7 Easy Valentine’s Day Traditions for Kids

We’ve never been big on celebrating Valentine’s Day, but we always acknowledged the sweet holiday. Before having kids, we would go out to dinner and do some shopping or maybe see a movie. Pretty much a typical date night. And even back then (circa 2009), places were crowded.

After having kids (and no babysitter, thanks to military life), we definitely wanted to avoid the crowds. So, we started celebrating at home.

Over the years, we’ve created a few sweet little Valentine’s Day traditions for kids that you might want to try with your own family.

Give a Gift

My husband and I hardly ever exchange gifts, but I always try to have a little something for the kids on Valentine’s Day.

Usually, their gift consists of candy (from the Dollar Tree), a stuffed animal, and a balloon (also from the Dollar Tree). And every year, they LOVE it!

Nowadays, since they’re a little older, I get them some makeup, perfume, skincare, etc., instead of a stuffed animal. But they still love the candy!

I’ve even used the same Dollar Tree glitter gift bags since 2017! These bags have PCS-ed with us from Florida to North Carolina to Texas to Hawaii…and they’re still going strong!

Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

When we started celebrating Valentine’s Day at home, I made chocolate-covered strawberries. It was a sweet way to acknowledge the day without breaking the bank.

The kids loved it so much that I continued doing it every year. And now, they’re the ones that make chocolate-covered strawberries for us!

Make Valentine’s Day Cards

Even before my girls started school we made Valentine’s Day cards for their dad. We also made them for their grandparents (when I could get them to sit still long enough).

Once they started school, they had to make Valentine cards for their class. It’s not a tradition that they continue now, in middle and high school, but it was fun throughout their younger years.

Wear a Valentine’s Day Shirt

Call it capitalism, good marketing, or whatever you want, but ever since the girls were babies, they got a special outfit or shirt for most holidays. And they loved it!

Even though I don’t buy them a special shirt for each holiday now, they still dress ‘on theme’ for the day, usually by wearing something pink or red.

Do a Fun Photo Shoot

Which leads me to the next of our Valentine’s Day traditions for kids: a fun photo shoot!

We didn’t do this every year, but we did it a couple of times and really enjoyed it.

Sometimes the photo shoot was just the girls posing in their outfits. One year, we bought silly glasses and headbands, then taped pink and white polka dot paper on the door and took pictures in front of it. Another year, we taped paper hearts on a string to an umbrella and took pictures.

No matter how elaborate or simple, I still love the pictures and the kids had fun taking them.

Make Treats for the Class

This isn’t technically a tradition for Valentine’s Day, but more for Valentine’s week.

My girls always liked making treats for their friends. So, along with their Valentine’s Day cards, we would buy snacks or candy for them to pass out to the whole class.

(I didn’t take pictures of the ones we made, but there are so many fun treats for Valentine’s Day!)

Make a Valentine Box

Some years, my kids were asked to make a Valentine Box for their class party. They could make it anything they wanted and it was used to hold all of the cards and treats that they collected from the class.

We always had fun picking out a character or theme and then making the boxes together. We would use any kind of boxes we could find around the house. (Even if it meant dumping the remaining contents into Ziploc bag.)

Like the treats for school, this isn’t something to do on Valentine’s Day, more like the weekend before. But it was fun and they looked forward to helping me make them!

(For more Valentine box ideas check out this post: 25 DIY Valentine’s Day Box Ideas for Kids!)

Traditions I Wish I Had Started

While I’m happy with the little Valentine’s Day traditions for kids that we made as a family, I have seen so many fun ones online.

Here are some that I wish I had started with my girls when they were little.

• have a ‘love lunch’ – make and eat heart-shaped foods
• movie night – watch kid movies with a romantic theme: Up, Cinderella, Robin Hood, etc.
• love jar- throughout January and February, write down things you love about each other, put them in a jar, and read them on Valentine’s Day
• game night – find Valentine’s Day-themed games online and play them together
• heart-shaped pizza – make or order a heart-shaped pizza for dinner
• galentine’s party – have a Galentine’s Day party with friends, complete with makeovers and nail painting (this would work for me, since I have 2 girls)

I never intended to start any Valentine’s Day traditions for kids, but that’s what happened! And I’m so glad that I did.

These are pretty minor things, they don’t cost much money and they don’t take much time, but my girls look forward to them every year. And if you’re a parent, then you already know that the years fly by faster than you ever thought possible.

So, take the time and make the effort. You’ll be glad you did!

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends!