Believe it or not, there are many activities and adventures for Valentine's Day that can be fun for kids and parents. Here are just a few ideas, but get creative on your own as well. Start a new Valentine's Day tradition that is the perfect fit for your family.
Cook for Valentine's Day
Who doesn't love a divine chocolate or dessert? It certainly has appeal for all ages (even babies can get some sort of treat, such as applesauce, if they are on solid foods).
Make a big deal of it. Have the whole family select a recipe. Chocolate truffles are, in fact, pretty simple, have very little dangerous steps (the only step that is kid-unfriendly, perhaps, is the melted chocolate, but a parent can handle the melting).
There are also any number of other wonderful recipes that are fun for kids to help make, from cookies to cakes to pastries and pies. In fact, why not have the kids help make Valentine's Day dinner if the parents can't get out that night?
Create for Valentine's Day
Another wonderful activity for Valentine's Day for the family is creating things. Sure, it can be valentines (which can actually be quite elaborate to make to keep adults challenged). But there are also any number of other creations both parents and kids can create as gifts for one another, including (and depending on the child's level):
- Photo books
- Scrapbooks
- Pottery painting (or creating, if you can find a local class)
- Card making
- Paper making
- Soap making (get a mold for heart-shaped soap!)
- Knitting
Go Sightseeing for Valentine's Day
One of the best things to do as a family for Valentine's Day is to do some sightseeing, even as a local tourist. There are likely many options that either have a tie-in to romance or even provide an opportunity to talk about the subject of love and family.
A great choice is a local conservatory, if you can find an arboretum with a greenhouse that has blooming flowers in February. You can teach children about a variety of flowers, and talk about why they are often given as gifts to people we love.
Another nice option is a local zoo, where you can show examples of expressing love from a variety of breeds. A zoo is a place to find families in many forms, sometimes all the way from insects and reptiles to birds to monkeys and gorillas.
Even if those options aren't available, a day of sightseeing (be it hiking, museum-hopping, walking through a city) is a fun way to bond as a family.
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