Creating special memories and traditions for my boys has always been something I aspired to do. For me, it’s my way of making each and every holiday something special for them, whether it’s kicking off the holiday month with a festive breakfast and new pajamas, or hosting a holiday party with their friends. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I’m excited to give you a few ideas on how to create a special Valentine’s Day for your little ones.
Typically, for each holiday, I start the month off with a special breakfast. For Valentine’s Day this year, I decided to do a special breakfast just for my boys and then host a small group of their friends for a Valentine’s Day party at the house. Keep in mind, this is not supposed to be anything expensive. I try to find activities and décor at Target’s dollar spot. Then, I cook or bake very minimally, and find things I can prep the day before.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Little Ones
First Week of February
The kickoff to the holiday month is where I tend to start. I prep a simple heart-shaped- everything breakfast for the boys and usually surprise them with festive pajamas, a book, and/or a small toy. This year, I’m opting for breakfast and a book. Then, I sometimes have a Valentine’s craft for them to do. They have a ton at Target for $3-$5…or you can print out Valentine’s coloring page on Pinterest for them to color.
Valentine’s Party at Home
Leading up to Valentine’s Day, invite a group of mommy friends and their kids over for a little Valentine’s party. For us, we’ve had the same group over since my oldest was a year old. Then, I head over to Pinterest (my best friend) and round up some cute and festive food and treat ideas for the party. Keep it simple. You don’t want to end up stressing out trying to make everything from scratch the day of—I learned that the hard way my first year. Choose one to two things to do that with and then buy the rest. Or, do potluck-style and ask friends to bring one thing over.
I’m a planner through and through, so I write down the list of foods/snacks I want to have and the type of activity I think the kids will like to do. Then, I write out my shopping list and buy all the supplies and décor needed. Some places I like to shop for inexpensive Valentine’s items are Target, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and the Dollar Store.
On the Menu This Year
- Sweet & Savory Dessert Board: (M&M’s, Earth Yum Valentine’s Gummies, heart-shaped cheese, salami, crackers, graham crackers, marshmallows, strawberries, raspberries, pretzel sticks, and more!)
- Dips: Orange Blossom Chocolate Dip, Beet Hummus, and Honey Rose Cashew Butter Dip. CLICK HERE for dip recipes.
- Skewers for dipping
See How I Put Together the Snack Board for the Party HERE.
Valentine’s Activity: Heart-Shaped Pizzas
- Make your own heart-shaped pizza. This year, now that the kids are a little older (ages 3-5 years), I’ll buy pre-made biscuits, roll them out, and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to create a heart-shaped crust. Then, the kids can make their own pizzas.
Keep in mind that the kids just want to get together with their friends, run around, and have fun. I suggest keeping activities to a minimum and don’t do anything too complex. I chose a food item this year because kids enjoy baking/cooking and pizzas are always a hit.
February 14th
I like to kick off the special day of love with a tasty Valentine’s Day-inspired breakfast along with a veggie-loaded smoothie. Kids need their veggies so I am always trying to sneak them in. I decorate the kid’s table, and really try and make it special for them the night before so that when they awake, they’re excited and surprised. This is also the time where I like to get them a little gift. It can be as little or big as you personally want to. I’m actually still trying to decide what I want to do this time around. Maybe a board game, bubbles, matchbox cars, or anything else my kiddos are into. Just create the perfect set-up for them to wake up to on the big day. I usually set things up the night before and pre-make anything I can a day ahead of time.
“My Heart Beets for You” Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 small cooked red beet
- 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 3/4 cup frozen cauliflower
- 1 banana
- 3/4 filtered water
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds or hemp seeds
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
Directions:
- In a high-powered blender, add the liquid, non-frozen items first, then top with frozen items and blend away until smooth.
We have a fondue set at home, so if you have one as well, make a fun fondue dinner or cheese dip. If you opt for a kids party, then have your kids make heart-shaped pizzas for Valentine’s dinner and add heart-shaped watermelon or strawberries.
There you have it, a memorable way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your kids. Keep it simple, inexpensive, and fun. Kick the month off with a bang, host a fun party for them and their friends, and end with celebrating that special day with more activities, food, and love.
