Start some Valentine’s Day traditions with your toddler so that you will have lots of fun memories of the holiday together.
If you are a busy mom and looking for some simple ways to celebrate the day with your little one then you have come to the right place!
These Valentine’s Day activities are fun, and simple, and will help teach your child new concepts as well!
Make sure to grab your Valentine’s Day target word list below so that you can explore and target some new words with your little one.
(This post contains affiliate links. To read our full disclosure policy click here.)
Give Back
Valentine’s Day is all about love. Teach your little one about love by giving back to the community.
Go and volunteer in your community to show your child the importance of helping others. Here are some examples of places you could check to see if they need some helping hands:
- Nursing Homes
- Animal Shelters
- Hospitals
- Homeless Shelters
- Food Pantries
- Libraries
You can keep this REALLY simple too!
Just going to help a grandparent or neighbor is setting a good example as well.
Read A Valentine’s Story
One of my favorite ways to learn about holidays and teach your toddler is reading a book about them.
Go to your local library and pick a few out beforehand so you can read about it together BEFORE Valentine’s Day arrives.
Here are a few fun Valentine’s day stories to get you started:
Tiny T-Rex and the Perfect Valentine
Go on a Heart Hunt
Cut out some paper hearts and hide them throughout the house.
Show your little one what one looks like and then see if they can find the rests.
Kids LOVE to find things and this little activity can be very entertaining!
Bake Some Cookies
Baking with your toddler teaches them so many skills! I take advantage of this activity as often as possible with my toddler and the holidays are a perfect excuse to make some extra treats.
What can your toddler learn from baking?
Let them help from the very beginning while you are looking through cookbooks to find which treats you are making.
This is a great way to encourage early literacy skills.
Have them help you make a shopping list and find the items in the store.
If your little one is only saying a few words then this activity will allow them to grow their vocabulary.
Once you are ready to start baking, let them help! Let them dump ingredients into a bowl and stir.
You will be encouraging fine motor skills during this step.
When you are putting them in the oven and taking them out you can sneak in an important safety lesson.
Teaching children about the danger of the hot stove is something to incorporate early on.
Decorating the cookies will probably be your little one’s favorite part! Let them get creative and make their own special cookies.
Celebrate with Music
Have a dance party with your favorite love songs!
This is a great way to burn off energy and have fun.
Not big on dancing?
Try singing your favorite songs instead.
Music is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the holidays!
Create Something Together
Make some special Valentine’s day crafts to gift to others or decorate the house.
Doing simple crafts is a great way to refine motor skills and also teach your child simple concepts such as shapes and colors.
When it comes to crafts…keep it simple!
Let your toddler have fun and avoid any that may stress you out.
For me…that was the ones with glitter.
Although now that my kids are a bit older we enjoy a good glitter craft from time to time.
If you are looking for some ideas for simple crafts to do with your toddler check these out.
21 Valentine’s Crafts for Preschoolers that are Just Plain Cute!
Cookie Cutter Painting For Valentine’s Day
Create a Sensory Bin
Sensory bins have been a life saver at my house! They keep my toddler busy and seem to calm him down a bit as well.
Typically, we keep rice, beans, or pasta in ours but switch it up for Valentine’s Day.
If you need some inspiration on what to put inside yours, then check out this Valentine’s Day sensory bin from Love Peace Beauty.
Grab your FREE Milestone Guide HERE.
Valentine’s Day Target Words
Valentine’s day provides you with a wonderful opportunity to grow your little ones’ vocabulary.
Utilize all of the new activities you are doing by picking out some vocabulary words to target.
Hang the list on your fridge so that you can keep your target words in mind and check them off as your toddler gains new words.
You can download a printable Valentine’s Day target list Here!
Related Posts You Will Enjoy
Top 10 Non-Toy Gifts for Toddlers that Rock
How to Introduce Science to Your Toddler
How I Taught My Toddler Spanish and You Can Too
Kayla O’Neill has a master’s degree in education as well as a bachelor’s degree in special education with an emphasis in early childhood education. She has been working as a developmental therapist with babies and toddlers in early intervention since 2012. She is also a mom with two young children.
The Ultimate Valentine's Day Round Up - Confessions of Parenting
Thursday 28th of June 2018
[…] 5 Ways to do Valentines with a Toddler at Parenting Expert to Mom […]
The Ultimate Valentine’s Day Roundup – Confessions of Parenting
Friday 2nd of February 2018
[…] 5 Ways to do Valentines with a Toddler at Parenting Expert to Mom […]