Here at Kidunk we’re all about spreading the love, and there’s no better time to do this than Valentine’s Day! This international festival of love is celebrated all over the world and we firmly believe that its shouldn’t be exclusively for loved-up couples, no! You can easily make it a family affair, here’s some heart-warming ideas that are sure to get the whole family loved-up this February…
- Get ready. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is a classic children’s book that is worth revisiting with the with the kids, leading up to Valentine’s Day. It’s perfect to get discussions started about love, what it means and why it’s so important.
- Connect. Make Valentine’s Day a family event by inviting the rellies over for a special afternoon-tea! Give it a romantic theme, perhaps ask everyone to wear something red, make heart-shaped place names and write love notes for everyone. Staying connected with family has been proven to be important for our wellbeing, so why not use V Day as an excuse to get together?
- Gorgeous gifts. Let’s show Grandpa and Grandma how much we love them by making them some heart shaped gingerbread. Make it easy and use a ready-made tube of red icing and go wild with the decorating. Once dried, place them in a cute paper bag, tie with a red ribbon and ta da - a beautiful present to show the grandparents just how much we love them.
- Valentines cards. Making Cards is perfect for getting the creative juices flowing and for showing someone how much you care about them. The children will take great pleasure in presenting their cards and it’s a lesson in being kind and making others feel special.
- Date night with your children. Life can be busy and there’s never enough time for fun! Make Valentine’s evening all about family time and as it’s on a Wednesday this year, it’ll be a great midweek treat for you all. Make a special tea that you all enjoy and then forget about the washing-up, make time to play games, read stories and dance around the living room before bedtime.
- Spread the love. As Valentine’s Day is about love and kindness, it’s the perfect opportunity to reach out to people in your community who may be lonely… It’s estimated that 3.6m older people in the UK live alone and a staggering 1.9 million older people often feel ignored or invisible. If you know someone who could do with some company, why not pop round for a cuppa and a chat? Older people love children and there are so many benefits of inter-generational mixing. Help the Aged can set you up with someone via its befriending scheme, see website for more information.