Valentine's Day is often seen as a day for couples, but it can also be a wonderful time to celebrate love with the whole family! It’s a great opportunity to create special memories with your children, whether it’s through crafts, games, or heart-warming traditions. If you’re looking for some fun ways to make Valentine's Day memorable for your little ones, here are some family-friendly activities that everyone will enjoy. These ideas are all about sharing love, having fun, and spending quality time together!
Celebrating this day as a family can instil positive feelings towards the holiday, which, as we get older, come
1. Valentine’s Day Craft Party
Get creative with a DIY craft session that’s perfect for all ages. You can set up a little Valentine’s craft station at home with all sorts of materials like coloured paper, markers, glitter, stickers, and more. Here are some simple ideas to get started:
- Heart-shaped cards: Have the kids create Valentine’s Day cards for family members or friends. They can draw pictures, add personal messages, and decorate with glitter and stickers.
- Handprint heart art: Make a memorable keepsake by using your children's handprints to create a heart shape on paper. It’s a fun way to capture their little hands while celebrating the love in your family.
- Love bugs: Help the kids create little “love bugs” by decorating small pompoms with googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and felt hearts.
- DIY gift bags: Make personalized gift bags for loved ones, decorated with cute drawings or special messages. You could even add a little homemade treat inside!
2. Valentine’s Day Movie Marathon
Sometimes, the best way to spend time together is by snuggling up for a movie marathon! Choose a mix of family-friendly films that celebrate love, kindness, and friendship. Here are some great options:
- "Lady and the Tramp": A classic Disney movie with a heart-warming love story.
- "The Peanuts Movie": Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Charlie Brown and his friends as they navigate their way through love and friendship.
- "Frozen" or "Frozen II": These movies are about love between sisters and friends, making them a perfect choice for family viewing.
- "Beauty and the Beast": A tale as old as time that highlights love and acceptance.
Prepare some popcorn, make a cozy fort, and enjoy a relaxing day with your kids while watching these feel-good films.
3. Love-Themed Scavenger Hunt
Create a fun and engaging Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt around your house or yard. Hide little surprises like heart-shaped candies, small toys, or love notes in different places. You can make clues and riddles to guide the kids to the next hidden item. The excitement of the hunt, along with little rewards along the way, will keep the kids entertained and encourage teamwork. You could even have a grand prize waiting at the end for extra excitement!
Bonus idea: If you have more than one child, divide them into teams and see who can find the most hidden objects in a certain time frame.
4. Bake Heart-Shaped Treats
Baking together is a fun, interactive activity that also leads to delicious results! Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to bake some sweet treats, and heart-shaped cookies, cupcakes, and cakes are the way to go. Let the kids get involved with the entire process:
- Heart-shaped cookies: Use cookie cutters to make heart-shaped cookies and let the kids decorate them with icing, sprinkles, and candy.
- Cupcakes with pink frosting: Bake a batch of cupcakes and let the kids go wild with decorating them with pink, red, and white icing, along with candy hearts or sprinkles.
- Chocolate-dipped strawberries: Melt some chocolate and let the kids dip strawberries in it. Add a bit of sparkle with red and pink sprinkles for a fun touch.
Not only will this give your family something fun to do together, but you’ll have yummy treats to enjoy throughout the day.
5. Valentine’s Day Family Picnic
If the weather permits, take your Valentine’s Day celebration outdoors with a family picnic! You don’t need to go anywhere fancy—your local park or even your backyard will do. Pack a basket with some of your favourite snacks (heart-shaped sandwiches are a fun touch!) and enjoy a day in nature. You can bring along blankets, games like frisbee or catch, and even a few books to read together.
Make it extra special by creating a “Valentine’s Day picnic kit” with some homemade cards or little treats to share with each other during the picnic. It’s a wonderful way to spend time outdoors and celebrate your family love!
6. Write Love Letters to Each Other
Encourage the kids to get creative with their writing and express love through letters. You can write sweet notes to each other, telling what you love about each family member. If your children are younger and can’t write yet, help them by asking them questions about what they love about their family members (like “What’s your favourite thing about Mummy?”). Write down their answers for them to keep as a keepsake.
You can create a "Love Letters" box where everyone places their notes, and at the end of the day, you can all read them aloud. It’s a heart-warming and thoughtful way to spread love and appreciation among family members.
7. DIY Valentine’s Day Photo Booth
Turn your living room into a fun photo booth and create lasting memories with the kids! Use props like heart-shaped glasses, red feather boas, and “Happy Valentine’s Day” signs. You can even make a backdrop with streamers or balloons for added flair. Let the kids dress up in their favourite clothes and take silly, sweet, and silly photos together.
These pictures will be cherished for years to come, and it’s a great way to preserve the love and fun of your family Valentine’s Day celebration.
8. Valentine’s Day Bingo
If you’re looking for a fun game to play with the kids, create a Valentine’s Day-themed bingo card. Use words and images related to Valentine’s Day—hearts, cupid, chocolate, roses, etc. You can either make your own bingo cards or find printable ones online. As you call out the items, the kids can mark them off with stickers or crayons. The first one to get a full line wins a small prize like a Valentine’s Day sticker or a piece of candy.
It’s a simple yet fun way to engage everyone and add some friendly competition to your day.
9. Create a “Love Tree”
For a simple, heart-warming craft, make a “love tree” with your children. Take a large piece of paper and draw a tree with branches. Cut out small heart shapes from red, pink, and white paper, and have each family member write something they love about another person in the family on a heart. Stick the hearts on the branches, creating a beautiful tree of love and appreciation.
This is a meaningful way to reflect on the love within your family and can be a decoration that lasts long after Valentine's Day is over.
10. Valentine’s Day Dance Party
Put on some of your favourite upbeat tunes and have a Valentine’s Day dance party! Let the kids get creative with their moves and show off their best dance routines. It’s a fantastic way to burn off some energy, share laughs, and just have fun together. You can even teach them a few fun Valentine’s-themed dances, like the “Cupid Shuffle” or other dance classics!
Bonus tip: Set up a little dance-off competition where everyone takes turns showing off their best moves!
Valentine’s Day is not just for couples—it’s a wonderful time to celebrate the love within your family and create lasting memories with your children. Whether you’re crafting, baking, playing games, or dancing, the day is all about sharing fun, laughter, and love. So, gather the kids and make this Valentine’s Day extra special with activities that everyone will enjoy. After all, the best part of Valentine’s Day is being surrounded by the people you love the most!