If you don’t know already, Valentine’s Day is a big deal in the Thompsy household. Any chance we get to show each other a little extra love, we’re taking it! But also, our sweet girl, Tatum, was born on Valentine’s Day and it’s the most appropriate birthday for her. She is a walking ray of sunshine and we all fall a little more in love with her every day.
But, with all of that said, Valentine’s Day is so much fun to celebrate. My unpopular opinion is that Vday doesn’t have to mean spoiling with excessive gifts, but rather acts of kindness. Here are a few of my go-to’s when spoiling my kid’s with time and attention.
Easy Ideas To Make Valentine’s Day Special For Your Kiddos
Heart Shaped Breakfast
Making a themed breakfast can sometimes be tricky, but luckily hearts are pretty easy. Heart shaped pancakes are always super fun and if you add in some strawberries cut into hearts it adds an extra level of fun. Set the breakfast table with red plates, pink napkins, and sparkling red juice and voila you have made a special morning for your littles. My kiddos look forward to valentine’s breakfast every year. We take turns talking about the people we love most and pay each other compliments. It’s a great way to start the day!
Love, Mom
Writing little love notes to put in lunch boxes is my absolute favorite. If your littles don’t read yet, drawing a cute picture on a sticky note is special too. Bonus- all the teen parents out there, it’s so fun to write those notes that embarrass them a little at lunch, but they secretly love it. I try to put my love note on a special treat that they wouldn’t usually have at lunch. A Crumbl cookie or a cute treat from a local bakery are easy to put into their lunch box and super special surprises.
Plan An Activity
If you haven’t had a Valentine’s party for your kiddos friends, you are missing out. Planning fun themed foods and games makes for the best time. A few games we have done are heart shaped picture frames, heart butterflies, and painting heart shaped plates. Snack ideas usually include heart shaped rice krispies, chocolate covered strawberries, and ice cream sundaes. It’s so fun to let them play with their friends and have an experience rather than a gift.
Make It Fancy
Planning a fancy dinner for your family can be so fun. An easy meal is Spaghetti & meatballs. I feel like spaghetti is associated with love, but that may be because we’ve watched Lady & The Tramp too many times. Setting up your dining area with fancy flatware, candles, a pretty tablecloth and fun drinks can make Valentine’s fun for everyone. While it is fun, it makes a good time to also teach table manners. COVID has definitely ruined the desire to go out to eat to practice and it’s easy to forget when you eat at home so much. Teaching littles how to use their napkin, cut with a knife, and take small bites is no easy task, but paired with a fancy family night it can be a fun one.
Valentine’s is notoriously known for buying lavish gifts and planning extravagant evenings, but with a family that’s not always attainable. For us, it has been so much fun to spoil our littles with time, attention, and experiences. I hope some of these tips help take off some of the stress!