With a little bit of at-home shopping, cute decorations, and some creativity, you can pull off an adorable Valentine’s Day lunch for your kids and their friends.
In this real-life party recap, you’ll see exactly what we did to entertain four kids in two very different age ranges, including the food we made, activities, and a couple tricks to save $$ and make your home look awesome.
Sometimes the best parties are the small ones.
Take, for example, this little play date my girls had with friends a couple years ago. The kids all had a half day at school, so I gave a couple other moms the afternoon off and set up a fun Valentine’s themed lunch and activities.
It was pretty simple, but still adorable. Take a look…
About the Party:
- What Was the Occasion? Mini Valentine’s Day Party for Kids
- How Many Guests Did You Have? 4 kids (ages 6 and 9)
- Where Was the Party Held? Our Home
Valentine’s Day Party Decorations
You don’t need to spend a fortune at Hobby Lobby to make your kids parties look fantastic.
I raided our existing stash to find glass jars (originally from Hobby Lobby) and a flower pom I made for my oldest’s first birthday. A quick trip to the Dollar Store got us plates, cups, and other various disposables.
Then I added some cute party printables that aren’t too sweet or babyish – because my 9-year-old would have killed me if it was too childish.
The heart garland was made by cutting out a simple heart shape with my Cricut, and then adding them to fishing line to make them look like they were floating.
And that white curtain behind the banner? It’s just a bedsheet hanging from a PVC pipe threaded through the pocket at the top. (Don’t you just LOVE cheap and easy tricks like that?)
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Valentine’s Day Lunch Food
This day was more about the kids getting to spend time together, so we kept the menu simple, and kid-friendly:
- Pasta Salad – A simple pasta salad with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and a tangy dressing is an easy way to feed the kids.
- Fresh fruit with Valentine Fruit Dip – This was one of those recipes that may sound crazy…but is surprisingly delicious.
- Lemonade – The simplest thing possible, and so cute served in pink reusable bottles.
- Strawberry Milk – Another cute store bought treat that fits the theme. And served in vintage style glass milk jugs makes them even better.
- Cupcakes (of course) with DIY heart shaped cupcake toppers
More Valentine’s Day Food To Enjoy
- A Heart Shaped Valentine’s Day Charcuterie Board will make older kids feel oh so grown up.
- With so many heart-shaped options, everyone will fall in love with these delicious Valentine’s Day Treats.
- Check out our favorite Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas for more lunch recipes and healthy snacks.
Looking for plenty of ways to keep the kiddos entertained this Valentine’s Day? You’ll definitely want to check out this set of 10 Valentine’s Day games (including 40 unique bingo cards), and coloring pages. Grab the full activity set and pay 20% less than if purchased separately.
Party Activities
Confession: I didn’t obsess over creating lots of planned Valentine’s Day activities for the girls. I knew they would just be happy to be spending time together.
But if you’re anything like us, you probably have some unused craft kits lying around filled with plenty of beads. I just rounded up a bunch that worked for Valentine’s Day and turned it into a bracelet making activity!
It was a bit much for the 6-year-olds, but the 9-year-olds loved it.
More Valentine’s Day Party Activities
- Free Valentine’s Day Coloring Pages Printable – With four cute printable designs to choose from, there’s a coloring page here for everyone.
- Sweetheart Valentine’s Day Bingo – Inspired by the most iconic candy for the holiday, this set of 40 unique bingo cards is a sweet way to have fun this year.
- All You Need is Love – Chocolate Valentine Gift for Kids – These Valentine cards are the perfect simple treat for older kids or tweens to give to friends and all the other students in the class
Even More Valentine’s Day Ideas You’ll Love:
- Free Love You Printable (Perfect for decor or cards)
- Valentine’s Day brownies with Conversation Hearts
- 25 Blissfully Happy Valentine’s Day Songs for Families
Now It’s Your Turn
And that was pretty much it. Super easy, but the kids had a ton of fun. And it was great to be able to give other parents a free afternoon when school lets out early.
What do you think? Would you have done anything differently? How would you entertain 9-year-olds and 6-year-olds for a Valentine’s Day play date?
Deanne says
We did a cousin Valentine’s party and made heart shaped pancakes with strawberries and cream. I put the pancake mix in a clean catsup bottle and the kids could design their hearts on the griddle! We hunted for candy kisses all over the house and made cards for Mom and Dad, who got to go in a date during the party!