Valentine’s Day events are abundant all around the DC area. From horse-drawn carriage rides to crafts to service projects to cooking classes and drop-off options we rounded up the best ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the kids.
No need to wait until February 14th to show your favorite little ones how much you love them. Valentine’s events are happening starting now!
American Girl Tea: The Bistro at the American Girl store in Tyson’s Corner offers a spectacular afternoon tea each weekday starting at 2:00.
Girls and boys enjoy this kid-centered tea with mini-sandwiches and treats along with drinks like pink lemonade or hot chocolate served in a little tea pot.
Dolls get their own seat at the table and both boy and girl dolls are available to join your table if you don’t have your own. Reservations are strongly recommended!
If you wanted to extend the sweet experience, instead of giving your child candy, give them tickets to American Girl Live coming to Strathmore on March 3rd.
Playseum: Paint a Valentine’s Day themed craft and enjoy special Valentine’s Day treat at either of the Playseum’s locations in Bethesda or Annapolis.
All February long, come to the Playseum and get your creative juices flowing by making your own homemade valentines with our supplies! Throughout February, make a specialty 7 layer hot chocolate in a valentine glass – it looks like sand art and turns pink when you add the hot milk or water.
Top it off with whip cream and sprinkles. $6 Playseum dollars and you keep the souvenir valentine glass! Or, roll out your own cookie dough and make heart valentine cookies, decorate and take home to bake! On Valentine’s Day the Playseum will offer special Valentine’s themed story times with a heart activity following both of our daily story times at 11:00 and 2:00 in Bethesda and 10:30 and 2:00 in Annapolis.
Williams Sonoma Valentine’s Cookie Class: On February 9th Williams Sonoma stores are offering a hands-on Junior Chef Class centered on Valentine’s Day.
In this Valentine’s Day Cookie Party kids will make cookie dough, then roll it out and use Cookie Stamps to emboss them with heart, bee mine, and love designs. Kids get to keep their cookie stamps to make more cookies for those they love any time! Recommend for kids 8 – 13.
Horse Drawn Carriage: Who can resist the charm of a horse-drawn carriage on Valentine’s Day? The perfect family date night for Valentine’s Day can include a magical ride at the Village at Leesburg or Reston Town Center. Both have plenty of kid-friendly restaurant options to round out the evening.
Have a Date Night! Check out My Gym’s Valentine’s Day date night. Drop your kids off for 3 hours of non-stop action at My Gym including fitness games, active play, pizza and fun! The kids will have their own Valentine’s Day while you and your honey go out to celebrate on a day where it’s not quite as hard to get reservations.
Chocolate Lover’s Festival: The Chocolate Lover’s Festival is a great way to celebrate how sweet life can be. This year’s festival will be held in Fairfax from February 1-3. Celebrate early because there is no such thing as too much chocolate.
Disney on Ice: Worlds of Enchantment: Check out Disney on Ice coming to the area in February. With shows at Capital One Arena from February 14th to 18th you can make a special family night by seeing a performance on Valentine’s Day. Or, celebrate early by seeing a performance at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore from February 6th to 10th.
Home Depot Make Your Own Heart Candy Box: The Home Depot offers free Kids Workshops monthly. On February 2nd bring the kids to your local Home Depot to create your own Heart Candy Box. Each child also receives a Home Depot apron, pin, and certificate. It’s a great way for kids to make their own Valentine’s Day gift for a special person in their life – or to use to collect their Valentine’s Day treats.
Michael’s Valentine’s Day Slime: Check out how to make heart slime with the experts at Michael’s Crafts on February 9th. This unique craft is a welcome break from all of the treats that go along with Valentine’s Day and slime is always a hit!
Public Library Celebrations: All over the area public libraries are hosting fee Valentine’s Day activities. Check out the DC Public Library’s offerings including card making parties, family parties, STEM-based workshops and more. Check out your local library system to see what they are offering!
Create a Care Package for our Troops: Valentine’s Day can be lonely for our deployed troops. Check out this intergenerational opportunity to create care packages to send to the troops on January 27th and brighten up the day of someone far away.
