Valentine’s Day – you either love it or you hate it. Personally, my husband and I are not big Valentine’s people. However, now that we have kids, it seems to have found its magic again! The best part is, you don’t have to go all out or spend a ton of money to make your kids feel special. It’s all in the little details that help make things feel grand.
My mom is an elementary school teacher so my childhood was very magical. I want to give my kids a similar experience because I know how special these moments are. Here are a few things I’ll be doing this Valentine’s day:
Decorations
- My mom used to cut out hearts and hang them from our doorway when we were young. It was always so fun to wake up to on Valentine’s Day. She’d write a word or phrase on each heart that described my siblings and me. She even sent them to me when I was away at college! This is the first year I plan on carrying out that tradition for my own kids, and I’m pumped to see how they react when they wake up and see the pretty hearts! All you need for this is construction paper, a Sharpie, ribbon, scissors, a pencil to trace out your hearts, and scotch tape.
- I was looking for heart garland for our mantle and honestly nothing was doing it for me, so we made our own! I grabbed my kids and had them ‘help’ cut out hearts and staple them onto ribbon – essentially what you would do for their doorway! It was good practice 😉
Themed Food and Drinks
- You can cut sandwiches into hearts or use food dye to color their milk red. This is the food dye I use (We try to limit our Red Dye 40 whenever we can and this is a great option). Several pizza chains will do heart shaped pizzas on Valentine’s Day, or you can make your own! Even utilizing red meals such as pasta with marinera will do the trick! Of course, there are always heart chocolates from stores you can give!
Crafts
- I was able to create a heart out of my son’s two hands by tracing them. This was much harder then it sounds when dealing with a two year old – but he was proud of it! I had him put his hands flat on paper and splay his fingers apart with his two thumbs touching. After I traced his hands, I cut a heart shape around the paper to really get the idea across.
- I think it would super fun to write my kids a Valentine’s note. Obviously at this age I’ll read it to them, but I’d love for that to become a tradition when they wake up and can immediately read a love letter from mom. <3 I found a two pack of paper mailboxes at Home Goods and figured that’d be a super cute way to deliver their letters. You can find these mailboxes at Target, Walmart, and most craft stores! I also found some love themed books to put in the mailbox. Pro Tip – if you are buying books at Target, make sure you have the Target app and scan them with your phone camera. There is usually a price difference with books and the store will match it!
I hope these ideas spark a little inspiration for celebrating with your kids this Valentine’s Day. I’d love to hear any traditions your family has created! Remember, in the end, it’s not about how big or elaborate the day is, but about the small, love-filled moments in between. These are the moments that stick. How special it is to create something your child can carry with them long after they’ve outgrown the crafts and cards. Happy Valentine’s Day!
XO,
Kassie
