February 14th has long been honored as the day of love. Although the legends and myths abound, I prefer the legend of Valentine, the third century priest who would secretly marry the young Roman warriors to their lovers, in defiance of the direct orders of the Emperor. According to the story, Emperor Claudius II thought the members of his army would be better soldiers if they were single and didn’t have family ties making them long for home. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius had him put to death.

Many of our grandparents grew up in the wonderful era when hand-written letters were an art form and the norm. (And if you love the idea of keeping this tradition alive, see Ms. Sam’s post about creating handmade cards to celebrate Valentine’s Day.) I know my grandmother had a special box where she kept all the valentines my grandfather ever gave her. They were absolute treasures to her, and he knew better than to forget to get a card every year!

As a child I can recall having a paper sack of some sort to grace my elementary school desk on Valentine’s Day, as we would parade around the room passing valentines to our friends. My favorite thing about the holiday was definitely having a lighter school day, and (of course) the candy. Much to my husband’s chagrin, I still love those cheap artificial-fruit-flavored chocolates – and if he doesn’t like them, all the better … I get to eat them all!

As homeschoolers, not having the classroom setting can make it more difficult to celebrate as a group. Making valentines for a few friends and family is nice, but getting to exchange with lots of people and come home with your stash is especially fun for kids!

We have been blessed to be a part of two amazing local homeschool groups, and getting together on Valentine’s Day is still one of my children’s favorite times of the year. (Even better, my kids are able to make one Valentine box and use it for both parties!)

With the holiday two weeks away, there’s still time to plan for this year! A few pointers to pulling off a successful Valentine’s Day party for your co-op or homeschool group are:

• It only takes a few minutes to pass out the valentines, so there needs to be some sort of an activity planned to make a Valentine’s party work. Bowling alleys and skating rinks are two locations that our groups have used for a fun, low-stress party without the extra work of planning games.
• Make the containers a fun project the week before the party. I’ve seen everything from simple bags to some very elaborate works of art. Having each child make up some sort of box or container to hold the valentines they receive, could even be incorporated into your lesson plans as the week’s art project.
• Consider offering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes for different age groups, with the children voting on their favorite container in each. (Suggested age divisions might be PreK-2nd grade, 3rd-6th, & 7th-12th, but you can adjust these based on the number of kids in your group.) The competition can really get everyone to step up their game! Prizes can be candy, money, or even a gift card.
• Having a couple candy jar guessing games is fun, as well. An adult is responsible for filling a jar with candy and keeping track of how many pieces are inside. (You might do more than one jar, with a bigger jar and/or smaller candies for older kids.) Each child guesses the number, and whoever has the closest guess gets to take home the jar along with the loot.
• It’s vitally important for everyone to RSVP in advance – a week before the party is best, but at the very least, a few days ahead of time! – so those participating know how many valentines to make and bring. As a mom, it’s stressful to find out the night before that 15 extra people are now planning to attend the party. When you have multiple children, it can be hard to scramble around finding more last-minute cards. And for children who did sign up, having families show up when they didn’t RSVP means that someone will inevitably be shorted. As a precaution, I now try to bring a few extras just in case … but sometimes we have run out before everyone got a valentine.
• Food! Having everyone bring a snack makes it easier on the person organizing the party, not to mention that when kids are concerned, food is welcomed at any event!

However you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, have fun with it … and remember:  letting the people in your life know how much they mean to you – EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. – is something you will never regret.