Valentine’s Day is just one step below Halloween in my house. My kids are beyond excited to get chocolate, receive some valentines and decorate cookies.
I’m sure most of you already have a lot of ideas about how your family will celebrate Valentine’s Day. Maybe you’ll make some fun arts or crafts projects, or try out new recipes for making your own candy.
Today, I’m going to share with you 10 ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in ways that are just a bit different from the usual crafts and baking.
Enjoy!
1. Learn more about the heart. There’s a great multi-media presentation of the heart at Anatomy of the Heart. A good book for younger kids is Hear Your Heart (A Lets Read and Find out Science Book).
2. Pass out valentines to people who are home or hospital bound. While your kids might be looking forward to receiving candy hearts and valentines from friends, it’s good to remind them that many people don’t have anyone to celebrate Valentine’s Day with them. Think about creating a few homemade valentines to pass out to someone who’s sick in the hospital or stuck at home this Valentine’s Day.
3. Read some books or websites about the history of Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day (Holiday Histories), Saint Valentine, The Story of Valentine’s Day (Trophy Picture Books), A short 3 minute video on YouTube from the History Channel- not for young kids. A lot of info at History.com .
4. Snuggle on the couch and watch some family friendly movies about Valentine’s Day or love. Here are some suggestions: Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, The Love Bug, The Princess Bride, A Cinderella Story, & Beauty and the Beast.
5. Have a contest to see who can find the as many famous paintings as they can with Cupid in them. Record the name of the painting, the artist, and where the painting is located.
6. Research how Valentine’s Day is celebrated around the world. Check out: stvalentinesday.org, silverinternational.edu, and the holidayspot.com.
7. Learn how chocolate is made. Last month we toured the Long Grove Confectionary Factory. It was very interesting to see the process of turning the cacao pods into what we know as chocolate. Here are some fun videos and articles to check out: library.thinkquest.org, Super Natural Adventures, and Discovery Channel How Chocolate is Made.
8. Research the chemistry of jewelry. Here’s a Gemstone Gallery, a History of Diamonds, and a YouTube video on how gold is made .
9. Try some Valentine’s Day science experiments. Here’s directions to make Crystal Hearts, Valentine’s Day Carnations, & Goldenrod Valentines.
10. Create a Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt. Start off by handing your child a rhyming poem that holds a clue to finding a second rhyming poem that you’ve hidden somewhere in the house. The second rhymed poem will lead to a third poem. Keep going as long as you’d like until the final rhymed poem leads to a Valentine’s Day treat!
Photo Credit: terren in Virginia
Do you have any unusual ways that you like to celebrate Valentine’s Day in your family?