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What's in Your Heart?

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This activity can be used as an icebreaker or a warm up activity for a specific unit in which the title and/or topic is love. You can also do this in February around Valentine's Day. I cut out a heart for each student around the size of my hand. My hearts were red but you can use any color your heart desires.
Each student is given a heart and asked to write 2 things they like about themselves and two things they like about the person to their right. It can be one word or how they like the way the person does something. Each thing is written on a round "tip" of the heart, 2 on the front and 2 on the back.
Tell your students they are not supposed to let anyone see what they are writing. When they are done, collect the hearts and tape them up on the walls with the back tips folded back (sort of like a butterfly on a wall). Ask your students to get up and go up to the hearts and try to find out who the hearts are referring to.
It's a nice way for them to get to know each other better and to have kids or adults focusing on the good we each have to offer, plus the trying to guess who the hearts belong to is always fun.
Well, hope you try it, adapt it (maybe a four leaf clover for St. Patrick's Day) and enjoy it.


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  1. Erivelton Pereira SoaresDecember 1, 2015 at 5:02 PM

    Hey, Elide! Congratulations on your post. I have never thought about an activity like that before. Would you believe me if I told you that I imagined myself not as a teacher, but as a student doing this activity? It seems a lot of fun. It's so simple and cool. What was the reaction of your students? Did they like it? Did you feel they were more motivated and willing to get to know their classmates better? I'm looking forward to hearing more from you.

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    1. Elide Pinheiro GoncalvesDecember 4, 2015 at 2:22 AM

      Hi, Erivelton! Thanks for posting! I'm really glad you enjoyed the idea. I did this with an adult group and they were a little shy at first but they had a good time. I will do this with as many groups as I can this coming February when classes start. I'll be following your blog and hope to hear more from you, too.

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