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After the excitement of the winter holidays and the new year begin to wear off, Valentine's Day arrives to break up the monotony of those cold, wintry days. Your kids may have you on the lookout for classroom Valentine's Day cards featuring their favorite cartoon character, or you may be scouring Pinterest for kids' Valentine's Day activities as you gear up for the dayโs festivities. If so, here are a few ideas to you may want to try.
DIY Valentine's Day cards for school

The Valentine's Day card exchange is probably one of the most anticipated school events after the holidays. The great thing about it is that you can easily purchase a wide variety of cards to share with classmates online or at your local big box store or pharmacy. If you have a little extra time though, there are several Valentine's Day cards for school exchanges that allow your child's personality to shine through.
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While the weather may not be conducive to spending time in your garden, these pressed flower valentines are perfect if you have some petals saved between the pages of a book somewhere. After my mom died I inherited all of her craft supplies, including a flower press and her collection of pressed flowers. Using my mom's pressed flowers to make DIY cards for family members is one way we'll be honoring her memory this year.
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If your child's class will be exchanging cards and having a Valentine's Day party, these fruit pouch valentines from Occasions by Shakira tick all the boxes when it comes to a consumable, minimalist option.
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Another easy and delicious choice for Valentine's Day cards for a school exchange are these microwave popcorn valentines which are perfect when you're short on time and don't have the patience or energy to help your child work through writing out 25 classmates' names right before bed on February 13th.
Note: Make sure and check with your child's teacher for rules on their card exchange. And if you're planning to bring treats, inquire about food allergies in the classroom.
Kids' Valentine's Day activities

Valentine's Day is a great excuse to fit in some special family time or one-on-one dates with your kids individually. Whether it's a special dinner at home or an afterschool froyo trip, these seemingly small activities will leave lasting positive impressions on your children.
One meaningful way to celebrate Valentine's Day with your family is to pay it forward with a random act of kindness. Whether that means buying a few small gift cards and handing them out to people, or creating care packages for the unhoused population, giving back as a family will set a precedent for how you want your children to live their lives.
According to author and professor Dr. Traci Baxley, acts of kindness can help kids work through their own anxiety. "Just seeing compassion and kindness in action releases chemicals in the brain that helps them calm down," Baxley told The New York Times. "It slows the heart rate and releases serotonin that counters symptoms of depression."
At-home kids Valentine's Day activities:
Upcycle a Jenga or Dollar Tree's Tumble Tower Game into a fun, and interactive way to connect with family. Vanessa Brady from Tried and True Creative created I'll Tumble for Ya, a game that encourages positive conversations, Brady even offers a printable with game prompt ideas for young children.
Another fun DIY activity is this conversation hearts tic-tac-toe game from Mama Cheaps. It does triple duty as a craft you can eat, which is also a fun game for young children. All you need are a bag of conversation hearts, graham crackers, and icing to create the game board.
Valentine's Day food ideas

Research indicates that teens who say they frequently sit down for family dinners report that they have better relationships with their parents and caregivers. So, if you find yourself hitting the drive through and eating in the car on the way to practice a little too often, this year may be the perfect time to try to get in the kitchen with your kids and prepare a sit-down meal together.
Food Network offers suggestions on how to have a special Valentine's Day meal with the whole family. But your celebration can be as simple as or as involved as you wish โ the key is to spend time connecting with one another. Some fun family-friendly Valentine's Day food ideas include:
- Many brands offer heart shaped pasta this time of year that are a fun, festive take on everyone's favorite meal.
- Some kids have a propensity toward messes, so put that enthusiasm to good use and set up a chicken cutlet assembly line to make this chicken parmesan recipe from Bake it With Love.
- If your kids can't get enough of the light, fluffy goodness of the sugar cookies from the grocery store, they'll love baking their own heart-shaped sugar cookies. The best part; you control the sugar content!
And when it's time to settle in for that movie, forgo the traditional romcoms that will undoubtedly leave older tweens and teens cringing in disgust and opt for one of these family-friendly Valentine's Day films: Lady and the Tramp (1955), Up (2009), Shrek (2001), Gnomeo and Juliet (2011), and Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975).
"We love all the different holiday Charlie Brown movies, so I knew Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown would be the perfect movie," Janet of This Mom Life 365 wrote on her blog. "Another reason I personally love the Charlie Brown movies for family movie nights is that they're generally not long movies, so they work great since my kids are different ages and have different attention spans."