4 Easy Ways Children Can Show Their Love

Valentine’s Day is all about L-O-V-E! But expressing love is more than handing out red roses and candy hearts: It’s about finding ways to show kindness toward friends, family and your community. Teaching children to include acts of kindness throughout the Valentine’s holiday expands their understanding of love and strengthens their relationships.

Love is all around us when we look closely. Bringing in the newspaper for an elderly neighbor, providing a meal to a family who just welcomed a new baby, or welcoming a family who has recently moved to the neighborhood are all wonderful ways to model love for your community. Involve your child by asking them to join you in visiting a homebound friend, volunteering for a local organization, or making a thank-you sign for the postal worker or delivery person. When young kids see how these acts of kindness bring happiness to others, they tend to realize that doing good feels good.

Catch your child in the act! Find them helping a sibling clean up toys or assisting in preparing dinner? Acknowledge these kind acts with encouraging words, like, “I noticed you helped your younger brother clean up his toys. I’m sure that made him happy” or “Thank you for setting the table. I was busy making dinner, and you were super helpful.” Supporting loved ones in simple chores around the house shows care and concern for the family. Teaching children that this is a form of love encourages these thoughtful behaviors throughout the year.

A song or dance allows children their creativity to express their love, and nothing could feel more special than being on the receiving end of an original song! Encourage your child to create lyrics about all the things they adore about a loved one — the way they bake delicious cookies, how they snuggle at storytime, or how they comfort your child when they are sick.

Don’t have a singer at home? Invite your child to create a special dance in her honor. In Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Daniel and his friends discover how exciting it is when each individual expresses love in their own special way, including singing, dancing, hugging, and making crafts. In doing so, they realize that exploring their creativity is enjoyable for both the gifter and the receiver!

While there are many ways to show love without giving gifts, your child may want to create special valentines for loved ones. Involve your child in creating a one-of-a-kind valentine using simple items from home, such as magazine clippings, scraps of colored paper, and natural items like sticks and leaves.

Get inspired by watching PBS KIDS characters who have made their own valentines in unique ways. When Molly and her friend, Trini, want to make spectacular dream catchers for all of their friends using colorful beads, they have to use household items to complete their design when they run out of beads. And, when Hal from Nature Cat forgets to buy his usual Valentine’s cards, he creates them out of items from nature, and your child can do the same! By reusing items at home or from nature, your child is helping to care for the planet — and showing others that they can do it too. When making valentine collages for her friends, Pinkalicious recognizes their individual interests, including soccer, birds, and marbles. But when her collages fall apart on the way to school, she combines them to create one that represents her class both as unique individuals and as one community. By making personalized cards, your child will begin to realize that differences should be accepted and celebrated!

However you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day, remind your child that all expressions of love are a true gift.