Top Ten Frugal (and fun!) Valentine Ideas for Kids

So we looked at some great ideas for showing our husbands some love on February 14th, but lets not forget our kids!  Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to make memories and start some traditions with our little ones.

1.  Go on a Valentine's Day scavenger hunt!  A simple idea for pre-readers is to cut a large heart out of construction paper.  Then cut it into several "puzzle" pieces and hide them around your house.  When all the pieces are collected help kids put them together and give them a small prize.  For those kids that are reading you can do a more traditional scavenger hunt with clues leading them to different areas in your home.  The final clue would lead them to a little Valentine gift (stickers, candy, etc.).

2.  Make a heart-themed breakfast.  Pancakes can be made heart shaped by either pouring batter into a heart shaped mold on your griddle, or putting batter in a squeeze bottle or turkey baster and "drawing" a heart shape in the pan. Then fill in the shape with more batter.  Then cook and flip pancakes as usual. For some bonus mommy "points", add chocolate chips!  You can also use cookie cutters to make heart shaped toast. 

3. Have a Valentine card-making party.  Gather some supplies (construction paper, glue, glitter, stickers) and make some beautiful cards for your friends and family.  Even little guys can get in on the fun: have them finger paint and then cut heart shapes out of the paper. 

4. Valentine's Day is on a weekday this year, so send some love off with them to school.  Include a special treat and write them a note to include in their lunch or snack. 

5.  Buy a pack of red, white, and pink balloons.  Blow them up, and after they fall asleep place them in their room.  They will wake up to a Valentine surprise!  (Note: balloons are a choking hazard so keep them away from babies.)

6.  Paper streamers are an inexpensive way to decorate for the holiday; rolls can be purchased for about a dollar.  You can hang them straight down from doorways to make a "curtain".  Drape them on banisters, or wrap them around your child's chair.  There are lots of possibilities!

7. Make a Valentine's Day "mailbox" from a cereal box. Find some instructions here. Fill it up with some treats, cards, etc. for the big day.

8.  Check out some Valentine/love themed children's books from the library and have your own story hour.  Kids love to be read to.

9.  Make a heart-shaped pizza for dinner!  My kiddos love pizza, and pizza dough is really easy to make yourself (find the recipe I use here).  Add sauce, cheese, and toppings for a special dinner.  If you aren't up for making your own, order a pizza and request that they arrange the pepperoni slices in the shape of a heart.

10.  Brainstorm with your kids about what they can do to show someone else love on Valentine's Day.  Perhaps they can help you make Daddy's favorite dessert, do a chore for a sibling, or color a picture for a grandparent. 

Do you have any Valentine's traditions in your family?  Any fun activities you want to try this year?  We would love to hear about them!  Please post in our comments section or share over on our private facebook group.