Once upon a time, Valentine’s Day was all about planning a unique and borderline extravagant date with my husband or about glamming it up for Galentine’s with friends. However, over the last few years, I’ve learned that celebrating Valentine’s Day with my kids can actually be pretty exciting . . . and uncomplicated.
My children are young enough that Valentine’s Day is about enjoying time with each other without any of the pressure that we as adults sometimes place on this holiday.
Here are five fun and simple ways to make Valentine’s Day with the littles super special.
Cook a Valentine’s Day Breakfast
Believe me, I’m far from a whiz in the kitchen, but something easy like adding red, pink, and white sprinkles to the pancake mix makes such a difference!
Suddenly we go from serving regular ol’ pancakes to Valentine’s Day pancakes.
Fancy.
The kids go crazy about it, and it sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Hold a Valentine’s Day Storytime
Gather up blankets and pillows (brownie points for doing it in a fort) and snuggle close together to read a few books.
Some of our favorite Valentine’s Day picture books include:
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- Hug Machine by Scott Campbell
- Love Is by Diane Adams
- The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
- This Is Not a Valentine by Carter Higgins
- Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Peter Reynolds
There are SO many out there! And I just love how books bring us together in such a unique way.
Host a Chocolate Tasting
Grab a box of mixed chocolates from the grocery store, print or make scorecards, and voila!
Having a scorecard to rank or rate the different kinds of chocolate makes this activity lively and playful. The kids have a great time talking through why a piece of chocolate may be “extraordinary” or “boring.”
Are your kids too young to write? Use a picture and color system! Get chocolates with different shapes, draw them, and color them according to how yummy they are (e.g., red is yummiest, pink is okay, and white is yuck).
Make Valentine’s Day Cards for Each Other
Again, nothing fancy. Put out a few sheets of paper, markers, crayons, paint, stickers, googly eyes, feathers . . . whatever you have on hand.
Let the kids’ imaginations go wild. I can guarantee that you’ll be surprised in the best way seeing what’s in their hearts for each other and for you.
It’s also pretty heartwarming to see them carefully examine the cards they receive.
Have a Fancy Dinner
Break out the nice place mats, cloth napkins, and fancy china (yes, the ones that you’re saving for when the Queen comes over).
Have the kids set the table. Maybe light a candle or two. Dress up.
Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated; the fact that everything else is elevated sets the stage for a whimsical and memorable evening.
For this one, be mentally prepared: those nice items will be used and they will get dirty. Something may even break. Accidents happen.
Decide in advance whether or not you’re okay with this and tweak this activity accordingly.
» » » » » RELATED READ: Four Different Ways to Celebrate Love This Valentine’s Day « « « « «
The two main takeaways for a memorable Valentine’s Day are to be present and put in some effort. Children are so incredibly receptive to these small things. Absorb their joy. It really changes the Valentine’s Day experience.
P.S. Don’t forget to celebrate with your partner. Celebrating Valentine’s Day with my kids has become a fun tradition. But there’s a different and equally important kind of joy in setting that time apart with my husband. It matters too.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of El Paso Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
