Over the years, I’ve stumbled on a few ideas which my children have loved that are now our family traditions leading up to Valentine’s Day. They are simple, meaningful, and easy to execute, which is why we enjoy returning to them every year.
1. DIY card making station: At the beginning of February, I fill a simple wooden box with paper and various art supplies that my littles can help themselves to throughout their days. They’ve drawn some of the sweetest and most thoughtful pictures for each other. My heart delights in watching them concentrate as their little hands write each other’s names, include favorite colors or whisper to me asking for help with spelling. I’m excited for their messages to each other to grow right along with them.
2. Envelope chairbackers: I made envelope chairbackers (pictured above) to tie onto our chairs for our family a few years ago after spotting a similar version in a Pottery Barn catalog. As my littles finish making cards for each other, they slip them into these envelopes. It’s fun to watch the envelopes fill as we lead up to Valentine’s Day morning when we open them over a special breakfast. I’m writing up my Pottery Barn Knockoff – DIY Valentine’s Day Envelope Chairbacker post now and hope to share it with you in the next day. If it wasn’t easy, I wouldn’t do it, so trust me when I tell you you can whip them up in an afternoon!
3. Daily verses about love: We printed these free cards containing verses about love a few years ago. I keep the cards in our Valentine’s mailbox and each day a different child draws one out. They’re the starting point for our Bible time during the first two weeks of February. We talk about them, make efforts to memorize them, and pray them over our hearts and actions.
4. Daily art on love: While we’re doing our daily Bible time on love, we also make art about the verses. This has turned into such a dear tradition, as my littles work alongside me to make heart people who are demonstrating love as the verse teaches us that day. Want to know if your children understand the Bible verse or lesson? Ask them to draw about it. We’ve gotten such precious peeks into their hearts and into such fruitful conversations. While some days, it feels like we don’t have time in our homeschool day to leisure over these drawings, the time spent has always, always been worthwhile.
5. Valentine’s Books: Of course, books right? We wouldn’t be homeschoolers without them. Our collection is mostly made up of sweet, fun ones, but, these sweets ones on love do more and really get to the heart of the matter. I had trouble finding good links for either on Amazon (or anywhere else), but thought sharing them might put them on your radar to purchase if you happen upon them.
The Best Thing Is Love by Dandi Daley Mackall
My Happy Heart by Sally Lloyd-Jones
An idea I’ve heard of, but haven’t tried, we plan to implement this year within our family and among others outside our home – a “heart attack.” Using paper hearts, you write things you love or appreciate about the person and prominently display them somewhere to surprise said person — bedroom door, car interior, locker, and for long distance, maybe just an envelope stuffed and delivered via snail mail. Doesn’t that sound like fun? There are some members of my family who especially appreciate words of affirmation, so I know this labor of love would go a long way with them.
I started setting up everything over the weekend and the excitement was infectious. I’d love to hear all about your family traditions. If you have a beloved book that teaches about the true story of the Roman priest Valentine, please share details! We’d love to add that to our reading pile. XOXO
Want to learn more about our Valentine’s Day traditions? Check out these posts.
My Favorite Valentines To Pass Out
I found a sweet little board book at our local used bookstore (2nd & Charles) called The Story of Valentine’s Day by Nancy Skarmeas, published by Candy Cane Press. It does a great job of telling the story of the Roman Valentine!