Family ideas for Valentines’ Day
Movie night with the kids
Has anyone else noticed that kids' movies have got really good in recent years? There's usually a little something for everyone. They also have a lot of positive, loving messages behind them. Plus, who doesn't love snuggling up and watching a heart-felt flick? Here are just a few of our favourites:
Annie (2014)
Age rating: PG
Length: 118 mins
Amazon Prime (free trial available)
This charming film adaption of the famous broadway play (some of us will also remember the 1982 movie!) is the perfect Valentines' Day film for the family. It's about a plucky young orphan named Annie and her dream to one day be part of a loving family. Enter a germaphobic millionaire (played by Jamie Foxx) who lives a lonely, image-obsessed life. A heartwarming adventure ensues with a fantastic cast and beautiful songs everyone can sing along to. The moral of the story? Being hopeful, optimistic and resilient, no matter what your circumstances – after all, you're never fully dressed without a smile!
Chicken Run
Age rating: U
Length: 82 mins
Amazon Prime (free trial available)
An oldie but such a goodie! It still shocks me that this movie is more than 20 years old, especially because it's still just as enjoyable and relevant. The comedy is appealing to adults, as well as kids, and the stop-animation is superb. This is a story about challenging the status quo in a world of chickens living in a prison/chicken pen, and whose existence is based on producing eggs and then becoming dinner. The moral of the story is that it's better to work as a team than go solo... and, yes, there is a bit of falling in love too!
Pinochio (live action)
Age rating: PG
Length: 125 mins
Amazon Prime (free trial available)
This is a story we all know and love, but this time told as a live action, fantasy movie. It's a wonderfully warm tale of a lonely carpenter who makes a puppet. This puppet just happens to come to life and become his son. No talking puppet would be complete without his trusty cricket companion to act as his moral compass. Pinocchio is conned by not-so-pleasant characters and taken from his father. He must find his way back and learn a lot about himself and the world along the way. There are a lot of lessons in this story. One such lesson is that we all make mistakes but must try to do better, live honestly and look out for others.
Consider a movie night hamper...
If you feel like being really indulgent and making it special, consider putting together a movie night hamper – you could even lay out a picnic in the front room. You can put this together yourself (maybe you have enough in the cupboards already) or you can purchase hampers and have them delivered quickly!
Valentines' crafts and activities
Before you settle down for a movie night, why not have some creative fun with these easy Valentines' Day activities for kids. The whole family can sit at the kitchen table and do them together, or your child can do it alone (if old enough) and then surprise someone they care about (*cough cough* you).
These are special Valentines' activities, completely free on TheSchoolRun.com. One is a wordsearch – a fun activity to pass the time and focus on the theme of love and all things Valentines'. The other, People I love portrait, is an artistic activity, requiring your child to draw their answers, and it can be given as a gift or stuck on the fridge. Warning: your heart may actually melt when you see their answers!
Grab a scrapbook and start scrapping family memories for a really sentimental and heart-warming activity or gift. You can also purchase scrapbooks with rustic looks and different themes, like this family adventure one on Amazon (£9.99).
We also recommend checking out these Valentines' ideas from our friends at Twinkl.
Family baking time
You really don't need to be a great cook to have fun in the kitchen. Valentines' Day has become associated with chocolate and sweet treats; food is an expression of love! These are some of our favourite recipes that are fun and (fairly) easy to do with the whole family:
Get recipe: BBC Good food
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Our thoughts: Affordable list of ingredients, plus jam tarts are deliciously sweet and very on theme for Valentines' Day.
Strawberry wafers dipped in white chocolate
Get recipe: In the Kids' Kitchen
Prep: est. 10 mins
No cooking required
Our thoughts: Super simple idea that requires little time, effort or money, but will be fun for children of all ages and you can make lots of them!
Get recipe: Kidspot Kitchen
Prep: 15 mins
No cooking required
Our thoughts: We love the idea of making these little fairy bread treats as part of an afternoon tea with the family. You can pretend to be prim and proper all while using leftover bread, butter and some sprinkles.
Get recipe: BBC Good Food
Prep: 1 hour
No cooking required
Our thoughts: You will need to have a bit of patience as you wait for the chocolate to set, but the recipe is so straight-forward that, apart from the melting, most kids will be able to do this with very little supervision. BBC Good Food also suggest turning them into lollies by adding lolly sticks – simple!
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