I love to make holidays meaningful by switching up the lesson plan, adding in crafts, and teaching more in-depth about the roots of each holiday. Sometimes holidays sneak up on me, and I find myself rushing to plan and prepare. One simple thing I always have in my back pocket that makes a day special and takes very little planning is a themed tea time!

Here are my steps and tips for hosting a simple love-themed tea time!

In this blog post:

• How to create a Valentine’s Day tea party for kids
• Valentine’s Day Unit Study for kids

How to create a Valentine’s Day tea party for kids

1. Make your guest list

You could invite grandparents and friends to join or keep it simple with just you and your children. Don’t forget about stuffed animals and dolls! My children always love surrounding the table with stuffed friends when we have Tea Time. If you want to get really fancy and fun, you could make homemade invitations to invite your children or other guests.

2. Choose your menu

To keep it really simple, you could offer store-bought cupcakes or cookies and some hot tea. If you have the time and want to, there are a ton of fun Valentine-themed recipes out there. One year we enjoyed these heart-shaped rice cereal treats and chocolate-covered strawberries. We also love this delicious pink herbal tea that’s a favorite in our house.

Here are some other fun Valentine recipes you may want to try:

• Valentine Fruit Wands from A Few Short Cuts
• Strawberry Pie Hearts from Lovely Little Kitchen
• Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies from In the Kid’s Kitchen
• Valentine’s Day Heart-Shaped Stained Glass Cookies from Crayons + Cravings
• Tic Tac Toe Valentine’s Day Treat from The Inspiration Edit

3. Gather love-themed stories, poems, and Scripture

Start with the books you own. You might be surprised to discover how many stories and poems you have within the pages of the books in your home that are love-themed. If you have time to make a library run or go shopping for some books, here are 10 great love-themed picture books we enjoy:

• Love Is by Diane Adams
• Snowy Valentine by David Petersen
• The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting
• Cranberry Valentine by Wende Devlin
• The Day it Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond
• A Village Full of Valentines by James Stevenson
• I Love You Already by Jory John
• A Kiss For Little Bear by Maurice Sendak
• Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
• Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

If you have older children and want to teach them about Saint Valentine and the roots of the holiday, I recommend Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda.

Another option is to focus on poetry and short stories, rather than picture books. You could also read 1 Corinthians 13 and taking a moment to talk about God’s love for us and how we can show love to others.

4. Gather or create some simple Valentine’s decor

Look around the house for anything pink or red! I have a spring-colored quilt I like to use as a tablecloth for tea parties. We also use a tea set I have hodge-podged together over the years from thrift stores. You could string up some homemade watercolor hearts, add some freshly picked flowers in a jar or vase, and light some beeswax candles. Let your children be a part of gathering items for the decor and don’t overthink or overcomplicate it.

5. Choose a heart-themed art project or handcraft

One idea is to put out paper, stickers, and drawing materials to make some handmade valentine cards for friends. One year we made these simple clay nature hearts to give to friends.

Here are 5 more sweet handcrafts you may want to try at your tea time:

• Heart Bird Feeders from Natural Beach Living
• Rainbow Heart Wall Hanging from Lil Blue Boo
• Heart Nature Weaving Craft from Little Pine Learners
• Woven Heart Craft from Fireflies and Mudpies
• No-Sew Valentine’s Pillows from Moms & Crafters

Related: The Best Handcrafts for Children (+ Tips to Teach Them) and Homemade Gifts: 50 Gifts for Children to Make

6. Give each child a love letter and/or small gift

Before you end your special tea time, you could give each child a sweet love letter, sharing with them how special they are to you and why you love them! Along with the letter, you could include a small gift of a new book or stuffed animal.

Related: Teaching our Children to be Encouragers [FREE Valentine’s Card Download]

Valentine’s Day unit study from Treehouse Schoolhouse

A Virtuous Valentine’s is a Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum designed with your whole family in mind. It’s an invitation to study the life-changing love of God in a hands-on way. Through Scripture readings, beauty subjects, picture books, hands-on activities, and a look into the history of Valentine’s Day, this study provides an invitation to delve into the profound depth of God’s love and how it shapes our relationships. We’ll explore how God’s love is unconditional, how love is expressed through acts of kindness and encouragement, how compassion and empathy can change hearts and lives, and how true love is demonstrated through selflessness and sacrifice. Your study will conclude by celebrating and creating memories together with a Valentine’s Day Tea Party.

Will you be hosting a sweet and simple tea time for your loves for Valentine’s this year? If so, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. I would love to see and share!