Host a family-friendly Valentine's Day
- Staci
- Feb 14, 2019
- 3 min read
As most parents know, once you have kids, everything changes. And Valentine's Day is no exception. Having kids changes the game for Valentine's Day in terms of date night (because who wants to babysit on Valentine's Day?) but that doesn't mean you can't have an awesome, fun, and lovey-dovey day on the most love-filled day of the year! Everyone wants to feel loved on Valentine's Day, and your kiddos are no different! This Valentine's Day, why not include the entire family in the celebration? Here are a few suggestions for making this Valentine's Day special for the whole family.
Pack a love-filled lunch
I'm a firm believer that the act of packing a lunch for someone you love is, in itself, an expression of love. I write my daughter a note in her lunch pretty much every day. But on Valentine's Day, why not up the ante a bit and go all out? It's as easy as cutting your child's sandwich into hearts, cutting a "v" into the tops of strawberries to make them resemble hearts, and added in some other red foods like red peppers, strawberry yogurt, raspberries, etc. And don't forget a little sweet treat, too!
Set a festive table
Just because you probably aren't having dinner in a fancy restaurant tonight doesn't mean you can't make your family's dinner table feel a little bit festive for Valentine's Day. You still have time to head to the dollar store to grab a few supplies, like:
- A Valentine's Day tablecloth (plain red or pink works, too!)
- Valentine's Day confetti to sprinkle on the table
- Red or pink napkins
- V-Day plates and cutlery
- something fun and lovey-dovey for a centrepiece, such as balloons, inexpensive flowers, or simply a bowl of chocolate!
Make a fun meal
When it comes to Valentine's Day food, anything goes! This will really depend on what your family loves. If you love breakfast for dinner, make heart-shaped pancakes, heart-shaped biscuits, strawberries, and this heart-shaped bacon!
For a TON of other dinner ideas for Valentine's Day, check out Fun Squared's post, here.
Don't forget the sweet treats
NO special dinner is complete without dessert, and on the sweetest day of the year you can't forget the sweet stuff!
Just fon-due it!
Fondue is an awesome choice for Valentine's Day dessert. Pick up a selection of sweet and salty dippers, get that chocolate melting and dip your way to a delicious dessert!
Watch a family-friendly Valentine's Day movie
Once you've had your dinner and dessert, put your cozy jammies on, grab your warmest blankies, and stake your places on the couch to watch a Valentine's Day movie. Your choice of film will depend on the ages of your kids, of course, but there's a Disney movie out there for every family! Here are a few of my favourite suggestions:
Lady and the Tramp
Beauty and the Beast
Cinderella
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
You've Got Mail (for older kids)
Tangled
The Princess Bride
Gnomeo and Juliet
Shrek
Wall-E
Princess and the Frog
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
The Little Mermaid
End the night with a Valentine's day story
If bedtime at your house involves little ones and story time, why not finish the night on a Valentine's Day note? If you don't have any Valentine's Day specific books, anything that has to do with love will fit the bill just fine. Consider a classic such as Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.
There you have it! A Valentine's Day the whole family can enjoy! Remember: It's a day to celebrate all kinds of love, not just the romantic kind, so why not turn it into a celebration of all the people you love the most? That's what I plan to do :)
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