Family Valentine’s Ideas

I am a sucker for fun things to do with my family! I love having a plan. I love spoiling people. I love gifting people with surprises, experiences and gifts. So, naturally, a day to spoil is right up my alley! It may be commercialised. Yes, I should show my family love everyday. But I love having a special day on the calendar to surprise, spoil and celebrate!

There is no better time than now to start new family traditions! Here are some ways to shower the love and celebrate family!

Secret Valentine

Put names into a hat and draw out a name. For the week, three days before, day before or even the day of Valentine’s Day, put notes or small gifts around the house for that person to find to know they are loved. Each person could be assigned a different colour paper so their notes are easily identifiable. You can still do this with younger kids and write their messages for them and help them stick them up. At some point in the day, reveal who you are with a homemade card or gift.

Heart Biscuits

This is a lovely activity to do with your kids. They love eating the dough and it teaches them maths (measuring, right?!?) – an educational experience! Make yummy biscuits, decorate them with pink and white icing and then gift them to those you love. They don’t need to be perfect. The important thing is that they make them with you. It’s the process not the product!

Heart Attack

Write appreciation notes on cut-out hearts and stick them on your child’s door while they’re asleep. Rope them in when they get older and see if you can surprise the recipient or find an inventive place to stick the hearts like all over the car or a sprinkle of hearts in their school bag or lunch box.

Dates

Take your children on one-on-one dates. Give each child some undivided attention. You could take them out for a milkshake. Or go on a walk together. It can be as simple as colouring a picture or reading a book. It could be as fancy and as extravagant as dressing up to go out for a meal together. Do something you know they love. Don’t like me, be tempted to make your own plan of what you think might be nice. Just make a fuss of them.

Lunchbox Love

This one is simple but meaningful. I had a friend in school whose mom would write notes for her on a serviette. I’ll never forget it. Do the same. Write a note and pop it in their lunchbox. Cut out fruit or sandwiches in heart shapes. Write a note or draw hearts on their orange or banana. If the school allows, pop in a little treat. Let them know that you think of them even when they’re away.

Love-filled Breakfast

Surprise your family with a sweet surprise on Valentine’s morning. Decorate the table with red and pink and some fun cut-out hearts or confetti. Cut some beautiful flowers from the garden and place a stem at each place. You can add a little chocolate if you’d like. Drink something like hot chocolate for a treat. Make heart-shaped crumpets/pancakes/flap jacks. Dye the mixture pink or red. Fry an egg in a piece of bread or toast with a heart cut out of the middle. Write a simple note and place it on each placemat. Have ice cream or cake for breakfast. Make it a memorable and highly anticipated event each year!

Credit: B-Inspired Mama and Teach Beside Me

Fancy Meal

Have a fancy meal together as a family. Decorate the dining room table. Light some candles. Dress up. Have treat food. Take some pictures together. Use special crockery. Give them fancy glasses. They will love it. Afterwards covene to the lounge and pull out some board games while sipping on hot chocolate.

Credit: Healthy Impactful

Love Journal

Have a special notebook set aside for Valentine’s Day (and birthdays should you wish.) Everyone gets to say something they love about each person in the family. Write it down and read aloud. Each year go back and see what was said in the previous years. There will be some gems!

Credit: Healthy Impactful

Scavenger Hunt

Give each member of the family a list of items they need to find relating to Valentine’s Day. For example, a red item of clothing or a white food. Make it as chilled or as competitive as you wish.

Credit: Big Family Blessings

Valentine’s Day Cards

I don’t know about you, but a handmade card is special because someone took time in their day to create something especially for me. Pull out the paints, coloured paper, scissors, crayons and glitter glue. The beauty about cards is that, from the moment a child is starting to speak sentences, you can ask the child why they love the person. You’ll laugh or be surprisingly moved by their answers.

Credit: Parties with a Cause

Love Coupons

This is something we did as kids and something I’ve actually done as an adult too. Cut some small retangular cards. Write on them and decorate with coloured pens or kokis. You can include things like “Do your chores,” “Family movie night,” “Stay up late,” and so forth. Here’s a template from Brooklyn Active Mama to get you started.

Credit: Parties with a Cause

Cupid’s Crazy Cafe

It’s pretty crazy and the family will think it’s hilarious. The concept is similar to a Dice Dinner. Give each member of the family a “menu” with code words. To each word is assigned an item of cutlery or crockery or a dish. They get to choose two or three options per course. They could end up with a spoon and a plate for starters. Or a piece of steak to eat with a spoon. Or pudding before mains. As The Dating Divas say, “Anything goes!”

Credit: The Dating Divas

Treasure Hunt

Who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt. Make it with pictures, with clues or with riddles. Get the blood pumping. The prize at the end need not be extravagant. It can be as simple as a card or a small chocolate. Don’t forget, one for each member of the family!

Credit: The Organized Mom

Random Acts of Kindness

It’s (mostly) easy to be kind to people we love. But how about those we don’t know or those people who aren’t particularly lovable. How about doing something kind for someone else. It’s not to say you can’t do it for family members or friends. But you could also drop off treats with a family who couldn’t afford some. As a family, you could pay for someone’s groceries. You could encourage your children to look out for a child on his/her own at school and invite him/her to join them. The list is endless.

Credit: Joy in the Works

Share the Ultimate Love Story

Explain why we love others and why we love even those who don’t love us back. Talk to your kids about Jesus loving us enough to sacrifice His place in heaven and die to save us by giving up His life. Learn Bible verses about God’s love. And teach your children to share His love with others this month by doing kind acts, writing notes, being compassionate, using kind words and so forth. Be His hands and feet. Love as He loved – fully and sacrificially.

Credit: Joy in the Works

Photo Credit: Jill Wellington