Thinking about making Valentine’s Day a family affair this time around? For most children, the V-Day fun usually ends when the class party is over and the dismissal bell rings. This year, make Valentine’s Day an occasion the whole family can enjoy. Make your children a part of this worldwide day of love with these family-friendly ideas:
Bake Together
Pick up Valentine’s Day cookie or cake mix and let the kids help in the kitchen. Or bake some sugar cookies solo and once they’ve cooled, let the kids decorate them however they’d like. Make sure you have lots of sprinkles, icing and candy at your cookie decorating party. Show them this Pinterest board for inspiration.
Make Homemade Cards
Buy construction paper, markers, crayons, beads, stickers, stamps, yarn and other embellishments and create homemade Valentine’s Day cards. Have the kids make a list of their close friends and family members, and let them craft personalized messages that express why they love them. For younger children, printables from Disney will do the trick.
Plan a Special Family Dinner
Instead of preparing the usual, let your children offer menu suggestions and whip up a meal based on their requests. Bring out the wine glasses and using sparkling cider, make a toast to your children and spouse, expressing how much you love and adore each and every one of them. Dessert can be the sweet treats the kids baked earlier. And don’t forget to decorate the table with a stylish tablecloth and a beautiful centerpiece. Valentine’s Day flowers from FTD will complete your tablescape.
Play Games
Depending on how the weather is in your part of the country, a family picnic may be an option. If it’s too cold where you are, try a picnic in the living room. But either way, once all the food is gone, it’s time for some Valentine’s Day fun. Spearhead your very own Valentine’s Day heart search—it’s similar to an Easter egg hunt, but you hide candy in small boxes or bags instead. Musical chairs, with Valentine-themed baskets containing candy and other trinkets as the prize, is also a great idea. And you could always hold a Valentine’s Day-themed scavenger hunt; maybe you could get the neighborhood moms and their kids involved in this one.
Do Charity Work
Perhaps the most thoughtful idea for making this Valentine’s Day memorable is spreading the love to the less fortunate. Instead of spending the entire day or evening in the comforts of your own home engaged in fun-filled activities, head out to a shelter to feed the homeless. Or find another volunteer opportunity in your community at VolunteerMatch.org. Donating some of your time is one of the best gifts you can give to someone in need; that’s what spreading the love is all about. It’s a great example to set for the kids, too.
