Learn about unique holidays and traditions from around the world with these Valentine’s Day colouring pages for kids that turn into a giant Valentine poster!
As I was making our study plan for February, I stumbled over Valentine’s Day. Over the years, we have made a lot of Valentine’s crafts – watercolour “reappearing name” cards, stained glass suncatchers, and even special love-themed foam airplanes.
I am sure we will make something similar this year as well, but I kept thinking – is Valentine’s Day for kids primarily a holiday of crafts, hearts, and chocolates, or is there also something we can learn about Valentine’s Day that will make it a more meaningful experience?
Then I had an idea. Every year, in December, we celebrate a variety of winter holidays from around the world, inviting Krampus, Tomte, Yule Lads, and other unique characters into our house. We always find it delightful to learn how similar traditions evolved in different parts of our planet. It’s eye-opening, mind-broadening, and simply fun.
So I looked into how Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world, and – whoa, did I learn a lot of interesting traditions!
Have you heard about love spoons from Wales? Or Jack Valentine, the mysterious figure from Norfolk? Did you know that only girls give gifts on Valentine’s Day in Japan? Don’t worry, they get a present back, a month later, on White Day! The same happens in South Korea; only this country goes one step further and observes Black Day as well, for those who didn’t receive anything. It’s unlikely you’ll find yourself in this situation in Guatemala though – there Valentine’s Day is a holiday for everyone, young and old, family and friends!
The result of my curiosity is this pack of educational colouring pages for kids that focus on Valentine’s Day around the world. I’ve also included a few other love-themed holidays that some countries celebrate instead of or in addition to Valentine’s Day.
If you want to learn about the history and geography of the holiday more, check out Valentine’s Day Unit Study!
What’s in the Valentine’s Day Colouring Pages Pack?
At the centre of the Valentine’s Day Around the World pack are nine colouring pages. Each of them illustrates a tradition from a certain country. We’ve got Japan, South Korea, China, Denmark, Norfolk (England), Wales, South Africa, Guatemala, and Israel. Look up those countries on the map before doing the main activity.
There is a set of Valentine’s Day colouring pages that have informative captions printed right onto the pictures. You can look at the pictures and read the captions. The text provides plenty of opportunity for discussion and further research if you like going down the rabbit holes of exploration, and I’ve included a list of specific topics to explore. Also, don’t forget to look for national flags on every picture!
There is also a set of colouring pages without any text. It may work better for students who don’t read, for ESL students, or simply for engaging in a logical activity of matching the separately printed cards to the pictures.
But that’s not all. Once the pages are coloured (either divided between students in a big group or done by a small group of students), they can be all put together into a giant poster.
If you used all nine pages, you will likely end up with a 3×3 poster. If you had more than nine students and used more pages, you can either have a bigger poster or several separate posters. In a smaller group, you can also exclude some pages and make a smaller poster. The bottom line is, there are quite a few configurations in which you can arrange the pages! Here is an example of a 3×3 poster.
This is still not all though! Inside the pack, there is also a template for kids to make their own page. They may want to do it about their special Valentine’s Day tradition or they can do research on some other countries. For starters, try Portugal or Philippines.
Get the Valentine’s Day Colouring Pages for Kids!
Also Try!
Did you like looking for flags in the colouring pages? Flag Bingo is a printable educational game that challenges children to learn and identify the flags of the world. Featuring the flags of 120 countries and several ways to play, Flag Bingo is a fun supplement to teaching geography in lower grades!
Do your children like colouring pages? March is Women’s History Month! Celebrate it with this free printable colouring page and poster, featuring twelve inspiring quotes from twelve amazing women!
Thanks for reading! If you are on Instagram, tag me @adventureinabox to show your colouring results!
