Although February 14th is usually a day reserved for romance between couples, every year my mom would surprise me with a little mother-daughter Valentine’s Day treat. The day is about expressing love and the fact that she went out of her way to do something special for me on a day that wasn’t about me made me feel valued and adored. We have even continued to do something special together for Valentine’s Day well into my adulthood. I knew that I wanted to carry on the tradition when I had children of my own as well.
Thanks to my husband’s career and the fact that February is smack dab in the middle of basketball season, he is often busy or away for Valentine’s Day. Instead of spending the day moping around because of his absence, when my daughter came along, I decided that I would always do a fun mother-daughter Valentine’s Day activity with her. Planning our mother-daughter Valentine’s Day festivities has given me something to look forward to over the years, and now that she’s getting older, she gets excited about celebrating together as well.
Over the last couple of years years, we have had tea parties, Galentine’s Day celebrations with other moms and daughters, gone out to lunch, and even traveled on or around Valentine’s Day. I’ve found that when it comes to mother-daughter Valentine’s Day activities, it doesn’t take much. My daughter is happy just do something simple together. As long as she gets one-on-one time with mommy, her day is made.
Mamas, I know we’re busy, and sometimes finding the time to plan activities for our children is overwhelming when paired with everything else on our never-ending to do lists. A mother-daughter Valentine’s Day celebration doesn’t have to take a lot of planning or be expensive to be loads of fun. These 5 simple mother-daughter Valentine’s Day ideas will be a big hit with your little galentine without taking a ton of effort from you.
5 Simple Mother-Daughter Valentine’s Day Ideas
Arts and Crafts
Anytime the colored paper, scissors, and glue comes out, my daughter is a happy camper. Add in glitter and/or paint and she is over the moon. Spending some time doing arts and crafts together is a great mother-daughter Valentine’s Day activity.
We love making old school paper chains by cutting strips of paper and stapling them together. Just use pink and red paper to turn this anytime project into a festive craft. I’ve rounded up some other Valentine’s Day crafts below that don’t require tons of supplies. You probably already have most of this stuff on hand.
Spa Day
What girl doesn’t love being pampered? An at-home spa day is an easy, fun mother-daughter Valentine’s Day activity. You can even invite a grandmother or aunt to join in on the fun if you want to turn it into a real party.
Paint your daughter’s nails and put on some Valentine’s Day themed nail stickers to make it extra special. After nails are done, a DIY face mask is a really great way to continue the fun. My daughter had a blast making the mask with me then getting a little messy while we helped each other apply it. What’s great about this face mask is that it does have real skincare benefits. It’s super moisturizing, helps with inflammation, and evens your skin tone. Plus, it’s only 4 ingredients. Finish up your spa day with a tea party and a bubble bath.
Living Room Slumber Party
I don’t know what it is about sleeping in the living room, but it’s always a big hit with kids. For some super simple mother-daughter Valentine’s Day fun, make a pallet on the floor in your living room and have a slumber party with your little one. We love to use our Nugget couch for this, but you can use something similar, or even just use your couch cushions or a blow-up mattress.
No slumber party is complete without some fun and snacks before bedtime. Make some popcorn and grab your daughter’s favorite sweet treats. Then, you can either play a few board games that you have at home or watch something together. When my daughter and I have slumber parties, I love to introduce her to some of my childhood favorites, like 90s TV shows and old Disney movies.
Bake Together
On rainy days, baking with my daughter is my go-to activity. She loves to get her hands dirty in the kitchen and we both love sweet treats. It’s a win-win. Baking is an easy, no-fuss Mother-Daughter’s Valentine’s Day activity. You can keep it as simple as grabbing break and bake sugar cookies, frosting, and red and pink sprinkles, or you can try out one of the recipes linked below.
Yes Day
I’ve shared before that one thing that I’m practicing as a mom is saying yes more often. Having a yes day is a mother-daughter Valentine’s Day activity that I’m sure your mini-me will enjoy. Let me explain more:
Basically, a yes day is a day in when you say yes to whatever your child requests. Set yourself up for success by explaining the “rules” before you begin, then prepare for a day of fun. The guidelines are up to you. You can either tell your child that they can pick any activity, restaurant, etc. and take them out for the day, or, if you want to keep your mother-daughter Valentine’s Day celebration simple, you can tell your child that they can pick anything at home.
Even if you limit your yes day to the comforts of your home, it makes for a super fun mother-daughter Valentine’s Day. No toy, activity, snack, or meal is off limits, as long as you already have it in the house. This is a great opportunity to play games together, pull out toys that don’t get a lot of love, and even clean out the pantry.
Yes, Valentine’s Day is traditionally for romance, but I have loved using it as an opportunity to do something fun with my little one. So often life gets in the way of that special, quality time that our children crave. A mother-daughter Valentine’s Day celebration is a great way to make memories with your daughter that will last a lifetime. I still remember how special my mom made me feel on Valentine’s Day and I’m sure your daughter will too.
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