It’s February, and the day of love—Valentine’s Day! While most of you are probably busy planning how to express your love for your partner, don’t forget to include the special little ones in your life.
This is an excellent opportunity to start teaching your kids to be kind and caring at a young age. So, let’s put some fun into Valentine’s with some entertaining activities you can do with your children both inside and outside.
Now is the time to put on the creative and fun hat as you, your partner, and the kids enjoy each other’s love and company.
1. Make Special Valentine’s Cards and Messages
This activity never gets old, so it deserves to be first on the list. All you need are some paper (fragrant papers are the best!), scissors, and coloured markers and you and your kids can start making some special Valentine’s cards with love messages for each other.
While they’re at it, have your kids express their love and appreciation for their siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, and anybody else who means a lot to them. To make the cards extra special, they can add some glitter and one or two heart candies inside.
2. Baking Heart-Shaped Valentine’s Treats
You can begin your valentine’s activity with the kids in the kitchen, which is the heart of your home. There are just so many recipes available online, from cookies to cakes and cupcakes, that your little ones can choose from. Once done baking, get the kids to beautify their baked goods with Valentine’s decoration.
If you don’t want your children to become all hyped up by the sugary snacks, they can also bake a savoury treat like a heart-shaped pizza! Spoil them with a variety of toppings and cheesy goodness.
PS Don’t forget to buy heart-shaped cookie cutters and pans to make things easier.
3. Prepare A Valentine’s Meal Together
Don’t feel like baking? You and your kids can always cook up a simple, yet fancy meal to show that family love is in the air. Decide on the menu first, then cut out the ingredients in the shapes of hearts!
Be it, the bread, veggies, eggs, or meats, just turn anything that you can into hearts. Your kids will enjoy the cooking experience, and there is no such thing as too much love on a plate.
4. Lunch or Dinner at a Kid-Friendly Cafe
Kids just want to have some fun! No matter where they are or what they’re doing, all your kids can think about is playing! Bring them to a kid-friendly cafe where you and the little ones can enjoy delicious meals while having fun in the play area.
5. Movie Night in the House
If you have Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, or anything alike, you can set up a home cinema to celebrate and spend time with the kids on Valentine’s Day. Turn off the light and give out some popcorn and snacks to make it more realistic.
You could also make it more exciting by printing out cinema tickets that your kids will need to present before they get seated on the couch! Not only will the children enjoy the movie, but it will also be more private at home.
6. Kid-Friendly Cinema
Taking the kids out for a movie is also a fun activity to do as a family. Instead of going to the regular cinema, take them to a kid-friendly cinema where they can watch a movie while playing around. They no longer have to sit still for a good 2-3 hours!
The main cinemas in Malaysia each have their brand of kids-friendly cinema, but they all offer similar settings and ambiance. The layouts are safe and comfortable for you and your kids to enjoy without having to worry about other people. Do remember to follow SOPs while out.
7. Throw A Valentine’s Party
This doesn’t have to be a large gathering. Just prepare some Valentine’s Day-themed food and drinks, and enjoy each other’s company.
Do you know what will make your party a lot more interesting? A heart-shaped pinata! The wild kids at the party will have a great time smashing candies and chocolates out of the pinata.
8. Valentine’s Arts and Crafts
You or your children do need to be an artist to create a lovely, meaningful Valentine’s Day masterpiece for your family. Paint something on the canvas or make some Valentine origami with your little ones.
Designate a special place in the house to keep all of the Valentine’s arts and crafts so that you and the kids can remember how special your family bond is and the precious time spent together.
9. Valentine’s Knitting Worth Keeping
Knit a 3D heart crochet, a heart-shaped blanket, or even a sweater with Happy Valentine’s Day written on the front. If your kids want to try their hand at knitting, the possibilities are endless.
Do some online research with your children to find Valentine’s Day designs that you all adore and fall in love with. Once you and the kids have decided on a design, it’s time to get the knitting kit ready and knit away!
10. Plant Some Flowers
Valentine’s Day is often associated with red roses, but for this gardening activity, let your kids pick any flowers they would like. What matters is that you get to teach your children how to care for the plants while they watch the flowers grow.
As you know, flowers require proper love and attention as well – just the right amount of water, sunlight, and fertiliser. Who knows, maybe your beautiful children will have their own fresh flowers to give out for Valentine’s Day next year!
11. Spread Some Love to Thy Neighbours
Make Valentine’s Day tradition for your family by putting some treats in Valentine’s gift bags and handing them out to your neighbours.
Allow your kids to choose what goes in the bags and to write a simple Valentine’s message or quote on the outside. Those Valentine’s goody bags will sure put a smile on your neighbours’ faces.
12. Sweet and Fun Family Games
Nothing says ‘family fun’ like exciting games that will keep you and your children laughing and giggling all day long. Here are some ways to make any of the usual games more Valentine’s themed.
- Toss a balloon heart in a basket
- Pin the heart on the cupid
- Valentine’s treasure hunt
You can even DIY your own games with the kids or look online for printable and editable Valentine’s board games.
13. Family Exciting Day or Night Out
There are numerous outdoor activities that you can do as a family. Take your kids out for a picnic, stroll along a beautiful park, visit the zoos and wildlife parks, or go to a lake where you can rent a paddle boat or ride a family bike.
Your children will appreciate the special and memorable family outings.
14. Valentine’s House Decorations
People decorate their homes for special holidays and festivals all the time, so why not do the same for Valentine’s Day? Make that living room feel extra special and loving with all kinds of Valentine’s decorations.
Decorate the room with hearts and family photos to remind everyone of the fun you and your little ones had. As an added lovely bonus, ask your kids to write a poem about family love and place it somewhere in the living room so that every member of the family can see it when they walk in.
15. Care for Animals
Animals deserve our love, care, and attention too. If your family has a pet at home, take your children out to get something special for the beloved pet. You can also plan activities that both your kids and your pet will enjoy, such as going to the park or simply playing around in the backyard.
If you don’t have a pet at home, take the kids to an animal shelter. It’s the best way to teach them to care for animals in need. If you’re allowed, also bring some food and treats for the animals. Your kids may be taking home a new family pet!
Time To Show That Valentine’s Can Be So Much Fun!
It’s important to instil in your children a sense of caring and affection from a young age. With these enjoyable activities, you can show your precious little ones that it is possible to have fun while feeling the love in the air.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all our readers with love from Motherhood.com.my!
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