Activities for Santes Dwynwen’s Day

Discover three fun, meaningful activities to help children celebrate Santes Dwynwen’s Day at school or at home.

Celebrated on January 25th, Santes Dwynwen’s Day (the Welsh celebration of love, kindness, and friendship) is a wonderful opportunity to bring warmth into the classroom or home. While it’s often described as the Welsh “Valentine’s Day,” it can be celebrated in a broader and more child-friendly way: appreciation, gratitude, friendship, and caring for others.

That’s why the activities below are ideal for teachers, parents, and after-school educators alike. They don’t require expensive supplies, they work with different ages, and they naturally encourage emotional literacy—without becoming overly romantic.

Welsh Love Spoon Craft (and what love spoons are)
- What are Welsh love spoons?
- Classroom activity idea (easy + age flexible)
Kindness Cards (“Dwynwen Wishes”) + mini Welsh words
- Activity
- Incorporate Welsh words (simple + fun)
Love & Friendship Poetry (inspired by classic poems)

Welsh Love Spoon Craft (and what love spoons are)

What are Welsh love spoons?

Welsh love spoons are traditional decorative wooden spoons, often hand-carved, that were historically given as a gift to show affection and commitment. They’re not meant for cooking—they’re symbolic keepsakes.

What makes them especially interesting for children is the way they use symbols, like:

hearts for love
keys for safety or “you have the key to my heart”
knots for togetherness
chains for strong bonds
wheels for support and shared journey

So even very young children can design their own “message spoon,” choosing shapes that match what they want to express.

Classroom activity idea (easy + age flexible)

Materials: thick paper/cardstock, crayons/markers, scissors, glue, optional yarn or ribbon

Steps:

Show children a basic spoon shape and explain it’s a Welsh tradition for giving a kind message.
Let them design their spoon using symbols:
- heart = love
- star = “you shine”
- key = trust
- flower = care

Cut out and decorate.
Optional: glue the spoon onto another sheet and write a message underneath:
- “You are a great friend because…”
- “Thank you for…”

✅ Tip: If you want, you can turn this into a classroom display called “Our Friendship Spoons.”

Kindness Cards (“Dwynwen Wishes”) + mini Welsh words

This is a beautiful way to celebrate Santes Dwynwen’s Day as a kindness holiday, not just a love holiday.

Activity

Students create kindness cards for:

classmates
teachers
family members
someone who needs encouragement

Simple prompts:

“I appreciate you because…”
“You make our class better by…”
“Thank you for helping me when…”

Incorporate Welsh words (simple + fun)

To bring Wales into the celebration, add one Welsh word to each card as a mini language activity.

Examples:

Cariad = love
Diolch = thank you
Ffrind = friend

You can put them on the board and let children “choose one” for their card.

✅ Teacher idea: make a “Welsh Word Bank” corner and keep it up all week.

Love & Friendship Poetry (inspired by classic poems)

Poetry is perfect for this day because it gives children a safe way to talk about feelings: friendship, calm, appreciation, and imagination.

For this activity, you can use the mood and ideas from two classic poems:

More ideas: 12 Fun and Easy Poems to Spark Kids’ Love for Poetry

Poem inspiration #1
“The Swing” (Robert Louis Stevenson)

This poem celebrates the joy of swinging high and seeing the world from above.
Theme to borrow: happiness, freedom, the feeling of being light and safe.

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and flowers and fields,
And all at my lovely ride!

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Robert Louis Stevenson

Listen to this poem

Poem inspiration #2
“The Owl and the Pussy-Cat” (Edward Lear)

A playful, musical poem about an unusual pair on an adventure.
Theme to borrow: friendship, togetherness, imagination, silly fun.

Adapted 21st century version

The Owl and the Pussycat

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the moon above,
And sang to a small guitar,
‘O lovely Cat! O Cat, my love,
What a beautiful Cat you are,
You are,
You are,
What a beautiful Cat you are!’

The Cat said to the Owl, ‘You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
Oh, let us be married! too long we have tarried,
But what shall we do for a ring?’

They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood, a piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

‘Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?’ said the Owl to the pig.
‘I’ll sell it for a shilling.
Only a shilling!
The Owl and the Pussy-cat agreed.

Edward Lear