Celebrating Friendship on Valentine's Day

We often think of Valentine’s Day as a celebration of romantic love, but in many countries it’s a day of friendship. This year, invite your child to celebrate friendship on Valentine’s Day. Here are some ideas.

Create friendship bracelets

Friendship bracelets are a classic childhood craft that are fun and easy for children to make. Your child can make as many as they like, with minimal supplies necessary. They are endlessly customizable with their friend’s favorite colors, and allow your child to express themselves while developing fine motor skills.

Find instructions for Easy Friendship Bracelets with Cardboard Loom here.

Show kindness to others

Becoming involved in the community is a wonderful way for your child to celebrate friendship on Valentine’s Day. Whether it’s a neighbor, best friend, or the new classmate at school, there are many ways you can invite your child to show kindness to others. For example, they draw a picture for their babysitter, or bake cookies with you for your next-door neighbor.

Celebrate friendship

You likely know all about your child’s closest friends, but Valentine’s Day is a great way to celebrate these friendships through open-ended discussion. Invite your child to tell you what they like best about their friends, and share some fun stories. You can also discuss friendship in general, asking your child what they think are the most important qualities in a friend, and ways they can show their friends they care.

Write a letter to a friend

After discussing your child’s friendships, they may feel like they want to tell their friend how much they care. This is a great opportunity to invite your child to write a letter or draw a picture to a friend, sharing happy memories or thanking them for something specific.