Valentine's Activities for Kids

Valentine's Cards

One of the most common Valentine's activities for kids includes creating homemade cards. Before you begin, gather the supplies you have on hand. Be sure you consider the ages of your child as you plan the activities. For instance, you might want to use child-safe scissors and washable markers. Any of the following supplies would work well.

• Construction paper
• Tissue paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape
• Markers
• Colored pencils
• Stencils
• Bits of fabric
• Lace
• Ribbon
• Paper doilies
• Sequins
• Rhinestones
• Glitter
• Ink pads
• Ink stamps

• Easy Valentine's Card-One of the simplest ways to make a Valentine's card is to fold a piece of construction paper in half and decorate the inside and outside of the paper. You and your child can cut out hearts from fabric, construction paper, lace, etc. and glue them onto the card. Then, add your message.
• Heart-Shaped Card-Take a piece of paper and cut it into a heart shape and then decorate it with sequins, glitter, rhinestones, and whatever else you have on hand. Be sure and add your message, too.
• Handprint Valentine-For this card, you can purchase inexpensive ink pads and place your child's hand or foot on the pad, then stamp his or her hand or foot on the card. This makes a great personalized card.

Check out the following sites for additional Valentine's Day card ideas:

• Kids Domain
• EHow
• Artists Helping Children

Valentine's Poster

Sometimes it's easier for little hands to decorate a larger piece of poster board. You can buy a full size or purchase a quarter sheet in various colors. Gather all of your supplies, and let your child decorate the paper, gluing cut-out hearts made of fabric and lace, adding rhinestones and glitter, and writing a personalized message inside. You can use the same technique of adding hand and footprints to the poster as well.

Valentine's Crafts

Homemade crafts are always special, and even more so if you and your kids create them. These Valentine's activities for kids are fun and inexpensive to create, so why not give them a try?

• Flower Pot Valentine-Buy inexpensive terra cotta pots, paint them red, white, and pink, then add rhinestones, sequins, ribbon, etc. Spring will arrive early if you place some potting soil inside and add a few seeds.
• Valentine Shoebox-Create a great box that will hold your child's Valentines by cutting a slit in the top of the shoe box. Then, decorate the box with fabric, aluminum foil, or wrapping paper. Add other decorations and designs as well.

For more craft ideas, visit the following Websites:

• All Crafts
• Enchanted Learning
• DLTK

Valentine's Recipes

Check out the following Websites for some great Valentine's Day treats!

• Kaboose
• The Holiday Spot
• All Recipes

Valentine's Activities and Games for Kids

If you are planning a party, you'll want to create lots of games to encourage the kids to interact. Try the following:

• Match the Hearts-Buy inexpensive Valentine's cards and cut them in half. Pass out the card halves to each party guest. They will then need to find their other half as they circulate around the room. For older kids, give them a sheet with various questions that they must ask their partner. Questions could include things like Where were you born?

What is your favorite ball team? What is your dog's name?

• Musical Hearts-This variation of musical chairs is a great Valentine's activity for kids. Tape cut-out hearts on the floor in the shape of a circle. Always have one less heart for the number of kids playing the game. Start the music, and instruct kids to walk around the circle until the music stops. The person who isn't standing on a heart when the music stops is out of the game. For additional fun, add numbers to the hearts, then place coordinating numbers on small pieces of paper. At the end of each round, draw a number out of a box or hat, and the person standing on that number wins a prize, such as candy, cupcakes, gift certificates, inexpensive toys, etc. For more game ideas, check out the following Websites:

• Family Fun
• Amazing Moms
• Child Fun