7 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Kids

Last updated on April 8th, 2022 at 11:05 pm

In our home, we have always celebrated Valentine’s Day with our kids. It is a time of the year that we take the opportunity to show them how much we love them. Although I wouldn’t say that Valentine’s Day tops the list as a favorite holiday, it is still a fun day to remind each other how loved they are. 

We’ve done restaurants before on Valentine’s Day and it always feels overcrowded and a bit stressful. If we plan on going out at all, we try for more obscure restaurants that most won’t think of as a place to go on Valentine’s Day. Most years we stay at home for a home-cooked meal that everyone votes on.

Here are 7 ways we love to celebrate Valentine’s Day with our kids:

1. Bake together

I’m not a candy fan and Valentine’s Day candy always feels over the top. Despite not loving candy, I do love a good homemade dessert. Getting in the kitchen and working together to create something yummy that you can all enjoy is always a good idea.

We avoid refined sugars at home, so making sweet treats doesn’t mean a sugar overload.

One of my favorite cookbooks for making delicious sweets that are paleo is Every Last Crumb by Brittany Angel. From chocolate waffles that are an all-time favorite in our house, to cookies, pastries, and cakes, all the recipes are gluten-free and free of refined sugar, and you would never know by the taste of them. 

2. Go on a Walk

Walks are my love language. If time would permit, I would walk for hours every day. It calms my nerves, clears my mind, and the exercise is a bonus. Despite the mental and physical benefits, my favorite part about it is the conversations that happen while on walks. Whether it’s my kids, my husband, or girlfriends, I always feel like walks produce such rich, deep conversations.

Taking kids on a walk might not sound like your cup of tea, but bring the snacks and drinks, bring the stroller if you have little ones, and wear the right clothes for the weather and it will surprise you how enjoyable it can be. If you have young children who are losing motivation to keep going, focus on identifying insects, animals, or plants or ask questions about anything you see. 

3. Read a Book

There are so many fun Valentine’s Day books to read together. Don’t forget that even older kids can benefit and truly enjoy a book being read to them. I separated some of my favorite ones by age group to make it easy. Extra bonus: Books are also a great small gift to give kids on Valentine’s Day!

Board Books: 

Little Blue Truck’s Valentine by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry

Llama Llama I Love You by Anna Dewdney

I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home by Kathyrn Cristaldi & Kristyna Litten

Books for Ages 3-8:

Franklin’s Valentines by Paulette Bourgeois

Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane deGroat

Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day is Cool by James Dean & Kimberly Dean

The Berenstain Bears’ Valentine’s Blessings by Mike Berenstain

4. Make a craft

Crafting isn’t just for the artist. Kids love crafts and the good thing is, most kids aren’t super concerned that their finished product is perfect, well, at least my kids. All of my kids love making a craft, and Valentine’s Day is a great day to do it!

I always feel like I need a few ideas to get my creative side flowing. Thankfully Pinterest is full of ideas for all ages.

Here are a few of my favorite Valentine’s Day crafts:

Valentine’s Day Rose Wreath

Natural Heart Shaped Soap

Valentine Heart Garland

Valentine’s Day Tree

5. Play a game

Games are one of our favorite things to do as a family. We love card games, board games, outdoor games, really any game. Games are so fun to bring everyone together, add some competition and lots of laughter. 

These are some fun board games to play together on Valentine’s Day:

Candyland – You get all the sweets without eating them!

Charades For Kids – A perfect game for non-readers and for getting everyone moving!

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza – If you want a fast-moving game that is sure to get everyone laughing, this is the one!

6. Learn about the history of Valentine’s Day

If you’re going to celebrate it, you should know what you’re celebrating, right? I don’t remember ever learning the history of Valentine’s Day in school because the day was filled with Valentine’s card exchanges and candy. While the fun was memorable, learning about the history of holidays is also important. 

Last year when I began thinking of how to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I realized I didn’t know really anything about Valentine’s Day other than it was based on St. Valentine. After a bit of research and interviewing, I wrote The History & Meaning of Valentine’s Day to help teach my kids and others about the holiday. Use this blog post to help you and your kids in learning more about the history of Valentine’s Day.

7. Tell them a love story

Ok, this one might seem a little silly, but kids love a good love story. Well, depending on their age, maybe minus all the gushy details, but my kids love to hear details of how we met, dated, and got married. If you’re not up for telling a love story of your own, tell them a love story from your parents or a love story from another person in their life that they care about. Valentine’s Day is perfect for celebrating the power of love.

Conclusion

Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to spend as a family and remind each other how much you love each other. These babies of ours were made in our love, so it’s a day to show them. These are seven simple, inexpensive ways we love celebrating this day of love! May your love tanks be full today!