VALENTINES DAY ACTIVITIES WITH KIDS

When all the lovers in the world couple up and go on dates, more often than not, kids are left out or left in the care of grandparents, nannies or single aunts and uncles. This year, although the hubby is home, we don't have any plans of going out on a date because we both aren't big fans of this celebration because we don't really need this day to be romantic.

So we decided to stay home, play, sing, count and watch cartoons. Aside from these usual activities, here's a list of other activities to do for valentines day with your kids:

1. Schedule a DIY mini-photoshoot. We bought balloons yesterday so we decided to take it out of the house and have a photoshoot with the little one. She loved it! Although it was a bit windy, we managed to take a few photos that we could upload to her Instagram account and send to family in Denmark and Southern Philippines as well. If you have more budget, you can also hire a professional photographer and a stylist.


2. Go swimming. This is my daughter's favorite exercise activity to date. She probably is not thinking about exercising when she does it, to be honest, but I can tell by the way she looks and the way she shrieks that she surely enjoys being in the water.

Did you know that swimming is an excellent cardiovascular workout that promotes heart and lung health? It also improves strength and flexibility, increases stamina and even improves balance and posture. -Livestrong.com

We are extremely lucky that our village is equipped with 7 resort-style interconnected swimming pools as well as a white sand beach pool. If you want to check the place or if you want to be our neighbor, let me know so I can introduce you to our real estate agent. I will be featuring more about our village clubhouse in this blog soon so I hope you will watch our for it.


3. Go for a walk. Another physical activity that my daughter really loves is walking. We walk around the neighborhood every day and she likes it. She likes seeing new people and she even greets people we meet. Walking is a good way to spend quality time with kids. It's never too early to start walking actually. It can be done anywhere without the need for other gears except breathable and comfortable clothes as well as our "happy feet" using comfy footwear. I take walking as another teachable moment for my daughter - as early as now, I teach her road awareness so when she's a bit older and would need to walk on her own she has developed the skill already - truly an investment for life.


4. Let them play. Kids will always be kids so they will love any chance of playtime as much as they can. We schedule playtime at least once a week in a public playground where she can be with other kids. I make sure that my eyes are on her but I try to detach myself a little bit and observe from a distance how she behaves with other kids. She has not experienced any bullying and she has not been hurt while playing so all is well. I think playing is great way to develop every kids social skills.


5. Create arts and crafts or play pretend. If you would rather stay home, you can harness your kid's creative mind and have them work on arts and crafts or play pretend and dress up. Creating arts and crafts with kids can be messy but it can be extremely fun.

This tutorial on making potato stamps is amazing I can't wait to try it with my daughter. This activity can be done even when it's not valentines day anyway.



I hope you now have some ideas on how to meaningfully spend valentines day with the little members of the family.  Of course, these activities can be done any day. After all, we don't need any reason to spend quality time with those we love.


Do you have other activities to suggest? I would be happy if you leave suggestions in the comment box below. Happy hearts day everyone!