important that the activities we use address academic skills in some way. There are several important comprehension skills that students will practice as they solve this mystery. First, they will practice activating prior knowledge so they can more easily understand the clues. Next, they can experience making inferences in a real-world application, which is very helpful for young learners. Finally, they will also cite text evidence to support the inferences that they make.
4. Extend Learning
If you choose to use this mystery prior to Valentine’s Day, you could extend the activity and learning by planting a “secret” Valentine from you in each of your students’ mailboxes on Valentine’s Day. They will instantly remember the Case of the Secret Valentine and will be eager to solve this (more simple) mystery. You an invite them to make inferences about who sent it based on clues that you leave on the card. This could be handwriting, a teacher stamp, or a card sentiment like “I love having you in my class.”
Printable Valentine’s Day Inference Activity
I have put together a resource with everything you need to enjoy this activity with your students this Valentine’s Day. It includes all of the printable suspect pictures, envelope labels, clues, and recording sheets that will help you make this a memorable Valentine’s Day activity for you and your students.
If you’d like to take a closer look at everything included in this resource, you can find it in my TPT store.
More Inferencing Fun
You don’t have to wait for a classroom party to solve a fun mystery with your class! I have created seasonal inferencing activities that you can use throughout the school year to practice making inferences. For example, your students would love The Case of the Snowman’s Missing Hat during the winter months.
Save This Kindergarten Valentine Party Activity
I hope you and your students have a fun Valentine’s Day party! If you’d like to come back to this post later, be sure to add the pin below to your favorite classroom holiday board on Pinterest. You’ll be able to quickly find this fun idea when you’re planning your kindergarten Valentine party.
