Family date ideas for Valentine’s Day

Want to get out of the house this Valentine’s Day but don’t have a babysitter? Make the most of it by trying out one of these fun family V-Day date ideas.

Bowling’s making a comeback, baby! Nowadays, you’ll find much more than just tenpin arrangements. Bowling alleys today offer everything from pool tables to kiddie arcades and more. Call around before V-Day to see if your local alleys offer any discounts and to make sure they don’t have any leagues coming in that may interfere with your family fun.

Expand your horizons this Valentine’s Day! Make it about something more than prepackaged chocolates and cheesy Valentine’s cards that say things like “I choo-choo-choose you.” Load your family up and take them to the nearest museum to check out works of art. In keeping with the heartfelt holiday, task your kids with finding art about love. If you’re feeling really motivated, look up the stories of artists prior to visiting. You may find a great love story or two — after all, every artist has a muse!

Forget about going to the movies… Valentine’s Day is a special day and merits something a bit more out of the box. So why not hit up your local playhouse? You’ll be patronizing the arts, your kids will be looking at something other than a glowing screen and you’ll likely be able to find a play about love.

Does a rose by any other name smell just as sweet? Find out when you take your family to a botanical garden for a stroll among the blooms. I mean, you can’t have Valentine’s Day without some beautiful blossoms, right? There are plenty of benefits to this approach: You’ll have great scenery going for you, you’ll get the kids outside where they can burn off some energy and you’ll literally be stopping to smell the roses.

More Valentine’s Day ideas

4 Teen-friendly Valentine’s Day gift ideas
Host a Valentine’s Day party for kids
Throw the perfect girlfriend get-together