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Do you ever feel like your homeschool kids are missing out on some of the fun traditions that their public school peers enjoy every year?
I know when I started homeschooling, I was sad to realize that our son would not get to participate in a classroom Valentine’s Day party or exchange Valentines with his classmates.
So, my friend and I decided to organize a Valentine’s Day party for the kids in our co-op. Apparently, other moms felt the same as us because on the day of the party, there were SIXTY-FIVE kids crammed into a small rec center room. We spent the next 90 minutes controlling the chaos that included more than 4,000 cards being exchanged, popcorn with colored sprinkles littering the room and playing a cut-out heart version of Musical Chairs.
To say we didn’t plan that party very wisely would be an understatement. But, the kids had fun, the moms survived and we definitely improved things the next year.
But, I also learned that having a party with a bunch of kids isn’t the only way to make special memories associated with Valentine’s Day.
Below are FIVE WAYS that homeschoolers can have some Valentine’s Day fun!
ONE: EXCHANGE Valentines with a group of kids!
This is the classic way to enjoy this holiday. If you belong to a co-op, EXCHANGING Valentines with them would be a great idea! You could make it an elaborate event with food and games or you can keep it simple with just placing cards in assigned bags during a break between classes. Either way you do it, please don’t make the same mistake we did that first year. Ask each FAMILY to make one card for each kid. That way, if you have 25 kids participating, a family with five kids only has to make 25 Valentines. If you expect every KID to make every other kid a Valentine, a family with five kids will need to make 125 individual cards. And, let’s face it, we all know Mom will be doing the vast majority of work {I still have friends who laugh through clenched teeth as they recall when their family had to make 325 cards to pass around that first ever Valentine Party.}
If you don’t belong to a co-op, you could join an online group for homeschoolers wanting to EXCHANGE cards. This is an especially fun way to do it because the cards arrive in the mail and who doesn’t like to receive mail?!?!? Check FaceBook for groups but this is not something you can do last minute so be sure to check soon.
Or you could step outside of the homeschool world and suggest your soccer team, karate studio or Brownie troop do an EXCHANGE.
TWO: GIVE to neighbors, church members or nursing home residents!
When our son was younger, our next door neighbor was a single woman who LOVED being spoiled by him on Valentine’s Day. He would bring her a GIFT {usually candy and a card} and she would swoon over him. And it made him so happy to make her happy! We also had the cutest twin widows who lived two doors down who always gave our son something special for every holiday so we, of course, reciprocated. They were both diabetic so for them, we got flowers for Valentine’s Day. There is nothing quite like watching your four-year-old son ring the bell of two elderly widows with flowers in hand.
Another way to GIFT others is to visit a skilled nursing facility or assisted living home. Simple construction paper hearts would do the trick here! {Just call ahead and check with somebody first.}
Or make a list of unmarried/widowed people in your church and make handmade, personalized cards. This GIFT would cost very little but would surely and genuinely touch their hearts.
THREE: PLAY Valentine Bingo or another fun game as a family!
The fun thing about Bingo is that it can be PLAYED with a small or large group and both ways are fun! When our son was young, he even enjoyed PLAYING with just us. In order to make it more educational, I would write the words down and he had to read each one before he could find the matching picture. You can find the above version on Amazon right here. You can also find a super cheap version at WalMart in the holiday aisle. They might be cheap but they work all the same and are just as much fun!
If Bingo isn’t your style, there are loads of other fun Valentine’s Day games that you can PLAY at home. Pinterest has a plethora of ideas including Musical Hearts, Cupid Target Practice and Heart Hopscotch. You can find thirty different Valentine’s Day games here.
FOUR: MAKE yummy cookies or a fun craft!
We tend to MAKE shaped sugar cookies for just about every holiday and Valentine’s Day is simply a given. Or you could MAKE cupcakes, cake pops or red velvet blossoms. You could also start the day with heart-shaped pancakes, serve Conversation Cuties with lunch or order a special heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy’s.
If you’d rather create something that won’t later get eaten, there are about a gazillion Valentine’s Day crafts to be made! Friendship Rocks with Fingerprint Hearts, Pom Pom Monsters and Lacing Hearts all look like cute ways to have fun while MAKING something special. Or if you are a super duper brave Mama, you could let your kids MAKE some Valentine SLIME!
FIVE: LEARN about the holiday!
This is another given in our house. I won’t lie and say it’s my son’s favorite aspect of our holiday celebrations but no matter what we’re celebrating, we are also LEARNING about it! The easiest {and cheapest} way to approach this is at your local library. Chances are, your library has a special display on the topic already handpicked for you. Gail Gibbons has always been one of my favorite non-fiction authors. Her “What Is Valentine’s Day” book is out of print but your library might have it. If so, I highly recommend it. If you’d rather get a book to keep, there is a plethora of Valentine’s Day books starring your kids’ favorite characters available including Curious George, Llama Llama and even The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
If you’re like me and determined to not let school totally fly out the window for the day, you might want to check out TpT for ways to turn the holiday into a LEARNING {but still fun} experience. Your kids can sort conversation hearts, make a heart-shaped flap book or write a love poem. If you want your kids to actually learn about the holiday, check out this 25 page Valentine’s Day Holiday Fact Pack that includes informational text, writing prompts, a crossword puzzle and other fun printables. It covers the history of the holiday and includes topics such as St. Valentine, Cupid, conversation hearts, chocolate candies and more!
So, whether your kids EXCHANGE cards with friends, GIVE gifts to neighbors, PLAY Bingo with family, MAKE cookies or LEARN about the holiday, there are loads of ways for your homeschoolers to have some Valentine’s Day fun!
You may also want to check out Three Ways Homeshoolers Can Have Some St. Patrick’s Day Fun too.
Thanks, Katie! I’m planning do something with my family for our local retirement community for Valentine’s Day. Anytime you can help children look outward to the needs of others is a success in my book.
Agreed! Thanks for reading! Enjoy your Valentine’s Day outing!
These are great ideas!!
Thanks for the tips!
Great ideas for all kids!
Very cool ideas. I think we could also use these ideas on the Children’s ward at the hospital or in the nursing homes. We all like exchanging cards at Valentines.
That is definitely one of the sweetest parts of the holiday! Enjoy!
Thank you for all of these great ideas and resources. We homeschool too, and I am always looking for more ways to make holidays fun.
Love all these ideas! The party was a great idea!
I absolutely LOVE the idea of spreading some joy and love to those in your community! It brought a whole new outlook on this holiday for my children.
…and here I was sad they will not be able to experience Valentine’s Day boxes haha
As a former classroom teacher, let me assure you those darned boxes can be nightmares in the classroom! One of the perks of homeschooling, as I am sure you are quickly learning, is we get to pick and choose the chaos. 😉
Great ideas! I have a Valentine’s fun day with my grandchildren and I will be incorporating some of your fun things to do!!
Holly, as always, thanks for reading! Have fun with your grandbabies!
These are great ideas. As someone who LOVES school, I always wonder how children who are homeschooled get some of the same fun exciting things. This list has great ideas for bringing some of the excitement into curriculum.
It just takes some additional effort but it’s doable for sure Thanks for reading!
Love these ideas! I really love the visit and gifting to a skilled nursing center.
These are awesome ideas, whether kids are homeschooled or not. Thanks!
Very true! Thanks for reading!
Awesome ideas for homeschool kids! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Fun ideas for the kiddos! I’m sure doing these Valentine’s activities at home helps keep them from feeling left out.
Simple great ways to celebrate the day.
Great ideas for all kids! Looks like a fun activity. I love bingo… haha!
What a great list! We have a tradition of making valentine day sugar cookie houses (like gingerbread houses for Christmas, but sweeter!)
Great ideas! I can’t believe Valentine’s day is coming up.
I know, right? It’s nuts. Time seriously seems to go faster as we get older.
Really cute ideas.
I love the ideas! We will be doing some valentine exchange through mail with other homeschoolers!!
Have fun! Thanks for reading!
These are great ideas. I would do some of these with my kids even though they aren’t being homeschooled. Thank you!
Great ideas for any kiddo or group!!! Thanks for sharing. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.
I love every one of these great ideas, Katie!
These look like so much fun! We will definitely keep them in mind as a project for when we return from Iceland!
Great idea! I especially love the BINGO!
Love this post…got some great ideas on what to do with my son. I love the idea of giving to neighbors.
Katherine, Thank you for sharing ways Homeschoolers can participate in Valentine’s Day! I love the idea of giving to neighbors, church members or nursing homes! I would love for you to share this post on the January Kid Culture Blogger Link-Up here: https://www.mypiccoloitaliano.com/post/january-kid-culture-link-up . The link-up will be open until 1/31. I hope to see you there!