Alternative Valentine's Day Celebrations for Kids

St. Valentine would probably cringe at the red and pink retail love affair his namesake has become. This Valentine's Day, avoid yet another capitalistic crunch on meaning and use February 14 as an opportunity to really teach your kids about love. Sit down with your children and discuss why you will be skipping the roses and chocolates for a more meaningful day. You might be surprised at how willing your kids are to give back this Valentine's Day.

Soup Kitchen

High unemployment rates have driven previously comfortable families to the necessity of local soup kitchen to make ends meet. Brighten up their Valentine's Day by donating some sweet treats your children can help you make. Let your children make lots of Valentine's cards to place on the tables during the lunch or dinner service at the soup kitchen. Let the volunteers take charge of handing out the desserts according to their usual rules. If you have older teenagers, you may want to consider volunteering for the service as well. It may sound simple but getting a bright Valentine can give people hope as they struggle in the harsh economy and let them know others care.

Puppy Love

If your older elementary and middle school children are animal lovers, take a special Valentine's Day visit to the Humane Society or local animal rescue shelter. Often, these places need volunteers to help walk dogs and play with the cats. It sounds silly, but with so many animals and so few employees it can be difficult to stimulate each animal until they get adopted. Your kids will love playing with the wide variety of cats, kittens, puppies and dogs. As a special treat you can let them pick one out to adopt, if you don't already have a zoo at home, that is.

Also, check with the shelter before you go to see if they need supplies. Dog and cat dry feeds, newspapers, clean towels and rags, and chew toys are usually accepted and used fairly quickly. But be sure to check on exactly which toys are needed before you buy them.

Visit Nursing Homes

Nursing homes can be lonely places for older people with few living relatives or friends. Host a special Valentine's Day party at your local nursing home or care center with refreshments and home-made Valentine's. Check with the nursing home nutrition about what kinds of foods and drinks are appropriate. Bring in lots of decorations to give them an atmosphere change and let your children help you make special Valentine's cards for each person. Play some classic Frank Sinatra and host a dance. Who knows? Your children might make a special friend they'll want to visit more regularly.

Visit Pediatric the Ward

Every Valentine's Day Treasure Thaxton, in Jackson, Tenn., visits the Ayers Pediatric Wing of the Jackson-Madison County General Hospital to give big fluffy teddy bears to the young patients. Five-year-old Treasure's act is important to her and her mother, Tierra, because Treasure spent over six months in a children's hospital shortly after her birth. Her miraculous recovery sparked the annual Valentine's Day tradition.

Ask about procedures to do something similar at your local pediatric wing. Take balloons and stuffed animals to children stuck in the hospital to brighten their Valentine's Day and help your children understand empathy for their peers.

Distribute Valentines to a Homeless Shelter

With the lagging economy, homeless numbers are rising and unfortunately many large cities are also seeing an increase in homeless children. Check with your local homeless shelter to see what they need. Let your children help you pick out warm weather accessories, like mittens, hats, scarves, gloves, and even fleece pull-overs or jackets. (As more retail chains, like Goody's, are closing these items can be found incredibly cheap.) Put together packages with the warm weather clothing, Valentine's Day cookies and sweets your children can help you make, and a small bag of toiletries: toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, lotion, individually wrapped medicines like Advil and Tylenol, Band-Aids, hand-sanitizer, and chapstick. If the shelter confirms the presence of small children, consider bringing some small stuffed animals too. But make sure they are small, like Beanie Babies, and can be easily carried in a pocket in case the family has to move around on the streets often.

Ask whoever runs the local homeless shelter whether it would be appropriate to visit with your children or just drop off the items. They will know the personalities of their regulars best. Also, it is better to do this through a shelter than seek out homeless individuals for safety reasons.

Love a Soldier

Remember the men and women in the armed forces who are away from the ones they love with a special Valentine's Day package. The easiest way to obtain an address is to ask friends and relatives with a loved one overseas. Then send a package in that person's care to share with their buddies or with soldiers who rarely receive mail. Let your kids make Valentine's with construction paper, dailies and stickers. Add some candy (but avoid chocolate and other candy that can melt during transport) and little mementos of home. For example, include some postcards from your state or city, small games or trinkets, or current magazines. Take photos of yourself and your children so the soldiers can see who their package comes from. This activity might spark a fun pen-pal relationship your kids can enjoy throughout the year.