7 Valentine's Day activities for kids

It's easy to get caught up in the daily routine of parenting. Get up, get everyone dressed, hustle out the door, run errands, clean up, make dinner, clean the kitchen, clean the kids -- it never ends. Valentine's Day can be a lovely opportunity to celebrate your family. There are plenty of activities you can do that will give you some quality time with your spouse and kids.

1. Serve a special breakfast.

Even if your kids are too young to understand Valentine's Day, you can clue them in to the occasion with a festive breakfast table. And it doesn't require a lot of work: Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter on a package of frozen waffles, and serve them with whipped cream and chocolate or strawberry syrup. Set the table with a red tablecloth, and don't hesitate to use the good china.

2. Write love letters.

Write a letter to each of your children listing all the things you love about them. Help them make lists of the things they love about each family member. If your kids are too young to read or write, make a video instead. The point is to create a lasting reminder of what you love.

3. Practice acts of kindness.

Together with your children, think of one nice thing you can do for each member of the family. Keep the focus on actions, not gifts. For example, maybe you and the kids can make dad's favorite dessert for later. Your daughter could read a story to your son. Small gestures can demonstrate big love.

4. Make someone's day.

Do you have an elderly neighbor or a friend who is going through a rough patch? Make and deliver a Valentine's Day basket of goodies. Add candy, baked goods, pictures, and paper flowers, and drop it off along with a warm hug. Let your children experience the joy of doing something nice for no reason at all.   Get more tips here on charity ideas for kids.

5. Reach out to relatives.

When was the last time your kids saw their grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins? Fire up the computer and the webcam and let them say hello. Even better: make it a weekly tradition to video chat with out-of-town family and friends. Regular video chats will let your children establish and maintain meaningful relationships with people who might otherwise exist for them only as names with vague associations.

6. Play favorites.

What are your kids' favorite activities? Spend 20 minutes engaged in each child's preferred pastime. It's fun to say yes, and your children will be enthralled with your attention and enthusiasm.

7. Dessert for dinner.

To close the day on a special note, serve a backwards dinner, starting with dessert. Can't bring yourself to serve the sugar first? Then try serving dinner on a picnic blanket in the family room. The point is to make it a little bit out of the ordinary and go with the flow.  For meal ideas, check out Sandra Lee's special Valentine's Day meal.

Valentine's Day with children might not be as romantic as the holidays you once knew, but it can fill your heart with more love than you ever thought possible.

For more Valentine's Day fun:

• Kid's craft: Valentine's Day cards
• Valentine's Day crafts kids love
• 20 Ways to spice up your marriage after kids