11 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Your Scholars During COVID-19

Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, and it is a different year for all of us. How can we make this day special for our scholars? Here are some fun ideas: 

1. Start off on a sweet note. Show your special sweethearts how much you care by preparing a Valentine’s Day breakfast. Use berry juice or food coloring to turn pancakes or waffle batter into pink, and top your delicious creation with sliced strawberries and whipped cream. For even more fun, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter on your waffles or pancakes.

2. Dress for the occasion. If your scholar loves pink or red, this is their day to shine! Help your scholar pick out a fun Valentine’s Day-themed outfit and accessorize with socks, jewelry, bows, and more. If your scholar is not a big fan of pink or red, you can grab a plain t-shirt, purchase bottles of fabric paint at the local craft store, and let your scholar create their own loving wear! 

3. Make beautiful homemade Valentines. It may sound complicated, but homemade Valentines can actually be quite simple to make, with the most basic materials. Cut hearts out of construction paper and let your scholar decorate them with glitter, stickers, candy hearts, and more. If up to it, you can even break out pompoms, glitter glue, pipe cleaners, etc., and let your kids make the craftiest valentines that they’ve ever made! Your scholar can turn these cards into unique gifts for friends, family members, neighbors, or even the postal carrier, with notes of appreciation and love! 4. Make Valentine’s Day cookies. Probably one of the most well-known family holiday traditions is baking cookies! You can even take this a step further and have a video chat with grandparents or loved ones that your child is missing, and have everyone bake and decorate cookies together. Your child will get the connection they need to build resilience and develop baking skills at the same time.

5. Get heart-healthy. After all those delicious treats, it is time to get some exercise! February is American Heart Month, so use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to educate your scholar about the importance of exercising for heart-health. Plan a family walk, go to the park, bike ride, or pump up the music to your favorite (child-appropriate) love songs and have a Valentine’s Day dance-off!

6. Decorate your home. Purchase inexpensive decorations like streamers, silk roses, balloons, and heart-themed tablecloths. Invite your scholar to help you decorate your home with Valentine’s Day love and joy.

7. Host a virtual Valentine’s Day celebration. Use your favorite video chat app to invite your scholar’s friends. Decorate your background (virtual or real), and have a few fun themed games in mind. For example? Challenge everyone to a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt: Set a timer and list off items for everyone to find in their home, like something chocolate, heart-shaped, an old Valentine card, a lovable stuffed animal, heart objects or frames, and more. 

8. Have a chocolate taste test. Pick up all your scholar and your favorite chocolates from the store. Bring them home and cut them all into similar shapes and sizes. Then do a taste test! Turn it into a guessing game with the family; whoever guesses the most chocolates correctly gets a fun Valentine’s Day prize! 

9. Encourage the love of reading. Visit your local library or go online and find fun Valentine or love themed books to read. Snuggle up and spend some quality time with your scholar, enjoying this time. Check out this list for some great reading suggestions!

10. Commit random acts of kindness. Valentine’s Day falls during Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 9 -15). Perform kind gestures in your home and neighborhood, smile at everyone you see, send a friend or loved one a virtual card or note to let them know how much they are loved, post-Valentine’s Day messages and pictures on social media, and share on Compass’s social media sites (@CompassCs). Challenge your scholars to see who can do the most acts of kindness throughout the day.

11. Have a Valentine’s Day movie night. End the night with a fun Valentine or loved themed feature! Relax with your family and share a bowl of your favorite treats. Tell each family member how much they mean to you, and enjoy a great flick! Here are some fun movie suggestions!

Scholars and families enjoy this special day of love and celebration!