Valentine's Day for the Whole Family

In this house, Valentine's Day is a family affair. After all, how do you talk to your kids about a holiday all about love and not include them? It's a great opportunity to remind them of how special they are. Make it a special occasion with some simple ideas...

Valentine's Day Treat Box

My mom made these for my kiddos out of felt. They are keeper of their cards and small goodies. My mom was an elementary school teacher, and has lots of left over blank Valentine's cards from over the years. We pick out a few Valentine's and fill their hearts with them. The kids love them. We also add small trinkets. Last year Ronny got a little sensory book and Stella got a bouncy ball. These little beauties are left hanging in our kitchen, so they are the first things the kids see when they go to eat breakfast on Valentine's Day morning. Which leads me to my next idea...

Heart Shaped Pancakes

These are a staple in the Strunk house. I use a heart shaped cookie cutter, place my batter inside and once the pancake sets...I remove the cookie cutter and flip it. I usually serve these with some fresh strawberries. A little pop of red is a festive Valentine's Day addition. ;)

Valentine's Day Attire

At the risk of being called an over obsessive mom...I will tell you that I love to go all out for V-day...and that includes (but is NOT limited to) dressing up my girl. I will respect the manhood of my son, and leave his outfit to just a festive red shirt. However, Stella is a different story entirely. Here's an old picture of Stella in my favorite Valentine's Day outfit. She rocked it out. ;)

Valentine's Day Crafts

My little girl, with her sweet little heart, loves to make crafts. Most of the time when I browse Pinterest for creative ideas...she is usually quite content with the simplicity of homemade Valentine's Day cards for her favorite man - her daddy. Here's last year's masterpiece...

There are lots of simple ways to make Valentine's Day special for your kids. Make it a family occasion. You can make a special Valentine's Day bath with foam hearts and sensory toys, read a book about love or the holiday itself, find a kid's show with a Valentine's Day theme (like Daniel Tiger or Doc Mcstuffins) or just simply dedicate the day to loving on your kiddos.

Now, understand me when I say - romancing your spouse is absolutely included in Valentine's Day. Valentine's DAY is for the kiddos...Valentine's NIGHT is for your spouse. Don't get it twisted, your spouse needs some affection too! ;) (For tips on a romantic Valentine's Night...check out last week's post here)

Have a Valentine's Day activity that your kids love? Share it in the comments! I'd love to hear all about it! :)