Babies and Valentine's Day
Tuesday 12th of February 2013 | Category: Baby News | Written by: Alice EdwardsValentine's Day is almost upon us, but it isn't just for couples. Valentine's Day provides plenty of inspiration for fun activities with little ones so share the love and get your little one involved this Valentine's Day!
Home-made cards
Stock up on red and pink card or paper, glitter, glue, pens, and heart confetti and let your little one go wild creating a card masterpiece. Home-made cards are fun to create and make great presents for Mummy/Daddy, Granny etc. If your child is talking, ask them what message they'd like to include in their card and write it for them. Alternatively, trace around their hand on a piece of card, and let them colour it in. Another fun activity which also doubles up as a present for a loved one (or a keepsake for you!) is to decorate crockery with hand or footprints. Buy a plain mug or plate, dip your baby's hands or feet in paint, and then gently press their hands onto the crockery. Just remember to use washable paint as this can get messy!
Explain the meaning of Valentines' Day
No, not that it's an excuse for card companies to make lots of money, the other meaning. Explain that Valentine's Day is a day for showing special people how much you love them, and that it's a day for making them feel special. Your little one will love the extra attention you give them. By showing your child how to demonstrate their feelings helps them understand how to show people they care for them too, and be more affectionate, as they learn by example.
Get baking
Babies and toddlers love cooking, and it is a great way to get them involved (it's also a fab excuse for you to over-indulge on delicious treats!). Baking with your child is a messy and more time-consuming way of baking, but your little one will love the responsibility of helping you cook and seeing their finished creation. Heart-shaped cutters are fantastic for making Valentine's Day themed biscuits, or alternatively use a heart-shaped cake tin to make a Valentine's Day cake. Give your baby or toddler the spoon to stir the cookie or cake mixture, and let them put their hands in the bowl to mix it around. Once the baking has been done, let your little one decorate their culinary masterpiece with red icing, sugar hearts, chocolate drops, and sprinkles. If they're old enough to recognise their name, write your child's name in icing on their treat.
Arts and crafts
Make some homemade decorations together. Cut out hearts from red and pink coloured card, let your little one scribble on or paint them, then punch holes in them and thread them onto a piece of string, to hang from one side of the ceiling to the other.
Add some red food colouring to your child's play dough to give it a Valentine's Day feel and show your child how to make hearts. Get out your poster paints in red, pink and purple and let your child create love-themed painting. You can cut heart shapes out of these and stick them up on the walls. Your child will love seeing their pictures up on the wall!
