Valentine’s Day isn’t just for adults and starry-eyed lovers. It really is a really fun and exciting vacation for kids. After all, the holiday is about love and kindness. Hearts, sparkles and endless sweets also appeal to children. Plus, it gives them something to look forward to when they return to school after a long summer break.
Valentine’s Day for kids doesn’t have to be dull, and it doesn’t have to revolve around the usual staples like cut-out hearts and chocolate. There are many exciting, interesting and out-of-the-box ways you can capture the interest of children on Valentine’s Day. Here, we’ve put together some fun facts about Valentine’s Day, a little history of the holiday and some original ideas to help you celebrate. Ready to dive in?
What is Valentine’s Day?
First, you can give the children an introduction to the holiday, especially if they are young. They may know that Valentine’s Day, also called V-day, is the holiday associated with hearts, and they may have a general feeling that Valentine’s Day is about love. But it might help to kick off your Valentine’s Day activities by discussing what the holiday is, and what it means.
Of course, Valentine’s Day means different things to different people, but in a nutshell, it’s a holiday that honors love, affection and kindness. For adults, the holiday often involves romance, but it’s not necessary to focus on that to get something out of the holiday.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated every year on the same date – February 14. As well as in Australia, the holiday is celebrated in the UK, Canada, France, Mexico and Argentina, and it is especially popular in the United States.
The history behind Valentine’s Day
There are various theories about the history behind Valentine’s Day. According to some accounts, the holiday began with a Roman festival called Lupercalia, celebrated in mid-February as a way to usher in (northern) spring. There was also a romantic aspect to Lupercalia, where symbols of fertility were celebrated and men and women were matched with each other.
Other scholars attribute Valentine’s Day celebrations to a priest named Valentine who lived around 270 CE According to legend, during Valentine’s lifetime, Emperor Claudius II of Rome forbade marriage, but he was opposed by Valentine and still performed wedding ceremonies.
Valentine is subsequently thrown into prison, where he falls in love with the prisoner’s daughter and writes “valentine” to her lover. This could be the first official valentine! In the fifth century, Pope Gelasius I declared the date of Valentine’s death as St. Valentine’s Day, even though the day has not been associated with love for several centuries.
Interesting facts about Valentine’s Day
In addition to learning about the history of Valentine’s Day, it can be fun for kids to gather some fun facts about the holiday. They can even use these facts to impress their friends! Some fun Valentine’s Day facts you can share with your kids include:
- In 2023, Australians will spend $849 million dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts and activities.
- In the same year, almost a third of Australians said they would celebrate Valentine’s Day.
- Almost as many (29%) said they would give chocolate on Valentine’s Day, although flowers were the most popular gift choice (42%).
Valentine’s Day activities for kids
If you’re looking for more ways to celebrate, here are some fun and entertaining Valentine’s Day activities for kids to make the day sweeter.
1. Let the kids watch a Valentine’s Day movie
You’re probably familiar with the idea of Christmas movies, but what you didn’t know is that there are actually a bunch of super cute Valentine’s Day movies. Gems like “Be My Valentine,” “Charlie Brown” and “Gnomeo and Juliet” are the perfect way to capture that warm and fuzzy feeling.
2. Make fairy bread
Looking for a fun and super easy Valentine’s Day meal for your kids? Enter: fairy bread. This Aussie kids’ birthday party staple also makes a colorful Valentine’s Day snack. All you need is white bread, butter, hundreds and thousands of heart-shaped cookie cutters.
3. Practice estimation with candy hearts
Candy hearts, or conversation hearts as they are sometimes known in Australia, can be the basis for a fun game in the classroom or at home. Basically, you fill a large jar with candy hearts every morning and let the kids guess how many hearts are inside.
You can start the activity a week before Valentine’s Day and change the number of hearts in the jar each day, making sure it’s an exciting and new challenge. Predictions may be off at first, but as the week progresses you should see the powers of estimation increase.
4. Painting the symmetry of the heart
Making art projects with kids is a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, especially with an educational twist. A simple project combines the tradition of making paper hearts with learning about symmetry. All you need is a pencil and paper, some scissors, paint and a sponge-tip paint brush. Here’s how to do it:
- Fold the paper in half and draw half of the heart shape with a pencil.
- Keep the folded paper folded and cut along the line you drew.
- Spread the paper flat, and use the brush to dab paint on just one side of the heart.
- Refold the heart and press the outside lightly to smooth the paint.
- Carefully open the heart to reveal the beautiful symmetrical artwork.
5. Dancing candy hearts
Do you have a child who enjoys doing science experiments? Here’s a simple and fun one that you can make with things you have around the house. All you need is a large glass or glass pitcher, some candy hearts, water, baking soda and vinegar. This video will guide you.
6. Create a healthy Valentine’s Day treat board
Charcuterie boards are all over social media, and your tweens and teenagers probably think they’re cool. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by making a bright, delicious, healthy V-day treat board?
You can add fruit (bonus points for red fruit), cheese and cold cuts. If you have a heart-shaped cookie cutter, you can make pancakes, cookies, and other delicious treats for Valentine’s Day. For a cute and healthy snack, consider slicing an apple and using a cookie cutter to cut out a heart shape in the center of each slice.
7. Make flying butterfly hearts and other Valentine’s Day crafts
Valentine’s Day preschool activities are the perfect way to celebrate. This flying butterfly heart is super cute, and can be made with materials you probably already have at home. Just gather a black pipe cleaner, a pencil, markers and two pink paper hearts, and follow these simple instructions.
8. Have a Valentine’s Day reading marathon
Turns out there are tons of Valentine’s Day books for kids of all ages, so head to the library and grab a bundle of books to take home! Then, you can create a special Valentine’s Day read-a-thon while enjoying some of the Valentine snacks you made. Here are some favorite Valentine’s Day books to consider.
Valentine’s Day books for toddlers and preschoolers
Valentine’s Day books for older children
The bottom line
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for adults, and it’s not just about indulging yourself in chocolate or buying tons of cards and gifts. There are many exciting, engaging and even educational ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day for kids. Special Valentine’s Day activities are also a great way to pass the time, get your kids out of that back-to-school slump and put a big smile on their faces.
