Valentine’s Day Fun for Kids

Valentine’s Day is this week and I am sure many of us adults have plans to go out that night to celebrate our love for one another. I hope you gathered some great ideas from my last blog. Most of us will be taking our children to a babysitter or will invite one over to take care of our kids. Valentine’s Day is not only a time to show our love for our spouses but should also be a time to show our love for our children. I’m not suggesting you take your children on your date, but to spend some time doing various activities with them during the week of Valentine’s.

Here are several fun ideas to make your children’s Valentine’s week special and show your love for them:

Make Valentine’s Cookies

Spend a night during the week before the 14^th and make a batch of sugar cookie dough and have your kids help you cut out shapes of hearts, lips, cupid, and other valentine’s shapes. I found various cookie cutters at the local grocery store for only a few dollars. Make pink, red, and white frosting to decorate the cookies and top with sprinkles, candy hearts, and other valentine candies. The kids will have a lot of fun and you can take some to their friends and some to their class at school.

Valentine’s Treasure Hunt

I did this idea 2 years ago and the kids loved it. I placed Valentine notes throughout the house and had different gifts with each note until they found the main treasure where I had red and pink balloons and new Valentine pajamas. They loved going from one place to the next and finding candy, little toys, and various prizes throughout the house. The kids still remember that Valentine’s Day. They knew they were special and that Mom and Dad loved them.

Make Homemade Valentine’s Card

Spend a night before Valentine’s and have your kids make homemade cards for their Mom and/or Dad and even have them make cards for their grandparents or other close relatives. Kids love to make things for other people. My five year old,Gracie, is living proof of this. She loves to draw pictures and make different things for us and also for her grandmas and grandpas. Get some construction paper in red, pink, and white colors. Let the kids draw pictures on them, write Happy Valentine’s Day, and have them cut out hearts and place them on the card. Place glue stick on the card in different Valentines shapes and then shake sprinkles on this area and shake off the excess. Your kids will love making these different crafts and will also cherish the time they are spending with you.

Have a Valentine’s Party

Every year my mom invites all of the grandkids over to her house to decorate Valentine boxes, make cookies, and make cards. The kids look forward to this party each year and have fun playing with their cousins and making neat boxes to put their Valentines in. My mom always makes a big batch of cookies beforehand and has the kids help cut the shapes, bake the cookies, and then frost and decorate them. My mom loves this time with the grandkids and the kids like being together and with their grandma. You can invite your own children’s cousins over or friends and neighbors to have a similar party at your own house.

Valentine’s is a fun holiday for kids and adults. Take the time to make your children’s Valentine’s Day a little more special this year and let them know how much you love them and want to spend time with them doing fun things. Create fun memories that your children will remember their whole lives. Most important is to make sure they know you love them more than anything.

Here is a little music video that I found about children. Enjoy. Billy Dean--Let Them Be Little

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ17tutZtd8

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Romantic Ideas for your Valentine

February is the month for romance. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and most of us men need some ideas to bring some excitement into our spouse’s lives. When most people think of Valentine’s Day and romance they think of flowers, candy, eating out, jewelry, etc… These things are fun (I am sure most women wouldn’t turn them away) but I think most women also crave something more creative and thoughtful.

Here are some Valentine’s Day ideas that will help you men out there catch your wives’ attention and make her wonder where her husband has gone:

1. Do housework for her the entire week before Valentine’s

Starting on Feb 7^th every night you get home (or during the day) do a household cleaning chore that you usually don’t do. Try washing the dishes, vacuuming, mopping the floors, clean the microwave, clean out the fridge, vacuum in the couch, do that little job you have been putting off for weeks (or months in my case), or any other little job that would help your wife out. Be sure to do a little job every night for 7 days. Your wife will be amazed and will find your gift of service much better and more satisfying than roses or candy. After each night you complete a special job leave a little children’s Valentine’s card by that area and let her know how much you appreciate that she does this job all year long and that you really love her for all she does.

2. Plan a mini vacation the weekend right around Valentine’s Day

Take the time to book a hotel, plan the meals, and plan something fun to do for a night away from home and the kids (if you have any). The mini vacation doesn’t have to be far or expensive. The point is to have some alone time together to be able to talk and to show your spouse that you really care for her. You can make it a surprise for her by not giving away any details other than; you are going somewhere for the night and to get packed. In most of our mundane lives a little excitement and suspense even for one night can mean a lot.

3. Plan a Special Night at Home on Valentine’s Night

Send the kids to Grandma’s or a baby sitter on the night of Feb 14^th and make your wife her favorite dinner. You can pull out the candles, special dishes, and create your own little candle lit dinner. You can turn on some soft music and after eating show her that you can still dance (well, maybe some of us still can). Make her feel special by planning all the little details and be sure to watch her favorite movie when you are done eating and dancing. She will be impressed with the work you have put into this special occasion and after eating your cooking will be happy to be the one who cooks for the family in the future.

4. Take your wife to the Temple

One of our favorite dates has been going to the temple together. On Valentine’s Night is a great time to take your wife to show that you value your eternal marriage and she will love you for taking her. Just be sure to go out for ice cream or a treat afterwards to complete the special night together.

5. Plan a “Blast from the Past” Date

Take your wife on a date similar to one you went on when you began dating. Play the same music in the car as you drive to a restaurant that you have been to before. Be sure to open the door for her and give her lots of attention the entire night. Think of how you acted when you were dating and try to re-live that moment. Take her to a movie or bowling or something similar that maybe you haven’t done since you were dating or first married. Ask her out with an invitation that you make yourself. Bring flowers to her when you get ready to take her out. Ask if you can hold her hand and later on if you can give her a kiss. See if she can figure out what you are doing. It will make your Valentine’s night a lot of fun and re-living the memories will make it very special for her.

6. “Happiness in Sixty Seconds” Idea

This is an idea I read about a long time ago and have used it on my wife a few times in the past. Write/type at the top of a paper “Happiness in Sixty Seconds” and write “when you need a lift and something to brighten your day, read this paper and it will bring happiness to you in sixty seconds.” Then proceed to list numbers 1 thru 60 on your paper. Start at number 1 and list something that you like about your spouse like “I love your beautiful smile- it makes my day”. Then go to number 2 and write something else like “I love the way you cry during old movies”. List 60 different things. Here a few more ideas- “I love to kiss you in the morning before I go to work”; “I love how you are so stubborn and determined”; “I love to hear your beautiful laughter after my jokes”. This can be hard at first to think of ideas, but then once you get going the ideas really start to come fast. My wife and I have made each other lists like these and have looked at them many times and it always brings a smile to our faces.

Make this year’s Valentine’s Day special. Treat your wife special. Do fun things with her. Listen to her. Let her know you care.

If you women need an idea for your men you might just want to stick to the candy idea.

yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please
drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio
station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood.

And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.