February is here, and love is in the air! While romantic love often gets the spotlight this season, we think friendships and family love also deserves to be recognized and celebrated! No matter if you choose to celebrate with your little ones, your chosen family, your blended family, or your extended family - all family love is worthwhile and valid.
To help you get into the Valentine’s Day spirit, here are our three favorite activities to connect as a family and celebrate love this month.
Activity 1: Love Trees
This one is a highly-requested activity in Dr. Dionne’s house - love trees! Simply trace each family member's hand on construction paper, and cut out the hand shape. Cut out little hearts and use them to make little message ‘leaves’ on each person’s ‘tree.’ This is an adorable way to foster gratitude for one another, strengthen relationships, and show each other how much you love your family!
You can even stick your trees together onto a larger piece of paper to create a family love forest. Cute, right?
Activity 2: Love Rocks
This is another favorite that can be repurposed in any season; not just on Valentine's Day! Gather some rocks (flat and smooth ones work best!) and paint rocks for each member of your family. Your kids can let their creativity shine with these hand-painted gifts, including adding little sayings, kind words, and drawings. These handmade gifts can be displayed inside or outside all year long and act as an eternal reminder of family love!
Activity 3: Get Baking!
This is another fun activity that can be easily adapted for any age or family gathering. Psst: there’s also a bonus - everyone gets sweet treats to eat after! Dig out your favorite family cookie recipe, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter, and get baking! Then comes the best part: decorating! Try adding sprinkles, different coloured icing, or even little candies to create your own custom family cookies.
For older kids, you can get a bit more adventurous with heart-decorated cupcakes, red and pink macarons, or even trying cake decorating!
This is a great way to teach children about baking and having a chance to get messy! Sharing the kitchen together is an excellent way to foster family learning and learn important life skills like teamwork and patience!