Jan 25, 2008 | 1:17 PM
Category:
Entertainment
Kids love festivities. Anything that involves uniquely colored/shaped food, projects, and animated film is an automatic crowd pleaser. Valentine's Day is easily adapted to a kid-friendly celebration. Here are some tried and true ideas which have proved successful in my house:
Food:
Heart-shaped anything will produce awe and glee--and just might make your finickiest eater chow down. Buy a heart shaped cookie cutter (readily available at Target, Williams Sonoma, even many supermarkets) and go to town.....
For breakfast: Pancakes, French toast, even plain buttered toast become a novel and exciting item when presented as a Valentine. Top them with jam (red, only, please; it is V-Day after all....) or red sprinkles for a festive touch.
For lunch: Make sure you have cleaned that cutter by 12; it's back on the job to cut the sandwich. Your spawn not a sandwich eater? Leave the heart on the plate, scoop the mac and cheese, tuna salad, hummus, or tofu into it and serve; I promise you'll get good results.
For dinner: Heart shaped burgers,individual meat loaves, tacos or pizza.
Hands-on Activities:
Cooking:
Kids love to cook. They can do many of the things mentioned above--they especially love a make-your own taco set up (with tortillas cut into hearts, of course), and I have yet to meet a kid that wasn't enraptured with a ball of dough to create an individual pizza of his very own--valentine encouraged but not required--basketballs are also welcomed.
Desserts are a huge hit with kids. While I morally object to jello of any color, kids love it and the red is perfect for V-Day. Pour it in a square pan to set and cut it into hearts. Make (or buy) plain cupcakes/ muffins/cookies. Let the kids top them with colored frosting and decorate them with heart candies. Buy a pound cake. Slice it. Cut slices into hearts with your trusty cookie cutter. Have kids frost and decorate their slices.
Non Food:
Glue guns and silk flowers give me hives and I strenuously avoid any type craft activity. However, there is a limit to the amount of food, even the heart-shaped variety that children can reasonably make and healthfully consume. So, it is necessary to include some non edible ideas in the kiddie-V-Day post. My main premise on any kid project is KISS. (Keep It Simple, Stupid.) Think heart shaped stickers on colorful and glittery paper, or those foam shapes with self sticking decorations for door knob hangers, picture frames, name tags, or animals. Another favorite--wooden cutouts that can be painted or stamped--AC Moore has a great seasonal selection; we still love our pumpkin patch that we did for Halloween! (And, yes, I know that hearts might appeal more to girls--but red trucks, footballs, guitars, and dinosaurs can be very festive, too.)
Entertainment:
There is an endless supply of kid movies out there, some better than others. Our favorite family friendly films that contain some love story elements so as to maintain the Valentine theme include: Shrek; Shrek II; Flushed Away; Beauty and the Beast; Lady and The Tramp; The Pacifier; The Sound of Music.
I understand that heart stickers and red finger paint may not be your idea of a romantic Valentine's day....but let's not forget how the little tykes got here....I'm guessing it might have started with flowers and champagne. Cheers!
