Free Printable Valentine's Day CVC Word Building Mat

Valentine’s activities are a great way to get the attention of young learners! I created Valentine’s Day CVC Word Building Mat for Kindergarten for our students to build decoding and spelling skills all February long! Your students are going to love the cute picture cards, and they will have fun identifying the sounds in each word. It’s an activity that sneaks up on our learners and they don’t even know the valuable groundwork they’re laying for stellar reading skills. And, teachers, it’s EASY to prep!

kindergarten cvc word mats february literacy activity free printable with word mat showing the word 'wet' on a picture card, spelled with alphabet magnets and written with dry erase marker

building the word 'hat' on a valentine's day cvc word mat using alphabet magnets and a red dry erase marker.

cvc word building cards with dry erase markers

Recommended Grade Level:

Preschool

Kindergarten

Supply List
Coordinating Activities

Materials for the CVC Word Building Mat

Paper
Laminating Materials
Paper Cutter
Dry Erase Marker

collage of 8 cvc word activities for kindergarten literacy centers and small groups text overlay says 30+ cvc word activities for kids

More CVC Word Activities!

Valentine’s Day CVC Word Building for Kindergarten

Building words with picture cards is a fantastic way to help young learners connect letter sounds with letters—especially when it’s wrapped up in a fun, Valentine’s Day theme!

Using Valentine’s Day CVC word activities gives kids valuable practice with two key early reading skills. First, they get hands-on experience breaking words into individual sounds (phoneme segmentation). Then, they strengthen their ability to match those sounds to the correct letters (phoneme-grapheme mapping).

A bonus? These festive Valentine themed CVC picture cards not only reinforce early reading skills, but also help kids expand their vocabulary as they identify and discuss each word’s meaning.

This FREE printable Valentine’s Day activity makes learning engaging with colorful, themed picture cards that help students read and spell with confidence.

Each Valentine’s Day CVC word mat encourages students to:
❤️ Identify the CVC word using a picture
💗 Break apart and say the sounds in the word
💕 Find the correct letters to build the word
💖 Practice writing the word on lined paper

Make your Kindergarten literacy center extra sweet this Valentine’s Day with this fun and interactive CVC word-building activity!

Why Is It Important For Kids To Practice CVC Words?

Your students will love this Valentine’s Day CVC word activity, and while they’re having fun, they’ll also be building essential reading skills!

Incorporating a festive theme like Valentine’s Day makes learning even more engaging, helping kids connect phonics skills to real-world experiences. Here’s how practicing CVC words with a Valentine’s twist supports early literacy development:

❤️ Builds a Strong Reading Foundation – Before kids can tackle long vowels or more complex spelling patterns, they need to understand that letters represent specific sounds. Valentine’s Day CVC word activities help reinforce this essential skill in a hands-on way.

💗 Supports Writing Growth – Writing full words can be challenging for emerging writers, especially as they develop fine motor skills. These fun, themed activities allow kids to match letters to sounds, building confidence in spelling without the frustration of handwriting.

💕 Boosts Decoding Skills – CVC word games help kindergartners develop the ability to break down and sound out words, which is key for reading unfamiliar words later on. By practicing with Valentine’s Day CVC words, students get comfortable attending to each letter and its sound rather than relying on guessing.

💖 Strengthens Spelling – Strong reading skills don’t always translate to strong spelling skills. But with repeated practice building and spelling CVC words, students develop a deeper understanding of letter-sound relationships, setting them up for spelling success.

This Valentine’s Day, turn learning into a sweet and engaging experience with CVC word-building activities that boost phonics, reading, and spelling skills—all while making learning fun!

valentine's day cvc word building cards with dry erase markers and alphabet magnets on a valentine's day themed word mat

How to Use the Valentine’s Day CVC Word Building Mat in Kindergarten

💌 A Sweet and Simple Way to Practice Spelling! 💌

Before diving into this fun Valentine’s Day CVC word activity, start with plenty of modeling. Show your students how to use the mat step by step. Once they understand, they’ll be ready to practice independently—making your literacy center both engaging and effective!

Getting Started

This activity is super easy to prep:

Print the work mat and CVC picture cards. For durability, use cardstock, or print on regular paper for students to take home.
Laminate the work mats and picture cards if you plan to use them repeatedly in a literacy center.
Cut the CVC picture cards apart so they’re ready for play!

How to Play

💘 Pick a Card: Draw a picture card and place it in the box at the top of the mat.
💝 Say the Word: Stretch the word out slowly, emphasizing each sound.
💌 Build the Word: Match the sounds to their correct letters and place them in the word-building section.
💖 Write the Word: Use a dry/wet-erase marker to write the full word on the provided lines.

With this Valentine’s Day CVC word activity, kids will have fun strengthening their spelling and phonics skills while getting into the holiday spirit. It’s the perfect way to add a little extra love to your literacy lessons! ❤️

More Ways to Use the Valentine’s Day CVC Word Building Mat

This Valentine’s Day CVC word activity is already a fantastic way to build early reading and spelling skills, but there are so many creative ways to use it beyond just matching letters! By incorporating different approaches, you can keep your literacy center fresh and engaging while reinforcing essential phonics skills. Here are some fun ways to extend the learning:

💘 Hands-On Letter Manipulation

Instead of simply using alphabet magnets or letter tiles to build the words, encourage students to:

Mix and Match Letters: Have them try different letter tiles to see how changing just one letter creates a new word (e.g., cat → bat → hat).
Sort by Word Family: Organize words into groups based on their ending sounds (e.g., -at, -et, -it).
Use Play Dough Letters: Roll out play dough and shape the letters for an extra tactile experience.

Grab our CVC play dough mats for more ways to build 120 CVC Words with play dough for fine motor practice!

💝 Sound and Movement Integration

For active learners, try these movement-based activities:

Jump and Spell: Place letter tiles on the floor. As they sound out each letter, have kids jump to the correct tile to build the word.
Clap It Out: Encourage students to clap, tap, or stomp for each sound in the word before building it.
Whisper & Shout: Say the first sound in a whisper, the middle sound in a normal voice, and the last sound loudly to emphasize phoneme segmentation.

💌 Writing with a Twist

The dry-erase section of the mat is perfect for writing, but you can also:

Write the Word in Rainbow Colors: Have students trace over their word multiple times with different colors to reinforce letter formation.
Use Sensory Writing: Let kids write the word in a shallow tray of salt or sand before using the marker.
Sentence Challenge: Ask students to use the word in a simple sentence and write it below the word on a separate paper or whiteboard.

Grab our CVC word outlines for more ways to practice writing 120 CVC Words!

💖 Partner and Small Group Activities

Make this a collaborative learning experience by:

Playing “Guess the Word”: One student picks a card and describes the picture without saying the word. Their partner must guess and spell it.
Speed Round: Set a timer and see how many words a student can correctly build and write in one minute.
Word Hunt: Hide CVC picture cards around the room and have students find one, then bring it to their mat to complete the activity.

By incorporating these extra activities, your Valentine’s Day CVC word mats will become a dynamic, multi-sensory tool that keeps students engaged, motivated, and excited about learning to read and spell! ❤️