Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. What is your ideal Valentine’s Day? I enjoy spending Valentine’s Day at home with my family. It’s more meaningful than going to an overcrowded, overpriced restaurant or a not-so-relaxing, rushed spa day.
It is so hard to go out and celebrate when we have kids, especially if it falls during the week, on a school night, or work night. I’ll be honest, since having our daughter who has special needs, most of our Valentine’s evenings consist of Netflix, homemade meals, and us eating whatever Valentine’s candy our daughter had collected at her exchanges.
A romantic evening at home is the perfect chance to get creative, have some much-needed fun, and spend some quality time with your family while celebrating Valentine’s Day at home.
Ready to make Valentine’s Day 2023 unforgettable? Keep reading…
- Fake a fancy dinner out
Mix up some fancy cocktails (or mocktails!) and prepare prime rib, crab legs, or scallops. Create the right ambiance with music, candles, and nice dinnerware. Enjoy taking your time to eat and converse over a meal your kids would probably turn their noses up at. While you love birds enjoy your fancy dinner, set the kids up with their idea of fancy: heart-shaped anything, some red foods, and maybe some Sprite for their bubbles.
- Try an at-home cooking class
Recreate a cooking class date night at home by making a complicated recipe together. Check out online cooking classes from Sur La Table or Masterclass.
You can also follow along with a recipe from a meal delivery kit like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh.
- Recreate your favorite bar
Bring happy hour to your house with a growler or six-pack of your favorite local craft beer. Add in wings, burgers, or nachos. Play cards, darts, or foosball if you have the equipment. Bring the fun to your home, you can set up the kids with age-appropriate games!
- Get or Make a Heart Shaped Pizza
There are so many restaurants that make Heart Shaped foods but I prefer pizza. Here are a couple of places that offer these super cute pies:
- Play “I love you because”
Throughout the day or at dinner take turns telling each family member things that you love about them. Each person will take a turn sharing what they love about each person in the family and everyone will end the day feeling special and loved.
- Get creative with a painting night
Buy your canvas and paint supplies and bring the party to your living room. Look up an instructional video on YouTube and paint your masterpiece. It’s always fun to see how different people interpret the same instructions.
- Build a fort
Who doesn’t love building a fort? Add fairy lights, lots of cozy blankets, and some tasty hot chocolate to make it all the more romantic. Building a fort is so efficient but makes the kids feel special and lets us adults feel like kids again.
- Have a spa day
It’s super easy to do on a budget: a candle-lit bath, some nice face masks, bubbles (in the bath or your cup,) and, of course, cucumber eyes. Take turns giving each other massages, rubbing each other’s feet and well you know what happens from there 😉
- Heart Attack
- Cut your hearts in various sizes. I like pink and red sheets of construction paper to fit our Valentine theme. I use the old school method of folding my construction paper in half and then cutting out half of a heart (unfold and you have a heart!) You could also trace a heart onto a flat piece of construction paper and then cut out your heart using that as a guide.
- Write a positive phrase/affirmation/reason you love your Valentine on each of the hearts using a Sharpie or darker-colored marker.
- Using your tape, affix each heart to your Valentine’s door.
Even though this is something so small it reminds you of how grateful you are to have these special people in your life and it makes them feel appreciated and loved.
- Make a date jar
On a holiday dedicated to love, it makes sense to renew your commitment to showing your love throughout the year. A date jar, which is a list of fun dates you both come up with, is the perfect way to do that. To make one, each of you can come up with a list of 10 date ideas. Put those ideas in a jar. Each date night, take an idea from the jar and do what’s written on the paper. It’s the perfect way to break up your routine and keep things fun.
You can do this for the kids as well, have them come up with their ideal family fun and you’ll be surprised by what they pick.
- Do a Chocolate Tasting
What’s your favorite chocolate? Do you know?
For a special Valentine’s Day treat, buy three different kinds of fancy chocolate and do some taste testing together. Perhaps there’s a variety of brands you find that’s better than the others. You can also get different types of chocolates from different countries and see what your favorites are.
- Plan a night with a THEME
Choose a theme and center everything around it. Have an 80’s or 90’s night (any decade) make your favorite food from that decade, listen to popular music, or watch a popular movie from that decade. Have a Japanese night with sushi, and sake, and watch some good anime. Think Italian, Disney, or Indian…be creative! Always wanted to visit Paris? Make it a Paris night!
- Make a Valentine’s Day Family Craft Night
Make some family fingerprint art by putting a large heart-shaped sticker in the middle of a canvas, then have everyone stamp their fingerprints all over in different colors. When dry, remove the heart sticker and have a special, one-of-a-kind work of art.
Repeat the same process above, but instead of using a heart-shaped sticker, use painter’s tape to spell the word “LOVE”. Remove the tape when dry and enjoy!!
- Gather on the Couch for Valentine’s Day Family Movie Night
Finally, the perfect way to end a fun-filled family-friendly Valentine’s Day….a movie! Don’t forget the popcorn. Here are The Best Valentine’s Day Movies to Watch as a Family.
- Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
- Lady and the Tramp
- Shrek
- Princess Bride
- Up
- Princess Diaries
- The Addams Family
- My Girl
- The Little Rascals
Aren’t these ideas so cute? I can’t wait to spoil my family and surprise them with these fun activities so we can enjoy Valentine’s Day at home together.
