Valentine’s Day Activities for the Whole Family

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Although Valentine’s Day is traditionally geared towards couples in love, if that love lasts beyond
the dating stage you are pretty sure to find yourself in the family way at some point. And since
the sentiments of this romantic holiday helped to get you there, you’ll certainly want to continue
celebrating each year. However, having kids can change the situation somewhat. It’s not that you and
your honey shouldn’t have some time to yourselves (hey, that’s what keeps the flame alive), but the
hassles involved in making plans for this holiday could easily hold you back. You have to find a sitter
(good luck), book a restaurant (if you haven’t done it yet you’re already late), and spend a ton of dough
on a meal that would normally cost you half as much just so you can quickly be ushered out by the wait
staff to make room for the next booking. If this doesn’t sound like much fun, why not look for ways to
involve the whole family in the love-fest (and save your alone time for later)?

There are actually tons of ways that you can translate this holiday from a theme of romantic love
into one of familial bonding. One great way is to plan a special meal at home. Start ahead of time by
putting together a fancy menu of dishes, including starters, an entrée, and of course, dessert. You can
get everyone involved by allowing them to choose dishes they love, and if the kids are crafty they can
set the stage by decorating the dining room, arranging place settings, and even penning fancy menus
to place on each plate. You can get to the store for supplies early (there may not be as much rush as
Thanksgiving, but you don’t want to be out in traffic on Valentine’s Day), make dessert ahead of time,
and then have everyone pitch in to create a beautiful meal.

And there are all sorts of activities you can do, as well. If you want to go nuts and spend the whole day
having fun with the family you could plan a day at the park (with a picnic lunch), go for a hot-air balloon
ride, tour local attractions (zoos, museums, etc.), or even visit a theme park. But if you don’t want to
play hooky from work and pull the kids out of school, there are still plenty of things you can do at home.
For example, you could go all out with a romantic movie night. Rent some classics love stories with
a comedic twist to keep the kids laughing (Bringing Up Baby, Arsenic and Old Lace, or even a modern
classic like The Princess Bride), pop some corn, and get comfy. It doesn’t take much to get the love
flowing.

While most couples will spend a ton of dough on flowers, dinner, and even rental cars or limos to ferry
them around for the night while their kids stay at home with a sitter, you can get a lot more out of
the night by staying in with the family. Love is not exclusive to you and your partner, so share it with
everyone in your family this Valentine’s Day. It could just be the best holiday you’ve had in years.