5 Ways to Enjoy Valentine’s Day With Your Kids

When you’re a parent, the love in your heart revolves around your child. It makes perfect sense they’d be a part of your Valentine’s Day, but finding enough one-on-one time with your spouse while still incorporating your child into the holiday is tricky. Here are a few ideas to spend your day of love with your partner and your child, without giving up the fun.

Try something new together

Learning a new skill, game, or activity is a great bonding experience, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse. You can head to the batting cages, go rollerskating, or even go rock climbing at an indoor facility. If you want to stay close to home, you can put on a play in your living room, have a karaoke contest, or make some Valentine’s Day-inspired decorations together (The great thing about most V-Day decorations is that they’re appropriate year round and you can even include the family pooch in the fun!). Try to pick something that everyone is new to — half the fun is laughing over your mistakes together! You can pick your child’s brain ahead of time to see what they might be interested in, or surprise them with an activity you know they’ve been wanting to try. The kids will likely wear themselves out with the excitement, leaving you with some extra time to relax.

Create and enjoy a meal together

Going out for a Valentine’s dinner is nice if you don’t mind waiting at length for a table and sitting in a cramped restaurant. This year, let your family be the chefs! Work together to create a delicious dinner, allowing your child to perform as many steps as they’re able to. It’s a great way to build motor skills in young kids, plus older kids can brush up on fractions and conversions. (How many ounces in that cup of milk? What if you want to make a double portion?) You can sit down together for a candlelit dinner at the table, or even have a picnic outside if the weather allows.

Build a fort

No matter your age, forts are always a fun way to spend the evening! Build a Valentine’s Day fort in the living room with whatever blankets, pillows, and sheets you have handy. You can decorate it with homemade valentines you’ve made for each other, maybe even add some twinkle lights or flameless candles. Once your new hideaway is created, gather in together to read, make shadow puppets, or talk about the things you love in life.

Cuddle up

If you’re worried a mess will end up getting too messy, think simple. There are all kinds of cuddle spots where you, your child, and your spouse can curl up together to watch a movie, tell stories, or listen to music. You can even get extra cozy while helping your child with their math homework, an English essay, or any other schoolwork they may have brought home. Make sure to bring along some hot cocoa and Valentine’s cookies to really make it special.

Have game night

Your day is filled with plenty of grown-up activities, so take Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to be a kid again with family game night. Maybe your kids love a particular board game, or you can try a group card game instead. Don’t be afraid to try a new game or one that not everyone is good at — leveling the playing field can do wonders to ease sibling rivalry! After the kids are in bed, you and your partner might enjoy a game of gin rummy, Scrabble, or something else more low-key.

Parents often feel they have to give up their Valentine’s Day celebrations, but the key is knowing how to incorporate the entire family. Keep these ideas in mind and spread the love this Valentine’s Day!

 

***This post was submitted by guest blogger Michelle Peterson of RecoveryPride.org***

Kim Brooks, author of bestselling novels, She That Findeth, He\'s Fine...But is He Saved? and more. www.kimontheweb.com