Valentine’s Day in the US isn’t only about passion and romance. It’s also a day to celebrate BFFs, schoolyard crushes, and family love.
Here are 10 charming Valentine’s Day ideas for kids that adults will have fun with, too!
1. Make Valentines for Friends and Classmates
This is a tradition that many of us remember, and even little kids know that a homemade Valentine is extra special.
Hands On As We Grow has a ton of great ideas that won’t break the bank or be too complex for kids to help out with. And Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons has a round up of dozens of really charming ideas that include candy and treats.
Be sure to check with your child’s school for any guidelines about sharing treats or any activities their teacher has planned.
Feeling adventurous? How about valentines for their Sunday School class, dance class, scout troop, or basketball team?
2. Make Valentines for Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents
Valentine’s Day is a great time to send extended family an unexpected card!
Handprint cards like these ones at Life Is Sweet are great for a toddler Valentine’s Day treat.
Or try this sweet idea from The Party Event and send a long-distance hug by attaching two hand prints to a ribbon that’s the length of your little lovebug’s wingspan. This is a valentine that’s guaranteed to make a grandparent’s day!
3. Snuggle up for a Tale of Puppy Love
The Disney cartoon classic Lady and the Tramp is one of our favorite family-friendly love stories, but there are plenty of lovable choices for family movie night.
Try Charlotte’s Web for a tear-jerker about love between best friends. And there are a couple of great Charlie Brown Valentine’s Day specials.
Parenting magazine has a few other classic suggestions for kids of all ages. Princess Bride, anyone? As… you… wish!
4. Send a Surprise Flower Delivery
Sending your child flowers for Valentine’s Day is a great way to show them that you love and appreciate them. It’s also a fun opportunity to teach them about the holiday and its traditions.
Even better? Receiving flowers can boost their mood and self-esteem, which is beneficial for children (not just adults!).
Find a local florist near you!
5. Make a Heart-y Breakfast
Heart-shaped pancakes bring a lot of smiles for a little effort. You can find heart-shaped molds online, or make them out of tinfoil (here’s a tutorial).
If you have a squeeze bottle and a steady hand, you can try adding a couple of drops of red food coloring to some of the batter and drawing a design, then topping it with regular batter.
When you flip it over, tah-dah!
Add some strawberry or raspberry topping—and maybe a squirt of whipped cream—for a tasty Valentine’s Day idea for kids breakfast.
6. Send Some Lunchtime Love
A heart-shaped cookie cutter is all you need to transform an everyday sandwich into an edible valentine for kid’s lunch box. Or try this clever sandwich “envelope” idea at Bentology for a tasty love note.
Sneak in a special sweet treat if you like, whether that’s a piece of candy or some heart-shaped apple slices.
7. Share a Smile with Seniors
If there is a nursing home near you, make a plan to make Valentine’s Day crafts or cards for the residents.
Valentine’s Day can be lonely for seniors, and visitors are always a special treat any day of the year. Even if you can’t deliver your valentines in person, they’ll appreciate the surprise.
Here are a few more sweet ideas for Valentine’s Day crafts and activities kids can do for seniors.
8. Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve…
…or around your neck!
These Valentine’s heart leis from Makezine are an easy, wearable craft that can be tailored to your child’s skill level.
An adult can cut the shapes and straws while kids string the leis, or kids can decorate to their heart’s content with markers, stamps, or (dare we suggest it?) glitter. This is an easy craft to adapt for any rainy day or snow day activity, using any shapes and colors you like.
9. Be Their Valen-Slime!
If you’ve been anywhere near a kid in the last few years, you’ve probably heard “Can we make slime?” at least 100 times—a day.
What better way to illustrate that patience is one of the ways we can show love than by finally letting them make some Valen-slime?
Here are slime making tips via The Strategist, but we bet your favorite kid will already have their own favorite recipe.
10. Host a Galentine’s Day Party
Take a page from Parks and Recreation’s Leslie Knope and introduce your teen to the celebration of BFFs that is Galentine’s Day.
For Leslie, it’s all about a waffle brunch and mimosas (alcohol-free, obvi)—but it can be a pajama dance party, home spa day, horror movie marathon, hiking trip… Whatever your favorite gal loves doing with her besties.
11. 50 Ways to Say “I Love You”
This is a great family dinner conversation to have in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day.
Ask everyone in your family to think of a few things they love about each other, or ways that they can show love to friends and family.
Write down everyone’s ideas and turn them into a Valentine’s Day surprise, like this “heart attack” from blogger Skip to My Lou.
Later, you can collect the hearts, or just collect all the great ideas, into a simple family scrapbook like this one from The Crazy Crafty Lady.
For a fun challenge, see how well (or how badly!) you can pronounce “I love you” in other languages!
