My students love making snack-in-a-cup recipes, so I had to create a fun treat for Valentine’s Day. Cupid in a Cup is a sweet berry treat that is made from frozen raspberries or strawberries, whichever you choose. It is the perfect Valentine’s Day classroom activity to assemble while students are filled with energy and excitement for the holiday and they’ll enjoy the fun and educational extension activities that go along with it.
Gather Ingredients & Supplies
A week or so prior to doing this activity, you can send home the donation letter to your families if you teach at a school with support. If not, purchasing the items won’t break the budget too much. I have included a list to send home and then an assignment sheet to return. This recipe can be made two different ways so make sure to read closely and pick the fruit of your choice. I personally made it with raspberries, and it was delicious.
Valentine’s Day Classroom Activity
Before you begin, go over the ingredients with your students and make predictions. There are a few math sheets to do a little predicting, surveying, and graphing. I always pass these out first and we predict before we begin making the snack.
Next, I pass out the mini booklet to my students. It gives step-by-step directions to make the snack. I have them read through the booklet while I dismiss one table at a time to wash their hands. In the front of the room, I have the ingredients, supplies, and recipe ready to go.
Then, we begin reading one page at a time and following the directions. I have a few students come up at a time to participate. The filling is made from pudding, cool whip, cream cheese, and fruit. (I did not use red food die for this recipe.)
Two important tips for this recipe are to make sure the fruit and cream cheese are at room temperature. This allows it to mix into a smooth filling. I make sure to allow each child a turn to mix or add an ingredient.
After making the filling, you will make a cookie crumb bottom by crushing some golden vanilla Oreos. This is always one of their favorite parts.
Finally, it’s time to assemble the treat. The bottom is cookie crumbs, filling in the middle, and whipping cream and sprinkles on top. If you don’t plan on eating it right away, I would refrigerate and add the toppings last.
Valentine’s Day Writing Activity & Craft
There are several extensions you can complete once you are done making the treat. You can make the Cupid in a Cup craft. I usually make the craft and create a large graph on my door. I use the posters included and we put our craft above yes or no, depending on if we liked it or not. I also finish the predicting, surveying, and graphing activity.
There is a sequencing activity that you could do with your students to see if they can recall the steps. They could also use the mini booklet to help.
In addition, there are several different writing activities you can complete. They vary in difficulty from writing how to make it on your own, to using the same mini booklet with pictures but without words to write the steps.
More Snack in a Cup Activities
This activity is part of a large bundle of snacks to make throughout the year.
Here is what a few buyers had to say about Seasonal Snack Activities in a Cup:
“Last year I tried out Pumpkin Pie in a Cup and my students and I loved it so much! So, I decided to buy the bundle and use it monthly this school year. We just finished our Apple Unit and made Apple Pie in a Cup and it was a hit! This is such a fun way to teach Following Directions, Math Graphing, Sequencing, and multiple Writing Genres -Informative, Narrative, and Opinion. We are looking forward to using this every month! The recipes taste great and are easy to follow. The mini books, the craft, and the coordinating writing pages are so cute. Thank you so much for creating this!!!”
“My students are loving making these treats. They are so fun and yummy. It’s a great way for us to work on different skills and bring cooking and mixing into the classroom. It’s really nice to be able to sample some foods we maybe wouldn’t be able to try otherwise.”
Read my blog posts about other snack-in-a-cup activities:
Click the images below to check out more fun snack-in-a-cup activities!
