Simple Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day with Your Kids

What better time of year to give your children a little extra love and attention than on Valentine's Day? Sure, you probably say "I Love You" and do special things for them throughout the year. But why not go the extra mile on this holiday that is traditionally about showing your affection for your loved ones. Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to do just that for your preschool or elementary school-age children on Valentine's Day:

1. Put notes in their lunchboxes. My mom used to do this for me regularly when I was in elementary school. She'd always sign her name "Mom" with a smiley face in the "O." (Come to think of it, she still signs all her handwritten cards that way!) A homemade card with a short "Happy Valentine's Day!" or "I love you! See you when you get off the bus!" will fill their hearts with love at lunchtime.

2. Create a treasure hunt. Write your first clue on a piece of paper: "Go to where we keep the milk." They'll go to the refrigerator and find a note that says, "Go to Daddy's favorite chair." Continue with notes that will lead them throughout the house, ending with a "treasure" of a small gift. (When we do this repeatedly on rainy days, I just keep ending the hunt with my kids' own toys!) For pre-readers, you can draw pictures of different places in the house or cut out images from magazines.

3. Have breakfast for dinner. My children, ages 4 and 6, think it's hysterical when we have "crazy meal" day: I make soup and sandwiches for breakfast and pancakes for supper. It's just a way to be silly and invoke some good laughs on Valentine's Day, or any time you and your kids need a little entertainment in your day.

4. Cook up a red meal. Invoke the color or colors of Valentine's Day with a red- or pink-themed dinner. Consider red pepper strips or red apple slices to start, spaghetti and meatballs for your entrée, cherry Jello for dessert and fruit punch to drink. There's also grapefruit, strawberries, pizza, pink-frosted cupcakes. Go the extra mile with red plastic plates, cups and cutlery. The kids will get a kick out of it!

5. Do their chores. Let your kids relax for the day and feed the dog, set the table and empty the dishwasher-or whatever your children's daily chores are. Feeling extra generous? Give them the entire week off from housework.

6. Make them each king or queen for an hour. Craft crowns for their heads, tell your kids they can each choose any game or any activity they want, and you'll play with them each for an hour. For some parents (me included!) it can be painfully boring to get down on the floor and play make-believe Barbies or "pretend construction site" for long periods of time. But I know when I do engage with my children for more than just a few minutes, with the focus solely on them and their games, they are thrilled to have my undivided attention. It makes me feel good to spend quality time with them, too. Everyone wins!