Valentine’s Day for kids: I 100% get the dilemma.
How can you make it special, make them feel loved–when you’re just trying to get kids to eat mashed potatoes with a fork, or get their shoes on the right feet?
I’m piling in here a few easy ideas to make Valentine’s Day for kids pop–without a lot of extra effort.
Remember: Moments like these are about communicating your affection to kids, and creating memories together that say, I see you. You’re special to me.
When you look at it that way, the rose-colored glasses from every Pinterest activity can slide off.
That priority helps me sift out the activities that could steal my joy or expend energy I don’t have, leading to the kind of Valentine’s Day I hope they don’t remember. (Yikes.)
Take a page from Romans 12:3, and look at yourself, and your schedule, with sober judgment. What can you really do, and still be able to “love sincerely” (Romans 12:9)?
Don’t look on Insta at what your friends are doing for their kids. Lay down your heart-shaped super-parent cape. And feel free to order absolutely nothing pink last-minute from Target.
And just be the parent your kids need, who shows them God’s smile.
Valentine’s Day for Kids: 4 easy-enough ideas
Valentine’s Day Bingo.
Hopefully, this can hand your kids a few ideas to love on other people.
Print Valentine’s Day for Kids Bingo here.
Take ’em on a date.
Milkshakes, cake pops at Starbucks, bowling, mini-golf if you live in a place warmer than I do. Don’t overthink it or overspend it; I’m not saying you need to blow your wad at Build-A-Bear.
The goal here is memories together, feeling loved.
Hand them a custom, heartfelt, parent-child Valentine, maybe with a box of their favorite candy.
…or a coupon for the date above. Grab an easy fill-in-the blank/circle-all-that-apply printable template here to keep it fun, easy, and hopefully meaningful.
Print this parent-child valentine here.
Add teensy pizzazz to your meals.
You could
- create an easy garland by cutting out a string of hearts, paper-doll style. (Fold up paper like an accordion/cut out heart-shape, hang. You got this.)
- cut their lunch sandwich into a heart shape.
- add a note to their lunchbox, or the parent-child valentine above.
- make strawberry milk, using strawberry syrup.
- grab a roll of slice-and-bake sugar cookie dough, slather on frosting, dump on sprinkles. Or let the kids do it. Done and done.
- grab a box of real-fruit strawberry popsicles, and call them Valentine’s Day popsicles.
You see where I’m going here. Think, Hey, I could do this.
Don’t miss this: My kids don’t need more. They need just a few gestures of kindness.
And it’s great if they can be the givers of those gestures, too.
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