Happy Valentine’s Day!
Behind all the Valentine's Day hype is a holiday that teaches love, and making Valentine's Day cards and gifts gives kids a chance to practice their reading, writing, and fine motor skills.
Valentine Activities
Your child can make a lovely basket out of felt to collect her Valentine's Day treats in or give to a friend as a gift.
In this Valentine's Day activity, your second grader will design her very own heart map to show what she's really made of.
Valentine Treats
Make hot chocolate for a special Valentine's treat. White chocolate dyed pink with raspberries - what a perfect way to cheer up a winter day!
Sure, you can go out and buy a box of Valentine cards--but for a special message try this simple craft activity to make someone's day.
Give that plain red lollipop some pizazz this Valentine's Day! All you need is some popcorn, pink marshmallow goo, and a few decorations.
Know someone who needs a little love? Encourage your child to make pink peppermint candies to share!
Read more: Valentine's Day Crafts
Valentine's Day Printables
Can your child cut out and match each chocolate to its empty spot in the box? He'll boost his fine motor skills and important shape recognition skills.
Sweeten up the classic game of Tic-Tac-Toe with this colorful Valentine's Day version! Instead of X's and O's, your child competes using hearts and chocolates.
Happy Valentine's Day! Your first grader will color all the candies in this heart-shaped box while solving some sweet math problems.
Can your child get to the heart of this Valentine's Day activity? Challenge your child to find and connect the pair of hearts that match. It's more difficult than you'd think!
Read more: Valentine's Day Coloring Pages
Valentine's Day Recipes and Party Ideas
Create a Valentine's party to remember for your children by hosting a Valentine's Tea.
Give that plain red lollipop some pizazz this Valentine's Day! All you need is some popcorn, pink marshmallow goo, and a few decorations.
Give your child a heartfelt, heart-healthy breakfast this Valentine's Day. This breakfast idea's great for a sweet touch to the morning, even a busy one!
Instead of eating only sweets this Valentine's Day, help your child make this tasty savory dish that's full of color, fresh flavors, and heart-healthy ingredients.
Teaching About Love
One of the most important parts of a child's education is her social education--and teaching kids empathy can go a long way towards eliminating anti-social behaviors.
Aside from all the hoopla, Valentine's Day reminds us that loving our kids requires willingness, patience, and practicing a few time-honored principles.
Here are a few different ways to express your love for your youngster, celebrate Valentine's Day, and ease her fears of what may or may not happen at school.
Valentine's Day Tips
Your kids may be too young to date, but that doesn't mean he's too young for Valentine's Day angst.
Here are a few easy ways to show Mother Earth your love this February.
Take a break from the teeming card shop shelves this February for a peek into how other cultures celebrate Valentine's Day.
An estimated 1 billion valentines are mailed every year. Sure, they express love – but do you know why?
Have an older child?
Books to Snuggle Up To:
Morris the Mole is searching high and low for someone to love, but none of the animals in the barn seem quite right. He soon realizes that sometimes you have to let love find you. This is a heartfelt read-aloud for preschoolers.
What is it about some of your favorite people (or animal friends) that you really like? This little book describes what’s special about those very special relationships. A charming book to read with your kindergartener.
In this sweet and funny read, Splat the Cat tries to give his crush Kitten a very special Valentine. Can Splat overcome his nerves, and his pompous rival Spike? A great beginning read for first graders.
In this swashbuckling Valentine’s adventure, Joe helicopters Osbert and his penguin pals to the South Pole for a southern lights extravaganza. There, Osbert meets the penguin of his dreams. This story of love and friendship is a great read for second graders.
