Valentines Day Celebration Ideas for Family and Kids
It's that time of the year again! When shop windows start filling up with teddy bears and heart-shaped balloons and the hunt is on for that perfect card or gift. Valentine's Day is celebrated the world over with great gusto. What started off as a fertility festival marking the beginning of spring, gradually morphed into the celebration of love that it is today. And by love, we do not necessarily mean only expressing your feelings for your sweetheart. Today, Valentine's Day is a great time to show anyone how much you care for them - friends, colleagues, teachers and most of all your family.
So, how did a ritual originating in honor of the Roman God of Fertility result in the love fest that is Valentine's Day today? There are many theories about the origin of this festival; primary among them is that the Christian Church, in an attempt to lessen the irreligious fervor of the times, turned the festival marking spring into one that honored St. Valentine. As time passed, it soon became common for friends and lovers to show their love and affection for each other with small gifts or handwritten declarations of intent. Of course nowadays, February 14th explodes into a cornucopia of hearts, flowers, greeting cards and stuffed toys. As a day that celebrates love, there can be no better time to have a family Valentine's Day celebration and show your children that you care for them. Here are some ideas to celebrate Valentine's Day for kids:
Mark the Occasion: Simply giving your children a card saying 'I love you,' or even keeping aside the day to spend with them is an easy Valentine's Day idea.
It's Party Time: Go all out and celebrate the day with a special family meal or a Valentine's Day party - only for your family! Use your creativity and have a special theme. For example, you could tie red balloons to the dining chairs, make special heart-shaped place mats, and decorate the room with red roses... the more over the top, the better. Kids could help you with the preparations to make it more of an event.
Bond over a Book: Little ones would love to hear about the history of Valentine's Day. Look for a book in the library or even download information from the Internet and read the story for your children.
Spread the Love: Teach your children that all types of love need to be celebrated on this day. Help them make their own cards for other family members, friends and teachers. Older kids could even try their hand at writing their own poetry.
Sweet Somethings: Baking is always
a popular Valentine's idea for preschoolers.
Small children can help cut hearts out of
cookie dough and decorate them with icing,
sprinkles, and M&M's.
Get Craft-y: Creative Valentine ideas can include craft projects for children using materials found around the house. All kids love making things with their hands and let them gift their creations to their special someone.
Hide 'n' Seek: How about organizing a treasure hunt on Valentine's Day? Draw up a number of little cards or notes with a clue in each of them where to find the next note / treasure. Next to each note, place a small candy bar and make sure your last clue has something special waiting along with it for each child.
So, make this Valentine's Day a day to teach your children the story behind the holiday, to spend time with them and to organize some fun activities that mark the day as special. Easy Valentine's Day ideas such as the ones above will help focus on your family and celebrate the love in your own inimitable style.
