Valentine’s Day will be here before we know it!  Although Valentine’s Day is a wonderful holiday for adults to have a special moment with their loved one and to celebrate their most important relationships, it is also a great holiday for kids. 

I will never forget putting my homemade Valentine’s box (a Kleenex box covered with doiles and glitter) on top of my desk just waiting for my friends to add goodies!   It was better than getting a letter in the mail because of the candies, pictures, and number of cards.

Making Valentine’s Day Treats is a fantastic way to spend quality time with your kids.  Not only will they be excited to spend time with you, but they will love making something special for their friends and to show off at school.  This is also the perfect way to introduce favorite family recipes and cooking to your children.  Use this time to introduce kitchen vocabulary words and teach proper measuring.

Here are some ideas for Valentine’s Day projects:

• Make your favorite cookie recipe.  Kids LOVE decorating cookies, and they can personalize them for all of their friends.  Buy small gift bags at a craft store.  Put one cookie in each bag and tie a ribbon through the top of the bag.  Tape a Valentine card to the top of each one.
• Kids love cake- especially cupcakes!  Make a batch of cupcakes and let your kids decorate each one for a fellow classmate.  Sprinkles, edible hearts, and other Valentine’s Day candy will make the cupcakes beautiful and delicious!
• For a slightly healthier option, dip apples in chocolate and cover them with red and white sprinkles.  Wrap each apple in a plastic bag and tie with a red ribbon.  Tie on a red heart with a cute message for each friend and classmate.

If you have any other suggestions, please share them with us.  Valentine’s Day is a great holiday to teach your children about caring for others and giving thoughtful gifts.  It’s also a more quiet time of year, so take advantage of it and create some special memories.  Your kids will have a sense of accomplishment for creating unique gifts and will always remember your special time in the kitchen.

If you have a Valentine’s Day story about a recipe or meal, please enter our contest.  Each month we give the best story contributor a free Keepsake Cookbook.