Disclaimer: This post is kindly sponsored by BloomLocal in partnership with Royal Exchange Flowers’ Valentine’s Day 2021 giveaway. I’m proud to be supporting this Manchester based florist during the pandemic.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I know many of us are conscious of how different this year is going to be with the current COVID restrictions across the UK. I’m not going to highlight the traditional Valentine-sy go-to’s that we’ll be missing out on because let’s face it, we all know the drill restriction wise by now thanks to the wonderful media and the briefings by the big man himself. Instead I thought it’d be more productive and most importantly – uplifting – if I lay some alterative Valentines Day ideas on the table in hopes of inspiring you to think outside the box this year and make the most of this whole situation.
So, let’s hop to it!
Valentines Activities For The Little Sweethearts In Your Life
Like much of the nations parents who are home schooling their littles right now, my first thought about Valentines Day was not how my husband and I will be celebrating differently, but what love-dovey activities could I do with our two girls (5 & 8)! Our children’s lives have been significantly interrupted so they need that bit of sparkle right now after weeks of being stuck in the same four walls especially, but not just for entertainment purposes… Utilising special occasions such as Pancake Day, Valentines, St Patricks Day and Easter are excellent opportunities for a little mental health pick-me-up for our little sweethearts.
Here’s some budget-friendly activities to consider;
1. Create Your Own Love-Bugs!
Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, creating and displaying these critters this Valentines day will definitely help lift everyone’s spirits! Using materials that many families with littles have in supply anyway such as toilet roll inners for the bug’s body, pine cleaners for arms, card, googly eyes, card, paint or pens is really all it takes. Plus, if you DON’T have any of the bits listed you can easily substitute for something else at hand to make your little one’s love-bugs even more unique to them and a special keepsake for you! Check out RedTedArt.com for the full list of instructions as needed.
2. Valentine’s Handprint Keepsake!
I don’t know about you but I am particularly partial to anything handprint related to look back on as a reminder of how little my girls were at the time. These handprint red-rose boutiques just melt my heart and had to make the top 5 Valentines Day kids crafts. Any opportunity to capture a moment in times with our children with how fast they grow should be well and truly grabbed.
3. Valentine’s Day Themed Scavenger Hunt!
Test your little one’s detective skills and get them up and moving, away from those screens by printing off one or both of these handy, Valentines themed scavenger hunt printables! The first printable instructs older kids from 5-8 to find items around the home (or garden whether dependent) starting with each letter of the word Valentine, the second is for toddlers and preschoolers to do with help from an adult. A lovely activity the whole family can enjoy together!
Lockdown-friendly Valentines Ideas for Couples/Singletons
Moving on to those of us in a relationship who haven’t had a ‘date-night’ in nearly a year (thanks to ‘you-know-who’) and not forgetting the singletons this past 12 months who haven’t even had well… a night (clubbing reference but can totally see why one would automatically think of something else now I’ve read that back…), I’m sure either way we’re all in need of a bit of excitement and change from the mundane. Hopefully, some of these ideas will float your boat for some restricted Valentines Day fun.
1. Take Movie Night To Another Level!
Use a simple projector against a white wall to bring the cinema experience to your front room! Hang up some fairy lights to set the mood and order some cinema snack favourites in your weekly food shop such as popcorn and pick-and-mix. You might actually prefer this set up and not return to the pictures when all this is over, after all there’s no worries over strangers’ heads blocking your view or being obnoxiously loud rustling packaging. Plus, it makes for a more intimate evening and you’ll get brownie points for all the effort setting up the scene. Even better if you’re a singleton as there’s no sharing involved, every cloud right?! Here are some affordable (non-affiliated) links to get you started!
Crosstour Mini Portable Video Projector – £59 (PRIME)
Reusable Popcorn Treat Paper Bags – £5.95 (PRIME)
Remote Control Fairy Light Curtain with 8 Modes – £12.99 (PRIME)
Retro Sweets Gift Hamper – £5.99 (PRIME)
2. Cocktail Night With A Trip Down Memory Lane
Take you and your significant other back to a pre-pandemic time where you maybe travelled to a different country, or a part of the UK, dressed to impress and sipped cocktails (or mocktails – just as good if you’re t-total like me) into the early hours talking about everything and nothing, then re-create it at home! Armed with Google as your recipe guide, recreate those delicious cocktails and set the table with a fancy table cloth and napkins, and ask your special someone to humour you by dressing up to go absolutely no-where with a twist. Trust me, revisiting happier times will do wonders for you both and by doing this, without realising you’ve added yet another down memory lane.
Here are some firm favourites in the cocktail world you may want to try;
Piña colada / Virgin Piña colada (non-alcoholic)
Mojito / Mojito (non-alcoholic)
Passion Fruit Martini / Passion Fruit Martini (non-alcoholic)
3. Cosy Night Roasting Marshmallows By The Firepit
Ok, we maybe in February not November but there is nothing cosier than snuggling up with your significant other or family around the firepit with your breath in the cold winters air, roasting marshmallows, sipping hot chocolate, and reminiscing over old times. Perhaps even throw in a bit of music, some warm blankets and take some selfies while you talk the night away. I was pretty surprised when doing my research for this piece just how low-cost basic fire pits for your back garden are…
Large Steel Folding Fire Pit – £59 (PRIME)
Telescopic Marshmallow Roasting Sticks 8 PK – £13.99 (PRIME)
Mega Marshmallow Smores Kit (American MEGA!) – £22 (PRIME)
Whatever it is you end up doing this Valentine’s Day, I hope you have a lovely day. I’d love to know in the comments what you’d add to the list above!
Till next time, stay safe…
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Life Of An Ambitious Turtle 