Celebrating a Gospel-Centered Valentine’s Day with Kids (Plus a FREE Printable!)
Valentine’s Day is more than hearts, chocolates, and cute cards; it’s a perfect opportunity to focus on the greatest love of all – God’s love for us!
And as unschoolers, seasons and holidays were a cornerstone of our learning rhythm. They provided a natural way to dive into meaningful explorations, foster creativity, and build connections as a family.
Valentine’s Day in particular became a special time for us to reflect on love – not just the fleeting kind often celebrated by the world but the deep, unchanging love of Christ. Whether through crafts, stories, or acts of kindness, we used this holiday to help our kids experience and share the love of Jesus in tangible, memorable ways!
In this post, I’ll share some of our favorite ideas and resources for celebrating a Christ-centered Valentine’s Day with kids. These activities are designed to nurture wonder, inspire creativity, and point little hearts toward the ultimate source of love: our Creator!
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BOOKS
The Story of Valentine’s Day by Nancy J. Skaermas
This board book for toddlers/preschoolers gives a quick overview about the history/legend behind the Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day Is … by Gail Gibbons
This is another non-fiction option more suited to elementary kids about the history of Valentine’s Day, including the traditions and symbols associated with the holiday.
My Valentine Story by Crystal Bowman
My kids loved all this author’s rhyming books! We have quite a few for Christmas and even one for Thanksgiving. This one is simply a sweet little story about God’s love for us and how we show God’s love to others. Perfect for the younger, toddler/preschool stage but my kids still loved reading this book through the elementary years.
The Ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson
“Oh my darling, oh my darling …”
This is a sweet, silly story, written to the rhythm of the folk song, “Clementine”, about a girl who keeps missing all the ways her admirer has attempted to send messages to her. This is both a fun and funny book that is a favorite for young and old to read on Valentine’s Day.
Love Thy Neighbors by Jan & Mike Berenstain
Who DOESN’T love the Berenstain Bears, especially the Living Lights (faith stories) series?! Most of the families in the Berenstain Bears’ neighborhood keep their homes neat and clean … except the Bogg brothers. This story teaches kids that being a good neighbor takes more than keeping up a nice home.
Valentine Blessings by Mike Berenstain
This one is especially great for those who have older, tween kiddos. It’s about tough Brother Bear receiving a valentine from a secret admirer and doesn’t know what to do (he is pretty troubled by it). But Papa Bear explains that crushes are completely normal and not to be ashamed of them, because all love comes from God. This helps Brother Bear relax a little and in the end, makes a new friend.
A Few Ideas for Things to Do with Kids on Valentine’s Day
HOLIDAY FOOD:
When my kids were way younger, they loved it when I added red food coloring to their milk to turn it pink. We usually served it with heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast.
Another fun food idea is to make heart-shaped pizzas!
CELEBRATE WITH FRIENDS:
We’ve also been known to host Valentine’s Day parties/play dates complete with heart-shaped treats and even heart-shaped sandwiches (I used a large heart-shaped cookie cutter). It was always fun to have friends come over to play and to exchange valentines.
SPREAD LOVE:
Make blessing bags filled with non-perishable and warm-weather items to pass out to the homeless if you will be out and about. One year, we made cupcakes with the other ladies of our church and dropped them off with handwritten cards to our local soup kitchen as a treat for those who would come in for a meal. Usually, this kind of service happens in November and December when most people are in the midst of the spirit of giving, but Valentine’s Day is just as perfect a time to spread love in this way!
GO ON A SCAVENGER HUNT FOR HEARTS:
Break that winter cabin fever and head out of the house to go on a hunt for hearts! Whether you need to stock up on groceries or you simply go for a walk – looks for heart shapes wherever you go. Make it a game to see who can find the most hearts and then maybe celebrate with a little treat of hot cocoa before heading back home.
BLESS YOUR KIDS (ESPECIALLY TEENS) WITH LOVE NOTES:
A couple years ago, a friend shared that for the couple weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, she puts notes on her kids’ bedroom doors with things she loves about them. What a blessing to be affirmed in that way!
FREE Valentine’s Day Printable!
And finally, you can download a printable I made that includes:
- A tic tac toe sheet that you can simply print out and play with your kids, or you can cut them down (there are 4 per sheet) and attach with a crayon, pencil, or treat for passing out as valentines.
- A bible verse copywork sheet.
- A coloring page sheet.
How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? I always love learning how others celebrate and what traditions they cherish! Comment below to share!
