Valentine’s Day Table: Ideas to Keep your Children Entertained from Appetizer’s to Dessert
Valentine’s Day takes a completely new meaning when children are involved. Having a romantic dinner for two at a fancy restaurant or going out-of-town for an intimate weekend trip may no longer apply when you have a busy household.
A romantic V-Day celebration may have to take a backseat in favor of kid-friendly activities and domestic duties. Don’t fret — you can still celebrate Valentine’s Day with the whole family by making small changes to your usual routine.
One good idea is to have a Valentine’s Day dinner for the kids. That should keep the young ones entertained and involved in the celebration of the day of hearts. It doesn’t have to be elaborate to be special. All you need to do is to put your creativity to work and include the kids in the preparation.
Preparation
Although it’s just a one-day celebration, you may want to decorate your home with a Valentine theme to engage the kids. Drape a heart garland on the walls of your dining room. A tiny table complete with matching petite chairs will make the little ones feel special. Set a Valentine’s Day table runner or similar-themed placemats. Use heart-shaped bowls and paper plates for serving food.
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A bunch of flowers adds a nice touch to the kids’ Valentine’s Day dinner. Place a bouquet in a plastic vase with water. This way, you won’t have to worry about broken glass if your child knocks the vase off the table. You can also use a florist’s foam soaked in water to prevent water spillage in case of accidents. Votive candles look great, but they can be a hazard around children, so it’s best to stick with flowers or other kid-friendly décor.
Feast for the Eyes
No Valentine’s Day celebration is complete without the tasty treats. Naturally, you’d want your children to enjoy their dinner, but you don’t have to spend a lot of time and money in meal preparation. Simple, everyday fares cooked with a little bit of twist are always a delight.
Here are some fun food ideas that you can serve your little ones:
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Soup Great as a starter or as a meal by itself, grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup warms the heart and the stomach. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut pieces of bread and grill them with mozzarella cheese. The kids can dunk the heart-shaped sandwiches into the tomato soup.
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- Heart-shaped Pizza or Calzone Pizza is always a classic favorite for both kids and adults. If you are making pizza dough from scratch, make sure to exaggerate the heart shape so it will come out perfectly after baking. Top it with freshly made pizza sauce and your kids’ choice of toppings.
- Calzone is another recipe that you can make. This Italian treat requires a little bit of preparation, which is perfect if you want the kids to be involved. Make two batches of heart-shaped dough and top one with marinara sauce, pepperoni, and cheese. Take the other one and place it on top to seal them together. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes and serve hot.
- Meatloaf with Pink Mashed Potatoes Meatloaf is a tasty and filling dish that kids love. Add a little twist by serving it with pink mashed potatoes. If you’re hesitant about using artificial coloring on your children’s food, you can use beets to get the same shade. Just prepare the mashed potatoes the usual way, roast some beets, and add them to your potatoes.
- Kids love colorful and chocolate-y desserts. You can combine the best of both worlds by baking some cupcakes. Start by baking a classic chocolate cupcake and make it even more scrumptious by adding a pink cream cheese frosting on top. You can also try these Valentine’s Day cupcake recipes from Martha Stewart!
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- Pink LemonadePink lemonade is perfect on a hot summer day, but it’s also a refreshing drink even on Valentine’s. Make lemonade the usual way, and then add cranberry juice to get a nice, pink color. You can add as much cranberry juice as you like. The more you add, the deeper the color will be. An alternative to this drink is a fruit smoothie made of frozen bananas and strawberries. Not only does the drink taste and look good, it is also healthy.
Valentine’s Day is not only for couples – kids can also celebrate Valentine’s Day. Make this occasion even more special for the little ones by preparing a simple yet memorable dinner for them.
Jessica Phan is a designer for Balsamhill.com a purveyor of high-end artificial Christmas Trees. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is perfect for her because she has a wide range of interests, including Art & Design, Fashion, Photography, Painting and Thrift Store Shopping.
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