Alternative Ways to Spend Valentine’s Day This Year

Whether or not you’re part of a couple, some of us just aren’t that into the whole Valentine’s Day thing. Hearts, Cupids, chocolate, roses – they’re not for everyone.

But that doesn’t mean you have to skip the holiday altogether. If candy hearts aren’t your thing, try one of these alternative ways to spend Valentine’s Day.

Celebrate With Friends

Valentine’s Day is not only a great day to celebrate romance. It can also be a great day to celebrate friendship.

The great thing about celebrating this way is that you get to show the friends you care about how much their friendship means to you. You can even give small gifts – mini boxes of chocolates, keepsake photos, or potted miniature roses, for example.

And if it takes off, why not make it a tradition?

Plan a family Valentine’s Day

Families with children can take Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate love – which is what the day is all about, anyway.

Have a special breakfast as a family, either out at a restaurant or at home, and then spend the day doing fun activities together. Visit a museum, go on a hike, head to the zoo – it really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’re connecting and spending quality time together.

Arts and crafts are another fun way to spend time together. A few days before Valentine’s Day, sit down with your kids and make homemade Valentine’s cards. Little ones can make masterpieces with construction paper, glitter, and markers.

If your kids are older and school or extracurriculars take up most of the day, have a fun Valentine’s evening together playing board games, watching a movie, or just taking the time to have dinner together and talk about your day.

Celebrate with photos

If you have a Nixplay WiFi Cloud Digital Frame, consider making a playlist celebrating love. And not just the romantic love in your life – add in pictures of friends, family, even pets.

A Valentine’s Day playlist can make a great pick-me-up for any time of year, not just Feb. 14. Play it when you’re feeling blue to remind yourself of all the wonderful people – and animals – whom you love and who love you back.

Plan a wilderness or outdoor trip

Getting away from all the hustle and bustle of modern life can be a welcome respite any time of year – but on Valentine’s Day, it can make for an extra romantic retreat.

Without your regular everyday distractions, the two of you can focus solely enjoying each other’s company. In the beauty of nature, it’s a lot easier to relax and let go of any stress, freeing you up to do nothing but remember why you love each other.

Volunteer

Loving your neighbor is just as important a part of life as loving your friends, family, and partner, so why not head out into the community and give back to those in need?

Feeding the hungry, spending time with the sick and elderly, or helping fix up your child’s school can be great ways to share the love. Volunteering as a family can be especially rewarding, as it will teach your children that love is something to be acted upon, not just felt.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to mean going out to mean champagne, roses, and a fancy restaurant. There are lots of ways to celebrate love – maybe this is the year to try something different. For more ideas on how to celebrate Valentine’s Day, check out our post “The Best Valentine’s Day Photo Gift Ideas.”

Beatrice Bisais

Bea is Nixplay’s Social Media Manager. She enjoys drinking coffee, reading about wars, and writing stories. Send her a message at beatrice.bisais@nixplay.com.