Holidays operate on several levels. First, there is the intention, or heart of the holiday. For example, with Christmas it's gift-giving and receiving. On Halloween it's trick-or-treating. And so on.
The second level of holidays is how they work within societal dynamics. By that I mean, again using Christmas as the example, that there are certain societal touchstones and obligations to fulfill when properly engaging in celebration of the holiday. Christians go to Church. Jews go to the Chinese buffet. People go shopping and caroling.
The third part of a holiday's meaning comes with what it means to the family unit. With Christmas or Halloween, that much is obvious. You get little John or Jane their favorite toys, maybe a new sweater, a belt, some socks, whatever. On Halloween you spend time either picking out or making the right costume for the little ones to wear. Then, depending on their age and your neighborhood, you take them out trick-or-treating. It's all very prescribed.
It's a little more difficult with Valentine's day, since Valentine's day is, first of all, a made-up holiday, and secondly, designed as a celebration of amorousness between lovers. Hard to work the kids into that one unless you want jailtime.
Undaunted, the holiday-makers at places like Hallmark have come up with an ever-expanding selection of valentines day crafts especially for kids, and sometimes valentines day crafts designed for 20-somethings intent on having a party. It's a naked, overt money-grab, but I've got to admit, they tend to be very clever in doing so.
Of course the most tried-and-tested of the valentines day crafts is the home made valentine's day card. You probably remember making this all the way back in elementary school, spending time with your safety scissors and construction paper, trying to find just the right sentiment to draw in crayon before blushingly sliding it over to Susie or Samantha or whoever. When it comes to valentines day drafts, that's the gold standard.
But there are others. You can make a valentine's day pinata if you're good with paper mache and have too much time on your hands. Fill it with the candies of your choice, get a club with a heart-shaped head, invite the right people over, and have at it.
There are also things like Valentine's day wall hangings - just have your kids make two fists, then put them together so it makes a little heart-shaped outline - candy rings, and the like. When it comes to valentines day crafts for kids, you can be as creative as you want.
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