Celebrate Valentine’s Day with kids in special, but simple ways. You don’t need to do a lot. Just make it fun and let the family know you care. Want to save this post? Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
Simple Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids: Fun and Frugal Celebrations
As a parent, you want to make Valentine’s Day special for your kids, but you don’t have to break the bank or spend hours crafting and cooking. Here are some simple and fun ideas to celebrate this festive holiday with your little ones.
1. Bake Someone Happy
Baking is always fun and tasty. Making something from scratch is so much less expensive than buying whatever the bakery has to offer. As cute as it may be there, you can make it just as cute at home for less! Try one of these on for size:
- Heart-shaped sugar cookies
- Valentine’s Day-themed cupcakes
- Homemade brownies with heart-shaped sprinkles
2. Get Your Sprinkle On
Kids love sprinkles. Fess up, you do, too. Sprinkles add a festive feel to anything mildly related to sweet. You can grab a jar of Valentine sprinkles for a buck or two at the store. Then go to town by adding them into the simplest of dishes:
- Sprinkle-topped ice cream
- Heart-shaped pancakes with sprinkles
- Valentine’s Day-themed trail mix
3. Deck the Halls a Bit
Okay, so it’s not Christmas or anything, but I think kids get a real kick out of some kind of decor for festive events. It doesn’t have to be a big hoopla. It’s the little things, people. If your kids are the kind that like to decorate, include them in the process!
- Create a Valentine’s Day-themed centerpiece for your dinner table
- Hang heart-shaped balloons or streamers in your home
- Make a simple Valentine’s Day-themed wreath for your front door
4. Make It Pretty
Take a page from Fancy Nancy and dress up the presentation a bit. When I worked in catering, the mantra was “presentation is everything”. That’s not really true, but it sure does change the experience. There are loads of small touches that you can do throughout the day to make mealtimes a little more special on Valentine’s Day:
- Set a fancy table — even if you’re just serving hot dogs
- Serve the meal on “real” dishes with silverware
- Cut cake or bars into nice squares and serve in colorful muffin papers
5. Make Homemade Valentine’s Day Cards and Crafts
If you can keep it together and plan ahead, making homemade Valentine’s Day cards with the kids is a great way to push back against the overconsumption that surrounds us. In fact, we’ve got loads of free printable Valentines here on Life as Mom to make it easy for you! Spend a few afternoons leading up to February 14 crafting together with your kids.
- Origami hearts made from dollar bills are super fun!
- Create a handmade Valentine’s Day card with your child
- Make a simple Valentine’s Day-themed craft, like a paper plate heart or a popsicle stick picture frame
6. Keep the Gifts Simple
One of the reasons that Millenial moms are so exhausted is that they’ve been so extra with their arts and crafts over the years. Yes, this Gen X mom said it. You don’t need to do much. You don’t need everything shaped into hearts. You don’t need build-a-bear or stuffed animals for every occasion.
- A sweet valentines card or activity, a small candy at the dinner table — enough is good, my friend!
- Consider making a handmade gift, like a photo album or a simple craft
- Keep your celebrations simple and start acclimating your family to simpler celebrations.
Valentine’s Day may be considered a couples-only, romantic, Hallmark holiday by some. But, it can just as easily be a fun little celebration of your family. Enjoy Valentine’s Day for kids in simple ways that keep you calm and peaceful!
