I love Valentine's Day. What's not to love about a holiday that celebrates love? But there are great ways to celebrate beyond the typical cards, flowers, and chocolate hearts. Every year, my brother and his awesome wife, Ilse, put together a Valentine's scavenger hunt for the kids. They put an incredible amount of time and thought into creating fun, challenging adventures that get better every year. So far, we've done a neighborhood expedition, a sandy beach journey, and an amazing race all over the city. My brother and his wife create clues and plant them along the scavenger hunt's path, and I get to lead the kids on the hunt! Here are some fun ideas for celebrating Valentine's Day with the ones you love.
SANDY'S SUGAR COOKIES
My friend Lisa gave me a delicious family recipe from Grandma Sandy. I could eat an entire batch of these cookies by myself!
YIELD: 3 DOZEN COOKIES
CREAM TOGETHER
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
ADD AND MIX WELL
4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream together the sugar, eggs, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Then add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well. Cover the mixed dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness, and use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets, leaving at least 1/2 inch between cookies. Bake at 375°F for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
CONFECTIONER'S ICING
Add about 2 tablespoons of milk or water to 2 cups of confectioner's sugar (10X powdered) to make a desired spreading consistency. Add a dash of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, to taste. Add food-coloring drops, if desired.
BOX OF LOVE
We all love getting a Valentine's Day card, but it's also fun to create a whole box full of love filled with hearts and treats! This is a great craft to do for moms, dads, grandparents, and even siblings. The box will serve as a reminder of how special they are all year long.
1 cardboard box, heart shaped or square (can be found at most craft stores), per kid
1 sheet of stickers per kid
Selection of markers for crafts
1 sheet of colored paper per box
1 teaspoon of confetti per box
3 or 4 heart cutouts
2 to 4 Hershey's Kisses or other favorite candy per box
Have each child decorate the outside of his or her box with stickers and markers. Next, have the kids write a note, draw a picture, or add a special message on the colored paper to roll up and place inside the box. Add confetti, heart cutouts, and candy for an extra touch of love. When everything is done, give the box to someone special and see how loved it makes them feel.
HEART WANDS
This was one of the crafts that I was really looking forward to doing with the girls. They love wands, hearts, and everything valentine related, so I figured this would be a hit for the holiday … and I was right. They loved working together on this project.
1 (9 × 12″) sheet of felt per kid
1 bottle tacky glue
1 bag of fiberfill stuffing
1 (1/2 × 12″) wood dowel per heart
8 to 10 mini clothespins per heart
2 pairs scissors
Holding two pieces of felt together, use scissors to cut out hearts. A standard sheet should give you room to create two hearts side by side. Using the double-sheet method will make your hearts the same size and shape, which is important for your wand. Glue the two heart pieces together along the edges, making sure to leave an inch-wide opening at the top and bottom so you can add the stuffing later. Let the glue dry completely—overnight is best. If you've got impatient little ones and need a shorter wait time, use mini clothespins to keep the heart pieces together while you add the stuffing. Insert a dowel at the bottom of the heart to make the wand, and finish gluing the top and bottom together.
SCAVENGER HUNT
First, decide which kind of scavenger hunt suits your family best. If you have little ones, you might want to stick to a short route in your own neighborhood that can be traveled easily on foot or by bike. For bigger kids, hop in the car and head out on the town! We've used all kinds of hiding places in our scavenger hunts: inside libraries, behind street signs, in trees, and buried in the dirt. We love using riddles that the kids need to figure out before they can find the clue. The older they get, the more complicated the riddles can be. Make it creative and challenging enough to be fun, but not so obscure that anyone gets frustrated. The goal is to have a blast! At the end of our hunts, we always have a little Valentine's Day surprise for everyone.
One year we went to a cupcake shop where our first clue was hidden in a cupcake box. When the kids opened the box, there were cupcakes for each kid and a letter that included a word scramble that spelled out where to go next. We also did fill-in-the-blank puzzles and guessing games. Usually we have six to eight clues—one for each part of the hunt before the final destination. For simpler scavenger hunts, I hide handmade cards in the backyard and have the kids find them to discover what adventures we are going on. It makes for a great day that your kids will always remember.
TIPS
? Rubber-stamping a heart or cupid on goodies from the kitchen or placing a hangtag on a vase with flowers can inspire you to turn any household item into a little valentine for a loved one.
? Take your kids to the local farmers' market or flower market, then decorate the house with beautiful flowers.
? Decorating the house can be super-fun and festive. Let the little ones get involved by adding their personal touches, like a Valentine's Day drawing for Mom or Dad or a batch of homemade cookies in the shape of hearts.
? We include new and fun ideas all the time on Moonfrye.com, so come check it out for inspiration.