Creative Ideas for Celebrating Valentine's Day

Though Valentine's Day is something of a manufactured retail holiday, I love that ultimately the day is about celebrating love and relationships, and that for my daughter, there's so much excitement around creative projects and simple tokens of affection (a refreshing counterpoint to the craziness of Christmas). Here are some of my favorite ways to express affection around Valentine's Day:

Make your own Valentine's cards.
Over the years we've done everything from store bought Valentine's (when Laurel was obsessed with anything Disney princess themed) to fabulous little cards I designed (when she was a baby/toddler and it was more about me) to cards Laurel has crafted. And hands down, the best, most heartfelt cards are those made by Laurel. Do not fret if you are not crafty! All you need to do is visit a craft store or even the stationery aisle of your local drugstore; pick up cover weight paper, envelopes, glitter glue, heart confetti, stickers, etc., and let your kids run wild. To make card making super easy, cut 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper into four equal sized pieces (4.25" x 5.5"). Cards this size will fit perfectly into A2 envelopes.

Be sweet.
Baking with kids is great because it's interactive, fun, teaches math skills, and yields yummy rewards. And an inexpensive heart shaped cookie cutter goes a long way in making things festive, whether used to make cookies, scones, or even heart shaped brownies. Also, I strongly encourage letting go of perfection in baking; let your kids decorate in their own unique way.

Shoot and share a video.
If your family isn't local, shoot and share a Valentine's greeting. I especially love the Flip camera for this purpose. The interface makes it super easy to record then email videos; Laurel's grandparents adore being able to see her "in real life" even from a distance.

Make a meal together.
Instead of going out with your partner on Valentine's Day (more on that next), bypass the packed restaurants and celebrate Valentine's Day as a family by cooking a meal together. Like baking, engaging kids in the kitchen has many benefits, and you might even find that they're more willing to eat vegetables if they have a hand in preparing them. The process can just be about being together, or you could have fun with themes; for example, heart shaped pancakes for breakfast (simply ladle into the shape with a spoon), heart shaped sandwiches (via cookie cutter) for lunch, or assembling as many red items for dinner as you can find, even if they don't go together (e.g., spaghetti with tomato sauce, beets, radishes, pomegranate, red velvet cupcakes).

Enjoy a night out.
Given our love for food and good conversation, my husband and I always opt for a night out together over traditional gifts. Related to the above point, I recommend celebrating Valentine's Day not on Valentine's Day; it will be easier to get a dinner reservation and a sitter!

Reflect on loved ones lost.
My parents' wedding anniversary is on Valentine's Day so traditionally, I like to bring flowers to my father's grave that day. Use the day to reflect on those you're missing, whether it's visiting a special place or simply reflecting mindfully for a moment.

Connect with those who may need a little love.

My friend Christina shared a great post about ways to reach out to those who may need a little pick me up on the holidays. Consider spreading the love to those in need.

These are just some of the things we enjoy doing around our house, but I'm sure you have more ideas. What are your favorite ways of celebrating Valentine's Day?

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Christine Koh is a music and brain scientist turned writer, editor, and designer. She is the founder and editor of Boston Mamas, the designer behind Posh Peacock, and pens the personal blog Pop Discourse. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and 5-year-old daughter. She tweets about it all at @bostonmamas.