Valentine’s Day is traditionally a holiday reserved for sweethearts, involving heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, candy, balloons, flowers and romance. But your sweetie can be anyone you love, including your kids, grandkids and other family members. Though the romantic time may be well-deserved, it will be a nice change of pace to involve your entire family in the celebration!
• A yummy family breakfast. Start the holiday off right by preparing a delicious (and even maybe a little bit unhealthy) breakfast for your family. Try waffles sprinkled with chocolate chips and topped with whipped cream, heart-shaped chocolate chip muffins or pancakes, or three cheese omelets. Add a glass of milk, sliced fresh fruit and pieces of toast designed with heart-shaped cookie cutters to get the celebration off to a good start. Don’t forget a nice Valentine’s bouquet as a centerpiece for the table.
•Dress the part. Another cute idea is to help the kids create an entire “Valentine-themed” ensemble to wear throughout the day. Assist them in assembling their outfits using red and/or pink pieces of clothing. Ribbons, yarn and bric-a-brac in red or pink shades work well for belts, shoelaces and hair bows. Paint the girls’ finger and toe nails in different shades of pink and red nail polish.
• Eat out with the family. Treat the family to a night out at your favorite family-friendly restaurant (try to find one that provides kid fun like crayons and puzzle pages). Many restaurants cater to families so finding an appropriate place shouldn’t be too difficult. Keep in mind you may need to call ahead to make reservations depending on the restaurant.
• Don’t forget to decorate! Give the kids a variety of paper, foam sheets, stickers, glitter, glue, crayons, and markers so they can create decorations to make things more festive around the house. Stock up on red, white and pink balloons, crepe paper, Valentine window clings, sequins, conversation hearts candy and confetti/glitter hearts. Printing off Valentine’s Day coloring pages is another good way to keep those creative juices flowing.
• Plan a fun dinner at home If you’d rather stay home it’s easy to make a Valentine’s dinner fun. Serve kid-friendly snacks like veggies and dip, fun shaped chicken nuggets, Valentine mashed potatoes (created with red food coloring), finger sandwiches and heart shaped cake or Valentine-themed cupcakes for dessert (which the kids could make and decorate themselves!). Try serving the food in heart-shaped dishes and cut-glass bowls. Even though the kids are involved, candlelight is a little extra touch that they will enjoy. And don’t forget to use the decorations the kids created to make the dinner table more festive.
• Gifts for the whole family. The kids can use those art supplies to make Valentine’s Day cards for everyone in the family. Another good (and thrifty) gift idea is to create homemade coupons for things like free hugs and kisses, game nights with the family, extra text messages, or additional phone or computer time.
• Get everyone involved. Make sure everyone has a “job” to do when it comes to preparing for the event. If your kids aren’t that into arts and crafts, let them help in the planning for the meals or put them to work decorating the house.
Remember, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be just for couples. The holiday is about showing love to the people you care about, so make it a fun-filled day with your entire family!
Allison Riddle is the Community Services Director for the Area Agency on Aging.
