When most of us think about Valentine’s Day, we tend to picture romantic candlelight dinners or an elegant night out on the town. After you have kids, however, it’s safe to say that your perspective changes just a little bit. While you don’t have to take your romantic plans completely off the table, more than likely you’re thinking about how you can celebrate this special holiday with the kiddos as well. Below are some handy tips that will help you make Valentine’s Day special for your little sweethearts.
1. Bake a Valentine’s Day themed cake (or cupcakes) together.
In kid language, nothing says “I love you” quite like a sweet treat, and it’s even better when you can involve your children in the baking process. Choose a dessert from this Valentine’s Day cake/cupcake recipe collection from Woman’s Day, and give your kids some age-appropriate tasks to help you bake a delectable Valentine’s confection. So whether you go with the chocolate covered strawberry heart cake, pink velvet cupcakes, or the strawberry cookies and cream cake, you are sure to produce a smash hit while bonding with your little sweethearts.
2. Relax together for a comfy family movie night.
You can choose a kid-appropriate Valentine’s Day movie such as “Lady and the Tramp” or “Beauty and the Beast,” or you can just go for one of their favorites (maybe Frozen, for the 105th time?) along with some popcorn and/or Valentine’s themed snacks. Truth be told, the movie choice is nowhere near as important as the fact that you’re taking time out of your busy schedule to just be with your kids and enjoy a sweet moment together.
3. Decorate the house together with a Valentine’s Day theme.
We put fake cobwebs and pumpkins around the house for Halloween, and we string lights and put up a tree for Christmas – why not decorate the house for Valentine’s Day as well? Just swing by your local dollar store to pick up some pink, red and white balloons and streamers, and you and your little ones can decorate around the house together to infuse your home with some Valentine’s Day spirit. Also consider having your children create some homemade decorations, such as pink and white paper chains that you can hang from the ceiling.
4. Play some interactive Valentine’s Day computer games together.
Believe it or not, there are quite a few of these types of games available online for free, and they’re a fun way to interact with your kids while sneaking in some tech learning along the way. Apples 4 the Teacher has a whole page of Valentine’s themed computer games including Cupid’s Maze, Valentine Smash (kind of Candy Crush Saga-esque) and a Valentine’s Day Word Search Puzzle.
5. Hold your own Valentine’s Day photo shoot.
What better way to freeze a lovely moment in time than to conduct a Valentine’s Day photo shoot with your little ones? And no, we’re not talking about shelling out hundreds of dollars for a professional studio portrait – with a little insight from Ariana over at Becoming Mom, you can create your own portrait studio in your home for next to nothing, and with stunning results! This is a great way to capture some fond Valentine’s Day memories of your little sweethearts, and the resulting photos will make great keepsakes for family and close friends.
Valentine’s Day is all about love, and for most children, love is spelled T-I-M-E. When you invest some of your time into celebrating this fun holiday with your kids, it will only make your bond that much stronger. Use the tips above to help spark some ideas, and have a great Valentine’s Day!
