Valentine’s Day is coming up, and as a grandparent, you may wonder how you can make it fun for your grandchildren. There are all kinds of fun things you can do and make with your grandchildren for this special holiday. Here are some ideas for you to think about.
Create Valentine’s Day Gifts
Instead of going out and spending a ton of money on gifts, you can create Valentine’s Day gifts with or for your grandchildren. This is a great way to teach your grandchildren about money and how being creative can help them save money while making something fabulous.
-Heart-shaped photo frame
-Homemade bath salts and beauty products
-Homemade candy in a heart-shaped box
-Heartfelt Valentine’s Day cards
-Handmade jewelry
-Memory Quilt (best suited for older children because sewing is involved.)
Heartfelt Valentine’s Day Treats
Everyone loves a treat on Valentine’s Day, and homemade ones are the best. You can make cookies, a cake, whoopie pies, candy, pie, finger jello, and all kinds of other delicious treats. Here are some ideas to get your mouth watering.
-Heart-shaped sugar cookies
-Red velvet whoopie pies
-Heart-shaped finger jello
-Homemade fudge or candy
-Decorated cupcakes
-Biscotti
-Decorated sheet cake
Savory Treats
Some people can’t have a lot of sugar or are watching their sugar intake. But that doesn’t mean they have to be left out. Here are some savory treats to consider.
-Heart-shaped pizza
-Taco crackers
-Homemade granola bars with healthy ingredients
-Energy balls (usually contain oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.)
-Homemade potato chips, cheese snack crackers, or pasta chips
Valentine’s Day Storytelling
Who doesn’t love a good love story? Here are some great ways to incorporate storytelling into your Valentine’s Day while creating family bonds.
-Create a family love story book. Gather everyone in your family and have them contribute their favorite memory, anecdote, or love story. It could be a story about Mom and Dad’s first date, a cherished tradition, or when love was shared during a difficult time. Compile the stories into a bound book or a scrapbook and add photos, drawings, and decorations.
-Have a Valentine’s story circle with your family. Set up a warm atmosphere with cushions, blankets, and maybe some cocoa, coffee, or hot tea. Then, each person can tell their favorite story about love, whether it’s a childhood memory, lessons learned about love, or a special person in their life.
-Another way to incorporate stories, especially with your older grandchildren (tweens and teens, is to pick a romance book and read it together during the entire month of February and then discuss it when you’re done.
Unique Valentine’s Day Games
Games are another fun thing to do with your grandkids on Valentine’s Day. Kids love games, and here are some ideas for ones they will love. If you only have one or two grandkids, you could invite their friends over for an hour or two to play games. If you do so, make sure you have one or two other adults to help you.
Ping-pong game. You know the game at the carnival where you throw ping-pong balls and win goldfish? Instead, buy a few cheap Valentine plush toys, movie theater candy boxes, bottles of nail polish, etc, for prizes. Then, pick up some plastic bathroom cups and some ping-pong balls. Fill the cups with water and line them up on your kitchen table, and give your grandkids the balls to throw. Each time a ball lands in a cup, they get a prize.
Make up a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt in your yard or home.
Love Bingo: Create cards with various images on them (hearts, chocolates, cupid) or phrases like ‘I love you’, ‘first date’, and ‘forever love.’ Distribute the cards to your grandkids and call out descriptions of the images or phrases. The first kid who fills up a line shouts, ‘Bingo!’ and wins a prize.
Valentine Charades: Create a list of Valentine’s phrases like ‘butterflies in my stomach’, ‘first kiss’, ‘friendship goals’, etc. Your grandkids will take turns acting out the phrases without speaking while a team member tries to guess the phrase in a limited time. Keep score for some friendly competition, but overall, have fun.
Personalized Valentine’s Day Cards
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Paperkites
Kids love getting crafty, and making personalized Valentine’s Day cards is always a hit. This is a great way for them to express their feelings for those around them, both family and friends, teachers, coaches, etc. First, you will need to gather supplies.
-Cardstock or heavyweight paper
-Markers or colored pencils
-Stickers
-Glitter (very close supervision with this)
-Scissors and glue
-Photos
-Envelopes
-Stamps or decorated seals
Instructions:
Choose a theme. Are we making cards for the family? Friends? Teachers? Decide who you want to make cards for
Design the card layout: Folded or flat design and add photos, stickers, glitter, etc, being sure to have room to write a message
Add personal touches like messages or photos
Decorate the card, both inside and out
Final touches: Sign off with love and decorate the envelope
Hand-deliver or send your cards
Outdoor Adventures with a Twist
Celebrating outdoors with your grandkids is another great idea. Everyone can stay active, and you can wear them out before they go back home. Here are some ideas for outdoor Valentine’s adventures with a twist.
-Heart scavenger hunt. Instead of a traditional scavenger hunt, do a Valentine’s scavenger hunt. Create a list of heart-shaped items or romantic symbols in your backyard or local park. Using biodegradable markers, you can place heart-shaped notes with sweet messages at each location. Your grandkids or family can work in teams to find these treasures. It can end in a potluck back at your house, where everyone shares their favorite finds and messages.
-Make a Valentine’s Day kite and fly it.
-Stargazing. Bundle your grandkids up, sit on the back porch, and look at the stars. If you know where the constellations are, show them.
Virtual Fun for Long-Distance Grandparents
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/RgStudio
Just because you live long-distance doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate and share all your love with your grandchildren. Here are some ways to stay close on this special holiday.
Virtual storytime: Pick a theme for each story. For Valentine’s Day, you could choose stories like Little Blue Truck’s Valentine or Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day is Cool for little ones. If you have a pickup truck, read Little Blue Truck’s Valentine in your truck and record it, or read via video call. If you have a cat, set it on your lap when you read Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day is Cool. No matter what you choose, make sure the story is interactive and fun. Tips: Choose a story suitable for the age; encourage your grandkids to use their toys as props or characters; use different voices for different characters to hold their attention.
Virtual craft party: Pick a theme and a craft and make it together virtually.
Cook and bake together. Choose a Valentine’s-themed dish or baked good and make it together.
Virtual game night: Choose a game you can play online over video call, like Pictionary, charades, or trivia, and make it Valentine-themed.
Virtual movie night: Pick an appropriate love-themed movie and watch it together.
Valentine’s Day Movie Marathon
Who doesn’t love a good Valentine’s Day movie marathon? Make some homemade snacks, have plenty of beverages on hand, curl up with a blanket, and relax. Don’t forget the tissues. You may need them.
Movie Suggestions for Kids
–Lady and the Tramp (Animated Version)
–The Little Mermaid (Animated Version)
–Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You (1999)
–Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
–Frozen
Movie Suggestions for Tweens and Young Teens (ages 10-12)
-The Princess Diaries
-The Princess Diaries 2
-A Cinderella Story
-Tangled
-Sing
-A Week Away
Movie Suggestions for Teenagers (13+)
–To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
–A Walk to Remember
-An Affair to Remember (Cary Grant/Deborah Kerr)
–Not My Type (Hallmark Channel)
–Bridal Wave (Hallmark Channel)
-The Perfect Catch (Hallmark Channel)
–Summer Villa (Hallmark Channel)
-Roadhouse Romance (Hallmark Channel)
Capturing Memories: Valentine’s Day Photos
Taking pictures of your Valentine’s activities is a great way to preserve the memories for years to come. You can hire someone to take pictures as you’re going about your day with your grandchildren, or you can have one of your adult children come along and take pictures.
Teaching the Meaning of Love and Kindness
Valentine’s Day is also a great day to teach your grandchildren about the meaning of love and kindness. Bake treats, box them up, and take them to your friends. Surprise your neighbor with a fresh-cut bouquet from your garden. Buy a meal for the homeless person you pass or make a donation to a local charity. Teach your grandkids to act with love and kindness all year, not just on special holidays like Valentine’s Day or Christmas.
There are all kinds of ways you can make Valentine’s Day fun for your grandkids. Start planning now and make it the best Valentine’s ever.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/lisegagne
Carrie Lowrance is a freelance writer and author. She has had her work featured on Crosswalk, iBelieve, Huffington Post, and the Penny Hoarder. She is also the author of three children’s books, three clean romance books, one romance novella, three books of poetry, and one non-fiction book. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and baking, reading, and hanging out with her husband, and sweet cat, Cupcake. You can find out more about Carrie and her writing at www.carrielowrance.com.
