DIY Valentine's Day Fun for Moms and Kiddos

February 12, 2024 FIT4MOM x Jessica Maurer x Lauren Pedecone

As Valentine's Day approaches, it's the perfect time to celebrate the love that knows no bounds–the one between you and your little ones! At FIT4MOM, we understand the importance of bonding with your kids, and what better occasion than Valentine's Day to make those heart-to-heart connections even more special?

Two of our FIT4MOM signatures during Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre classes are our “Fun4Baby” activities and playgroups after class. Studies have shown that exposing babies to music can speed up speech and language development, so FIT4MOM instructors and moms sing songs, recite the alphabet, and count out loud to the children during exercises. After class, we facilitate simple crafts and activities for the children to foster motor development and creativity.

Lauren Pedecone, owner of FIT4MOM Naperville and the winner of our FIT4MOM Village of the Year award, shares that “Fun4baby is a special part of our workouts. With each tickle, smile, and high five, you automatically create a deeper bond between your kiddo and fellow mom friends. There’s something about watching everyone around you smile and laugh that you can’t help but do the same. It’s that one special hour of the day when you are tuned out from the world's distractions and are instead entirely focused on yourself, your kids, and the connections you are making with the moms in class.”

Let love take center stage this Valentine's Day through heart-to-heart connections with your kids, Mama! Join us as we explore why bonding with your kids can be rewarding and fun with these interactive Valentine’s Day crafts and activities to do with your kids.

Lauren shares, “When doing fun, festive activities with my kiddos, I always try to keep it simple, easy peasy, and with the least prep work. This means we can spend more time doing the activities versus making them!”

ACTIVITY #1: Musical Hearts

This fun interactive activity for kids all ages gets them moving and burns some energy.

ITEMS:

Cut out hearts (Self-made or purchased from a craft store)
Sharpie or marker
Music playing device like a phone or tablet

DIRECTIONS:

Write different activities on the hearts (run in place, give a high five, do ten jumping jacks, skip across the room, bark like a dog, sing your ABC’s, hug someone)
Place them on the floor in a circle
Ask the kids to walk in a circle while the music plays
When you stop the music, they pick the heart closest to them and perform the activity.
Repeat for as long as you would like.

If you have older kids, let them create and write the ideas. Lauren shares, “My 10 and 7-year-olds love creating their own ideas and adding some really fun ones to the circle.”

ACTIVITY #2: Finger Painting Heart Craft

Create a masterpiece or a gift for family members!

ITEMS:

Cut-out hearts (Self-made or purchased from a craft store)
Full-size paper or construction paper
Finger paint
Tape (Painter tape works great)
Paper plate

DIRECTIONS:

Use the same heart cutouts from Activity #1
Tape it to the center of a white piece of paper
Add finger paint to the paper plate and allow the kids to paint around the heart
Once it dries, carefully pull off the heart

ACTIVITY #3: Letter Match

“My 4-year-old loved this activity,” shares Lauren, “And all you need is a large sheet of paper!”

ITEMS:

Cut-out hearts (Self-made or purchased from a craft store)
Large sheet of paper (Or use chalk outside)
Markers

DIRECTIONS:

Write each letter of the alphabet on the cut out hearts.
Write each letter on the piece of paper (or on the sidewalk in chalk)
Ask the kiddo to match the letters on the heart to the letter on the paper.
If you have older kids, try hiding the hearts around the house. Use other elements like numbers and shapes as well.

ACTIVITY #4: Candy Heart STEM Pickup

This is simple but great for all ages! Lauren shared, “My littlest practices working with the tongs to strengthen her fine motor skills while my older kiddos competed to see who could stack the most hearts in a certain amount of time.”

ITEMS:

Candy hearts
Small tongs or large tweezers

DIRECTIONS:

Make small piles of candy hearts on the table.
Ask each kiddo to use the tongs or tweezers to stack the hearts.

Instead of stacks, try letters, numbers, and shapes too

ACTIVITY #5: Valentine’s Snacks

Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Rolls:

ITEMS:

Pre-made cinnamon rolls
Sheet pan
Parchment paper

DIRECTIONS:

Line the sheet pan with the parchment paper
Unravel the cinnamon rolls
Let the kiddo reform the roll in the shape of a heart
Ask each kiddo to use the tongs or tweezers to stack the hearts

Heart-Shaped Quesadillas:

ITEMS:

Heart-shaped cookie cutter
Your favorite quesadilla recipe

DIRECTIONS:

Follow your recipe to create quesadillas for your family.
Using the cookie cutter, create hearts out of each quesadilla

At FIT4MOM, we believe that fitness isn't just about breaking a sweat; it's about creating memories. Lauren told us, “Stroller Strides is so much more than a workout. It’s connection, community, support, and memory building–all built into one experience. We guarantee you will leave feeling stronger, more refreshed, and overjoyed.”

Why not turn your workout into a family affair this Valentine's Day? Join us for your first class for free at any of our locations nationwide.

Want More Ideas To Play With Your Kids, Mama?