Teaching your kids how to express love, admiration, gratitude, compassion, and kindness for others support childhood development. Valentine’s Day is an ideal time to show them how to put their thoughts into action.
Here are three ways you and your family can spread the love this year to friends, neighbors, and each other.
Create a Love Note Wall
This month, grab a pack of pink or red sticky notes, markers, and gather your family around the kitchen table. Then, have everyone write loving messages on each note that would brighten someone’s day.
From there, find a central location in your home and arrange the notes in a festive heart shape to see the loving words come together. You can keep the activity going all month by having your kids choose a note that makes them feel good each day. They’ll get to practice writing a thoughtful message to someone else, receive love back, learning firsthand how words of affirmation can lift someone’s mood.
Have a Valentine’s Baking Day
Bring the term ‘baked with love’ to life in your home with themed baked goods you can make with your littles. How about delicious cupcakes or treats they can make with specific people in mind that they want to share their love and appreciation? As they get baking, they’ll experience the joy of doing something for someone else while having a lot of fun.
If you want to keep things simple, create Valentine’s day trail mix baggies your children can hand deliver. Or you could get fancy with a big cake they can decorate and slice for each family member with that intention of love. Here are a few easy recipes to get inspired.
Extend Love to Your Community
Spread love within the community by signing up for a volunteer event around Valentine’s day or a kid-friendly crafting day with other children. Extending how your kids learn to share love outside their immediate family members and friends can open their minds to how it feels to connect with new people and the value of creating meaningful friendships.
Here are a few local opportunities to get your family excited about:
- 11th Annual Valentine’s Day Spread the Love Event: Make cards and goodie bags for senior citizens at St John of God Retirement & Care Center with a fun dance class and brunch to enjoy.
- Valentine’s Day Snow Globe Making: Head to the Los Angeles Public Library for a unique crafting event where kids and families can create their Valentine’s Day snow globes and gift them to someone they love.
Create a Loving Ritual to Practice All Year
The possibilities are endless for showing your kids how to express their affection to their loved ones, friends, neighbors, and strangers. As they identify activities they enjoy, you can present more opportunities to practice love throughout the year.