Zoe Tate, who is bringing Debutots to the Kingston area very soon, shares her Valentine’s Day celebrations and the brilliant learning opportunities it can provide…
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Here are some Valentine’s ideas
For you and your family to do.
Excuse the incredibly cheesy start but isn’t that the whole point of Valentine’s Day? Before my daughter was born, my boyfriend and I never really celebrated it apart from exchanging cards. However, it was the day I told him I was pregnant, so now we use it as a day to celebrate the love of our family.
The day is indeed a wonderful opportunity to express love and appreciation, and teaching children the importance of kindness and gratitude from a young age is invaluable. We all know that most young children like small, quick tasks, so I have included a range of activities that are short and sweet, just like our little cherubs.
- Make a personalised card. There is something special about a personalised gift and a cute card is a lovely keepsake, especially when it has been made with either footprints or handprints. Another great thing about making cards is that it can be adapted for all ages.
- Get crafty. Keep the loo rolls; make love bugs, use them to make heart stamps. There are so many great ideas online which take minimal effort. Last year, we made wrapping paper by printing hearts from the toilet rolls and it was so cute and effective. Another great idea is to let your child just paint all over a paper and then cut out hearts for an unique paper bouquet.
- Enjoy a sweet treat. Make some cakes or even buy pre-made fairy cakes and decorate with pink and red sprinkles. B&M have some great ones for £1. Or venture towards creating homemade chocolate lollies or bark treats online.
- Check out local places for themed activities. Some libraries, cafes and play areas are great at offering themed activities. Even Ikea is offering free Valentine’s breakfasts and lunches.
- Sensory play. There is no doubt that the rewards of sensory play are endless. It’s meant to stimulate a child’s senses, and this kind of play helps their development across the board. Again, this can be adapted for all ages so everyone can find an activity they love. From ribbons and scarves for babies to shaving foam paint and coloured rice for toddlers
- You’re number 1 in my book! We love a themed bookshelf in our house. Our little bookworm has her favourite books, but she also loves the books being rotated, which encourages her to pick different stories.
- Link an activity with a book. For our daughter’s first Valentine’s, we got her the book Love by Corrine Averiss and we hung pictures of family on string above her play mat.
- Playtime. Imaginative play is one of our daughter’s favourite things to do and is a great way to develop many language and social skills. We set up a Valentine’s gift shop and our daughter has loved it.
- We love to brunch. The way to our hearts is definitely food. This year we are planning to have a Valentine’s brunch. M&S and Asda are great at offering themed food such as pancakes and crumpets. We will be adding all the berry special trimmings and of course a cheeky bit of Nutella!
- Do what you love. It doesn’t need to be all pink and red with hearts and flowers. Just spending time with those you love doing what they love to do can be the best gift ever.
Themed Play Idea – a Valentine’s Gift Shop!
