While singles may despise the Hallmark holiday, and couples Instagram their champagne dinner, for those with young kids, Valentine’s Day can be an awesome reason to celebrate family love.
Make the day special by planning some family-centric activities. Tasks encouraging creativity and teamwork can lead to priceless bonding time, and focused, interactive projects can pull everyone away from the usual distractions of tablets and TVs.
Here are a few ways to make Valentine’s a little more inclusive for the fam:
Heart and Seek
Hide paper hearts around the house or yard. Get the kids going on a hunt – each heart could have a small prize, or to encourage team work, make the prizes shareable. For older kids, make each heart a clue that leads to the day’s bigger activity.
Pastry Decorating
A classic activity, having a good old fashioned decorating session could be the creative time your family needs. Whether it’s cookies, cupcakes, or a blank sheet cake as your canvas, some frosting and sprinkle time will be well worth the mess.
Expressions of Love
Depending on the age, a meaningful family activity could be to write or draw something nice about another family member. It’s a great way for siblings to share their feelings with a picture, a poem, or even a short story for those with lots to say.
Day of Positives
Make Valentine’s a day without complaints. Whining and complaining happens to the best of us, but encouraging positive responses instead of negative ones for a day can eventually become a good habit.
Family Date
Couples will pack fancy restaurants on February 14th, use the day to take the family on an adventure – biking, hiking, or a day at the beach. For colder climates, try a day on the slopes, ice skating, or a snuggly movie night at home complete with your favorite snacks.
Expanding the traditional concept of Valentine’s Day could make some lasting memories. And the kiddos will have something more to look forward to next year other than the candy exchange at school.
JessicaCall it passion, or maybe curiosity -- whatever it is Jessica is fueled by, it's not slowing down any time soon. From the get-go, she knew that her desire to represent brands with a purposeful story was a strong one, and after graduating with a degree in public relations from SDSU, followed by a solid stint at a lifestyle PR agency, she landed in a role with a company whose story outshines the rest (hint hint, that's here). She's openly obsessed with the outdoors, reveling in cycling races, hiking adventures and, most commonly, brunching on patios. She is known for always taking the "scenic route" -- especially for fish taco pit-stops along the way -- and makes a solid effort to keep her schedule jam-packed with activities and friends, which keeps her on her toes.