Love doesn’t have to mean roses and fancy meals (although we’re not saying no to either!) For families, Valentine’s Day can be a gorgeous excuse to slow down, get a bit messy and do something creative together.
At Practically Family, whether we’re planning activities for Holiday Club or sharing ideas for home, we always start with the same question: how can this feel playful, meaningful and accessible for children of all ages?
Here are three Valentine’s-inspired activities you can try at home – one for the table, one for the floor, and one for the outdoors! They’re simple, flexible, and quietly brilliant for building confidence, creativity and connection… without ever feeling like “learning”.
This is your all-rounder: a mix of crafting and baking that works for toddlers right up to (and beyond) primary age.
You could try:
Why it works:
Children get to make something that means something. Cutting, sticking, mixing and pouring all build hand control. Seeing their creation given to someone else boosts pride and self-esteem. Baking together naturally brings in listening, turn-taking and chatting.
A gentle nudge:
Let them do as much as possible themselves. You supervise, but they choose. Ask things like:
“Who are you making that for?”
“What do you think they’ll say when they see it?”
This one feels like a little pop-up bakery in your kitchen or playroom.
Set up:
Petal playdough recipe:
Mix the dry ingredients together. Add food colouring to the boiling water, then stir in the oil. Combine with the dry mix, adding petals as you go until you reach a soft, workable dough.
Set everything out invitingly and let children take the lead. You might open a:
Why it works:
Rolling, squeezing and shaping builds hand strength and coordination, while the café-style play naturally encourages conversation, turn-taking and imagination. Because the outcome isn’t fixed, children feel confident exploring ideas and following their own creative thread.
Little prompts that stretch it:
“What are you making?”
“Who is it for?”
“How could you change it?”
“What will you do next?”
Perfect for outdoors (or the bath if the weather’s grim).
Set up:
Let them mix, pour, scoop and experiment.
Why it works:
This is early science in disguise. Children explore cause and effect (“What happens if…?”), practise careful pouring and build imaginative stories around what they’re making. It’s also a lovely way to talk about people who matter to them and how they show love.
Conversation starters:
“What do you think will happen if…?”
“How did you make that colour?”
“Who is your potion for?”
At Holiday Club, everything we do starts with a theme – folklore, festivals, seasons, stories – because themes spark imagination and give children a way in.
But underneath that, the thinking is always the same.
We choose activities that:
Whether it’s a mud kitchen potion, a tuff tray café, or a simple make at the table, the magic isn’t in the activity itself. It’s in how children are given the space to explore it.
That’s exactly how our Holiday Clubs work too – playful on the surface, thoughtfully planned underneath, and always centred around children feeling capable, curious and proud of what they’ve created.
We’ve just started sharing themed play setups, easy makes, tuff trays and mud kitchen ideas regularly over on Instagram – many of them inspired directly by what’s being cooked up for Holiday Club.
Plus, if this kind of themed play works well for your family, our Celebrations Calendar is designed to help families spot opportunities for simple, meaningful activities – from seasonal changes to cultural celebrations and little dates that spark curiosity and conversation.
DOWNLOAD IT HERE
Here are three Valentine’s-inspired activities you can try at home – one for the table, one for the floor, and one for the outdoors! They’re simple, flexible, and quietly brilliant for building confidence, creativity and connection… without ever feeling like “learning”.
Valentine Makes for Busy Hands
This is your all-rounder: a mix of crafting and baking that works for toddlers right up to (and beyond) primary age.
You could try:
- Homemade Valentine cards using whatever you already have (paper, pens, scraps, stickers, tape).
- A framed drawing or picture with little notes about why you love someone.
- Queen of Hearts Jam Tarts:
- Ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
- Favourite jam
- Round cutter + heart cutter
- Cupcake tray
- Cut circles for bases, press into the tray, add a teaspoon of jam, top with a pastry heart. Bake as per packet instructions and enjoy once cool.
Why it works:
Children get to make something that means something. Cutting, sticking, mixing and pouring all build hand control. Seeing their creation given to someone else boosts pride and self-esteem. Baking together naturally brings in listening, turn-taking and chatting.
A gentle nudge:
Let them do as much as possible themselves. You supervise, but they choose. Ask things like:
“Who are you making that for?”
“What do you think they’ll say when they see it?”
Valentine Tuff Tray for Curious Hands
This one feels like a little pop-up bakery in your kitchen or playroom.
Set up:
- Playdough
- Utensils: rolling pin, cutters, cupcake cases
- Extras: glitter, sequins, coloured pasta
- Optional: a small tea set to bring the café role-play to life
Petal playdough recipe:
- 1½ cups plain flour
- ½ cup salt
- 2 tbsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Food colouring
- Dried petals
Mix the dry ingredients together. Add food colouring to the boiling water, then stir in the oil. Combine with the dry mix, adding petals as you go until you reach a soft, workable dough.
Set everything out invitingly and let children take the lead. You might open a:
- “Friendship cookie café”
- “Love heart fairy cake shop”
- “Treats for someone special” bakery
Why it works:
Rolling, squeezing and shaping builds hand strength and coordination, while the café-style play naturally encourages conversation, turn-taking and imagination. Because the outcome isn’t fixed, children feel confident exploring ideas and following their own creative thread.
Little prompts that stretch it:
“What are you making?”
“Who is it for?”
“How could you change it?”
“What will you do next?”
Valentine Mud Kitchen for Messy Hands
Perfect for outdoors (or the bath if the weather’s grim).
Set up:
- Containers: bowls, cups, bottles, jars, ice cube trays
- Utensils: spoons, whisks, pipettes, ladles
- Materials: petals, leaves, herbs, pinecones, mud, coloured rice or pasta, glitter
- Water with food colouring (try different colours in different bowls)
- Optional labels: Kindness Soup, Petal Perfume, Love Potion
Let them mix, pour, scoop and experiment.
Why it works:
This is early science in disguise. Children explore cause and effect (“What happens if…?”), practise careful pouring and build imaginative stories around what they’re making. It’s also a lovely way to talk about people who matter to them and how they show love.
Conversation starters:
“What do you think will happen if…?”
“How did you make that colour?”
“Who is your potion for?”
The Thinking Behind Our Play
At Holiday Club, everything we do starts with a theme – folklore, festivals, seasons, stories – because themes spark imagination and give children a way in.
But underneath that, the thinking is always the same.
We choose activities that:
- invite children to have a go in their own way
- use open-ended resources rather than fixed outcomes
- build confidence through doing, trying, adapting and creating
- encourage connection – with materials, with ideas, and with each other
Whether it’s a mud kitchen potion, a tuff tray café, or a simple make at the table, the magic isn’t in the activity itself. It’s in how children are given the space to explore it.
That’s exactly how our Holiday Clubs work too – playful on the surface, thoughtfully planned underneath, and always centred around children feeling capable, curious and proud of what they’ve created.
Want More Ideas Like This?
We’ve just started sharing themed play setups, easy makes, tuff trays and mud kitchen ideas regularly over on Instagram – many of them inspired directly by what’s being cooked up for Holiday Club.
Plus, if this kind of themed play works well for your family, our Celebrations Calendar is designed to help families spot opportunities for simple, meaningful activities – from seasonal changes to cultural celebrations and little dates that spark curiosity and conversation.
DOWNLOAD IT HERE
Practically Family
07939 942334 (during Holiday Club weeks only)
