Valentine’s Day is marked as a time for romance, but kids like Valentine’s Day as well! After all, they get to exchange Valentine’s with their classmates and receive candy, which is the best part for many kids.
My mom always made Valentine’s Day special by giving me a card and a box of chocolates. If you’re the parent of young kids and you want to make Valentine’s Day special for them, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. These simple activities are fun and frugal!
1. Make your own Valentine’s Day treats.
Most kids, especially younger ones, like spending time in the kitchen cooking. Why not make sugar cookies and cut them out in the shape of hearts? Cover with pink or red frosting and enjoy a tasty, festive treat together. (If you need a recipe, Pinterest is full of them.)
2. Make heart garland.
Decorate the house with heart shaped garland in pink, red and white. Simply staple two equal size pieces of paper together at the bottom. (This becomes the bottom of the heart.) Then, fold the other two ends into a heart shape, but before you staple it together, add two more equal size pieces of paper in the center of the heart tip. Staple, and you know have your first heart completed and the bottom of the next heart.
3. Create homemade Valentine’s.
Create a homemade Valentine from the kids to your spouse. Let your creativity take hold here. You can go with the old fashioned lace paper on red in a heart shape, or you can make a simple pink card out of construction paper and add heart stickers.
4. Serve a favorite family dinner.
We do all we can to avoid restaurants on Valentine’s Day because of the ridiculously long wait times. Instead, make a favorite family dinner at home and make it more special by using a fancy table cloth and lighting candles. The kids will love the change of pace, and you and your significant other can enjoy a more upscale dinner at home.
5. Use cling window gels.
You can find Valentine’s Day cling window gels at grocery stores or the dollar store. My kids love putting these up on the window and arranging (and rearranging) them for days. This is low cost entertainment that will likely keep them occupied for a few minutes a day.
6. Create a coupon book.
You can create a little coupon book for your kids. One coupon could be good for one free hug or one game played together. Your kids can decide when they want to use the coupons. For older kids, try a coupon like, good for viewing one free movie of your choice together or good for your favorite meal.
Holidays don’t have to be expensive. You don’t have to buy the store bought candy and go out to eat and fight the crowds. Instead, you can do simple, frugal activities at home that show the kids (and your spouse) that you love them and are thinking of them.
What’s your favorite, frugal Valentine’s Day activity for kids?
