Valentine's Day Ideas for Kids

Valentine's Day is about showing our appreciation for the people who matter to us, and letting them know how important they are to our lives.

It's important to teach kids about showing appreciation and valuing others – and what better time to reinforce this message than on Valentine's Day.

Here are some fun Valentine's Day ideas for kids that teach them the meaning of Valentine's Day:

1. Gift differently

Set aside some time to create homemade gifts with your child for friends and relatives. Spending time creating a gift is much more special than buying something at the shop. Help your child make something personal and meaningful, like a painting, a short poem or story, or a handmade card about the person they love.

2. Send something special to the grandparents

Whether they live hundreds of miles away or right under your roof, it's always nice to encourage your child to show their love and appreciation for their grandparents. Help your child make a card, a photo album or a drawing to gift to their grandparents, and let your child know how much their effort will mean to them.

3. Practise expressing appreciation with 'I love you because…'

Encouraging your child to express their love and appreciation for someone is a great exercise, but sometimes it's not so easy to find the right words. A good prompt to begin with is asking your child to complete the sentence 'I love you because' either on paper or in a card. If your child hasn't learned to write yet, get the family around the dinner table for a special Valentine's Day meal and have each person finish the sentence 'I love you because' for each family member.

4. Write simple Valentine's Day messages for their classmates or neighbours

Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse for arts and crafts! Whatever your child enjoys making, ask them if they would like to make a small gift for their classmates or neighbours. It could be origami boats, tissue paper flowers, handmade bookmarks or even a simple card. Teaching your child to value others around them, even those who they may not talk to very often, is a great lesson in respecting and accepting others, as well as maintaining positive relationships with the people they see every day.

5. Surprise your kids with cut out love hearts

Everyone's a fan of sweet surprises. Cut out some hearts using scissors and pink construction paper and leave them for your child to find on Valentine's Day. You can put some in their lunchbox, by their bedside table or inside their favourite book to remind them of how special they are. Demonstrating love and appreciation is the best way to encourage it, while making them feel extra loved on Valentine's Day!

6. Set a powerful example by volunteering in the community

Valentine's Day can be a good time to volunteer in the community with your child. Some fun ideas that the whole family can get involved in include helping staff at a local animal shelter, reading to the elderly, or volunteering at the local soup kitchen. Volunteering not only shows your child the importance of helping others less fortunate, it also gives them a newfound appreciation for their own lives and what they have.

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