Do you remember what Valentine’s Day was like when you were a child? Handmade heart-shaped cards, Sweathearts conversation candies with phrases like, “Be Mine” and “LOVE” impressed on the front, and a hollow chocolate heart Momma placed on the dining room table that day.

As moms, we love to make holidays fun and even educational for our children. So with Valentine’s Day looming largely over us, The M.O.M. Initiative is sharing 10 Valentine’s Day Ideas for the Kiddos.

1. Go old-school. Have them cut out heart-shaped cards from red construction paper and write a sweet note to their friends and family listing at least one thing they love about that person.

2. Throw a party. Decorate your home, blow up balloons, bake cupcakes and play games – all in the name of love. Let them help with everything. Use red and white cardstock paper to cut out homemade invitations and send them out at least two weeks ahead of time. Not only will that give their friends time to make plans with their parents, but it will help your little one experience the anticipation of the day.

3. Make it educational. Explore the myth’s and the facts behind Valentine’s Day with your children. Tell them the stories. If they’re old enough let them read it, if not let them draw and color pictures of one of the legends of Valentine. You may even be surprised at the various stories that surround our February 14th holiday of love!

4. Valentine’s Day Games. Create your own Bingo Valentine’s Day Style. Make your own cards, use a heart stamp to mark the numbers called and let your prizes be Valentine’s Day candy.

5. Make it missional. The cross reminds us that love is demonstrated by sacrifice. In Operation Christmas Child style, wrap and decorate some old shoe boxes and fill them with Valentine’s Day goodies and all things ‘hearts’ as a project of love to local children in need, to a school in a low income area of town or to the local homeless shelter or women’s center.

6. Eat red. Let your children help you bake a red velvet cake, or cupcakes with red frosting (you’ll love what it does for your teeth!), eat spaghetti, pizza or lasagna, drink pink lemonade or red punch.

7. Teach them to love well. Help them make a special Valentine’s Day gift for Dad or for their sister, brother, grandma or grandpa. Stir their hearts with thoughts about what love is by thinking about what the recipient would want and not just giving a gift for the sake of giving. Allow them to earn some money to buy those special socks for dad or a beautiful barrette for you or their sister.

8. Act it out. Write a play about how to love others. Make it fun and let your children become actors and actresses who demonstrate what it means to love, to be kind, to be giving and to be respectful.

9. Create a family tradition. If you have special Valentine’s Day memories from your childhood, begin to make them traditions for your own family. Each year implement something you did the year before to establish a family tradition and then build on that with new ideas.

10. Explore you options. The internet is chock full of sites that offer great ideas for Valentine’s Day fun. Here are a few I found just taking a quick glance in cyberspace:

http://familyfun.go.com/valentines-day/

http://holidays.kaboose.com/valentines-day/

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/valentines_day.htm

http://www.childrensministry.com/articles/more-valentines-day-ideas

Each holiday is a special opportunity to establish family traditions your children will grow to hold dear, express love to others in tangible ways and have  blast with family and friends.

What do you do with your children for Valentines Day?

By Stephanie Shott