Easy Ideas for Valentine's Day at Home with Kids
Is Valentine's Day a holiday for grown ups, for kids, or both? If you're staying in with the family this February 14th, these are the most thoughtful ways to party at home. Celebrate the season of love with these fantastic ideas for a special Valentine's Day at home with kids!
How Can You Celebrate Valentine's Day at Home with Kids?
Traditionally, Valentine's Day was for adult romantic restaurant dinners and kid's school parties. However now, many families are choosing to stay home together for Valentine's Day.
They are creating new family traditions and having a celebration for Valentine's Day at home with kids.
Why celebrate Valentine's Day at home with kids?
While this family Valentine's Day party might not be the sophisticated and grown-up celebration you may be accustomed to, this is still something very special.
Valentine's Day at home with kids allows you an opportunity to honor affection inside of the entire family unit. This is a family party your kids are going to remember for a long time!
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Decorating for a Valentine's Day at Home With Kids
Put out all the hearts for this love-filled family fun event! My color theme for this at-home party was traditional in white, red, and pink. I tossed in the mint color to add a pop of unexpected color!
Set up serving displays in varying heights
Just as I did during my Elf on the Shelf breakfast, I highlighted snacks at different levels. I used my vintage glass hobnail cake platter with a red metal plate stand.
Have a mail box for love letters
A small metal mailbox is a sweet way to share Valentine's cards within family members. Keep reading for more ideas on how to bring the traditional Valentine's Card exchange home.
Make a string of hearts
These candied heart kabobs are part dessert, part decoration! Choose gel or soft heart shaped treats to thread onto cake pop or wooden sticks.
Decorate with fabric hearts
I found the fabric hearts online for just a few dollars. This would actually be a pretty easy craft to recreate with scrap fabric.
Extra Valentine's Day special effects
Paper heart doilies are an inexpensive table decoration. If you don't mind the mess, consider tossing heart-shaped confetti across the table top!
What is the Best Valentine's Day Menu for Kids?
Decide ahead of the event what time you'll be celebrating your Valentine's Day at home with kids. Create a kid-friendly menu that you know the kids will enjoy.
If you still want to have your own romantic candlelit dinner at home with your honey, consider hosting a morning breakfast, brunch, or afternoon lunch with the children. Once the kids have gone to bed, you'll be able to enjoy your own grown up Valentine's Day celebration!
I'll share some breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinnertime Valentine's Day food ideas, including what we ate at our own family party.
Because sweets are at the heart of this special day, I'll also share Valentine's Day dessert ideas later in this article! I chose hearty and healthy foods for the menu to balance out the sweeter desserts.
Valentine's Day Breakfast Ideas for Kids
Perhaps you'd like to dedicate the morning hours to the kids and the late night activity to the grown-ups? Plan a breakfast Valentine's Day at home with the kids!
Easy to make pancake breakfast for Valentine's Day
Nobody will pass on these delicious fluffy pancakes, especially when topped with fruit and drizzled with maple syrup. Make 'em pink by adding a dollop of blended berries or jam to the batter before cooking.
Sweetheart fruit salad
Choose all the prettiest pink and red fruits, including strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Slice watermelon, then cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter!
Blend up pink smoothies
Blend up your choice of milk (1 cup of cow, almond, or soy per serving) with vanilla protein powder, frozen banana (½ banana per serving) and frozen berries.
Valentine fruit and yogurt parfaits
Layer crushed graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of a small glass dish. Top with a dollop of vanilla yogurt and smooth, covering the crumbs. Layer on a few pieces of sliced berries. Top with whipped cream and a few colorful sprinkles for added joy!
Banana bread muffins
Everyone's favorite use of overripe bananas, this banana bread recipe comes from the Disney parks (so you know it's delicious!). I share how to make it in either a loaf or muffin versions.
Kid's Valentine's Day Lunch and Dinner Ideas
Homemade Pizza with Heart Pepperonis for Valentine's Day
Using a recipe for quick pizza crust, I was able to have this pizza put together fast. I used my friend Amiyrah's pizza sauce recipe from Four Hats and Frugal. I then loaded the top with grated mozzarella and pepperonis.
Yes, I was a little extra and trimmed the pepperonis into heart shapes! It's easy - just gently fold in half and trim with kitchen shears.
Heart(y) meat & potatoes for Valentine's dinner
Choose your family's favorite meat like pot roast, meatloaf, broiled chicken, etc. Pair the protein with these adorable Roasted Heart Potatoes from Little Sunny Kitchen.
Valentine's Day charcuterie board
I won't pretend - this dinner of cheese, crackers, nuts and fruit is one of our favorite meals! A charcuterie is super easy, a good use of pantry items, and awesome when you don't feel like cooking. Charcuterie boards feel elegant, like party appetizers.
When done right, a charcuterie is a filling and healthy dinner option. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter on veggies (like cucumber slices) or meats (like ham or salami) for a Valentine's Day worthy appetizer plate. Or just add a few gel candy hearts for decoration, as I did!
Everybody love nachos
My family loves when we have nachos for dinner! I also love it, because it's such an easy and personalized meal and I can use leftovers.
Stack a microwave-safe plate with tortilla chips and sprinkle with a shredded Mexican cheese blend. Microwave about 1 minute, watching carefully. Add on your toppings, which could include beans, avocado or guacamole, salsa, cilantro, and queso fresco.
Sip pink punch
Skip the sugary sodas and try this healthier sweet version instead. We combined lime sparkling water with pink cranberry juice for a lightly carbonated beverage. A few maraschino cherries in each glass make this a very special drink, indeed!
And if you want to make it a little sweeter, wrap the top of the straw with cherry-flavored cotton candy (my kids went crazy for this!).
Dressing Up for Valentine's Day
Wear your heart on your sleeve! Any clothing with emblazoned hearts is going to be perfectly fitting for your Valentine's Day at home with kids.
My kiddos wore these Cricut iron-on tees I made. I personally created this design for the t-shirts in Cricut Design Space. All the details, including the project file, are there for you to recreate this unique Valentine's Day Cricut t-shirt design.
Not in the mood for crafting your own Valentine's Day outfits? I'm loving the comfy heart pajamas from Primary.
They're available for everyone from babies to adults, so you can coordinate in your coziness! Outside of pjs, there are tons of regular wear that's Valentine appropriate as well. Use code AFF20PCT on your first order and save 20%!
Valentine's Day Sweets for Your Sweethearts
It wouldn't be the sweetest day without some special desserts! Bake up a few of these treats for the family to indulge in.
Valentine's Day sugar cookies
I used both the cookie recipe and royal icing recipe from Sweet Sugarbelle and they are perfection. Sugar cookies are a process, but with results like these beauties, it's worth the extra work!
To make the chevron design, I create stripes on the top (using the "flood" method of icing, with squeeze bottles). Then, run a toothpick up and down to drag the icing, wiping off the toothpick between each swipe.
Bake jelly-filled muffins
Take your favorite muffins and make them jelly-filled! Fill the bottom of the muffin cup with batter, then center a spoonful of jelly or jam into the middle.
Cover with batter and bake as usual. Combinations could include cinnamon crumb muffins with raspberry filling or poppy seed muffins with orange marmalade.
Our favorite chocolate cake
This vegan cake requires no butter, eggs, or milk and is super easy to make. This one bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe is a year-round delight and perfect for Valentine's Day with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.
Create a yummy hot cocoa bar
Set out all the accompaniments for hot chocolate including whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate shavings.
Or skip all that and try your hand at making Valentine's Cocoa Bombs, using this recipe idea from Just is a Four Letter Word. My kids sipped cocoa out of Valentine's inspired mugs I decorated using my Cricut.
No-Bake Oreo Truffles
These no-bake cookie truffles are easier to make than you'd think, using store-bought Oreos, cream cheese, and melting chocolate.
Find the recipe for Oreo Truffles from the originator of the cake pop, Bakerella.
Bake a batch of double-decker brownies
This recipe for Double Decker Brownies is an festive family favorite. The two-layer combination of blondie with cocoa brownie is delicious! I used Valentine's Day themed M&M colors for the tops.
Valentine's Day Cards
Skip the spendy presents and romantic gifts. It's all about the card exchange on Valentine's Day! Host your own family Valentine's Day card exchange and write love letters to show how much you care.
While store-bought cards can be found just about anywhere this time of year, it's easy and inexpensive to make your own cards.
I created these special Valentine's Cards for my children using my Cricut Joy. The card mat and pre-folded insert cards, along with tested projects in the Design Space, made card making a cinch.
I seriously had these done in just a few quick minutes. Bonus: they are so much cheaper than store-bought!
Valentine's Day Card Exchange Craft
As a craft idea, each family could design card boxes together. Recycled boxes are best (think empty cardboard tissue or cereal boxes that are easy to cut).
Use what you have on hand, like construction or wrapping paper, fake flowers, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, and tissue paper, to make a unique mail box.
We used inexpensive wrapping paper over empty shoe boxes for our Valentine mailboxes. The kids decorated with felt hearts, paper shreds and stickers.
Community Valentine's Card Exchange
My family created their own cards, then each person "delivered" their cards to each other's box! You could also make a single Valentine's mailbox for everyone in the household to add their love letters.
Looking for a community Valentine's Day activity? Get neighbors, friends, and close family members to participate in your card exchange.
Place your mailboxes on the porch for friends to deliver their own love letters. Request that out-of-towners mail Valentine's Cards and you'll do the same for them. This is a great community builder and a way to stay in touch and show you care!
We make these Valentine's Day bookmark cards yearly to share with classmates, family, and friends!
Activities for Valentine's Day at Home with Kids
After you've indulged in your Valentine's Day meal and card exchange, consider adding a few more of these kid-friendly activities. Want to do them all? Choose one a day leading up to February 14th!
Lovable books to read on Valentine's Day
Snuggle up with your little lovebug and a Valentine's Day inspired read. These are a few of our picture book favorites:
Family Games
Every kid loves a scavenger hunt through the house! These free Valentine's Day scavenger hunt cards from my friend Britni at Play Party Plan are fun and easy entertainment.
Watch a sweet movie
Cuddle up with a sweetly romantic movie after your meal. My friend Kim at Stuffed Suitcase has 35+ Valentine's Day Movies for Kids.
Play romantic music
Have your Alexa Echo Dot play the romantic love song station. Sing-a-long to the best sappy love songs and see who remembers all the words!
Make a Valentine craft together
This heart-shaped handprint suncatcher craft from Midget Momma is easy to recreate and also a sweet memento of your at-home Valentine's Day.
Looking for more Valentine's Day at home with kids activities? Try one of these 50 inexpensive and loveable Valentine's Day ideas.
This article was originally published January 19th, 2021 and has been updated and republished with a new date.
Author and owner Julie Bigboy shares first hand knowledge on a variety of subjects, including family travel, positive parenting, and simple living. Her work can be found on The Points Guy, SheBuys Travel, MiceChat and Disneyland With Kids, among others.
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