5 Ideas for Celebrating Valentine's Day With Your Family
On Valentine's Day, many married couples with children find a babysitter for the evening to go out on a date. Making it about just the two of you is a totally legitimate option, but that doesn't mean you absolutely have to do it. There are couples who include their kids in the celebration because Valentine's Day is about love, and children are the result of this love. Here are 5 ideas for celebrating Valentine's Day with your family.#1. Romantic breakfast. Instead of (or along with) having a romantic dinner with just your spouse, have a romantic breakfast with your entire family. For example, you can make heart-shaped pancakes and serve them with strawberries, whipped cream, syrup, peanut butter and whatever else your spouse and kids like. If you're not a big fan of pancakes, you can substitute them with heart-shaped waffles or fried eggs on toast.
#2. Scavenger hunt. Kids love scavenger hunts (actually a lot of adults do, too, although some of them will never admit it out loud), so a Valentine's Day-themed scavenger hunt is a great idea. Make and hide clues that contain words of love and appreciation, taping a Hershey's Kiss on each clue. And make sure that there is a meaningful gift waiting for your entire family at the end of the hunt. Actually, it would be great if you end the hunt with a family trip to the bowling alley, favorite pizza place, etc.
#3. Craft time. One of the most important Valentine's Day traditions is exchanging cards and small gifts that show our love and appreciation. A lot of people prefer to buy gifts and cards, but handmade gifts are always special. So gather your family and suggest that they make Valentine's Day cards and small gifts for each other and whomever they want to congratulate. Keep the cards you've made and use them to decorate you house on Valentine's Day the next year.
#4. HIMYM marathon. For those of you that don't know for some inexplicable reason, HIMYM stands for How I Met Your Mother. It's a sitcom where the main character recounts to his children the events that led him to meeting their mother. For 9 seasons and 208 episodes. If you and your spouse are not big fans of Valentine's Day and just want to spend a quiet evening with your kids, tell them the (brief!) story of how you met each other and proceed to binge-watch HIMYM.
#5. Movie night. We realize that HIMYM is not everyone's cup of tea. Besides, if you have small kids, this show probably won't be appropriate. So, if a HIMYM marathon is not an option for you, you can have a movie night instead. Bake cookies (heart-shaped, of course), make lots of popcorn, snuggle up on the couch, and spend the evening watching romantic movies. Here is a list of fun, romantic and family-friendly movies your kids may like: Tangled, You've Got Mail, The Parent Trap, Lady and the Tramp, Enchanted, The Princess Bride, The Sound of Music.