A Valentine's Day idea...

Since Valentine's Day is approaching, I started brainstorming ways we could celebrate. Even though I know Wubs and Bella don't even really know what they are missing by being homeschooled (classroom parties, Valentine card exchanging, etc) I have a strong desire to make our time at home together fun and filled with memories.
I looked online for some Valentine's Day activities and I found coloring sheets, bingo games, mazes, and lots of cute printables...but it just wasn't what I really had in mind. I clicked around the internet for a few minutes when the Holy Spirit gave me an idea. Since Valentine's Day is all about love, and Jesus is love, we should celebrate with the Truth! I chose ten scriptures about love and wow- it was so exciting because as fast as I could copy them out of my Bible, the Holy Spirit was giving me a fun activity to do with our children to celebrate that Truth! I made little red and pink folded cards and I glued the scripture and the activity prompt inside. On Valentine's Day, I am going to let the girls pick the Valentine game cards and then we are going to complete all the fun activities together! We will read the scriptures about love, discuss the meaning of God's word, and then complete the challenge inside the card. I'm sure this game will take us all morning long on Valentine's Day, but I know the girls will love this time that we'll share together. I wanted to go ahead and blog these ideas, just in case you'd like to join us by trying these cards at your house, or maybe the Lord will use this post to get you started in creating your own special Valentine's Day celebration! I am really excited! Here are our game cards:
Card 1- "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."- Psalm 90:14 Activity: Sing (loudly) and dance (joyfully and silly) to our favorite praise and worship songs.
Card 2-"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us."- Romans 5:5 Activity: Practice pouring and have a tea party.
Card 3-"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not relunctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."- 2 Corinthians 9:7 Activity: Pick a toy (or two!) to give away with a happy heart. Mommy will give something belonging to her away, too!
Card 4-"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."- Psalm 36:7 Activity: Shadow puppets outside in the sunshine or in a dark closet with flashlights... it will depend on the weather.
Card 5- "Jesus replied, ' Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."- Matthew 22:37 Activity: Make homemade Valentines for our neighbors and deliver them
Card 6-"If you love me, you will obey what I command."- John 14:15 Activity: Play Simon Says
Card 7- "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."- Psalm 63:3 Activity: Using a small handheld mirror and a dab of lipgloss, allow your children to watch their lips move as they recite this scripture, smile, and make silly mouth shapes.
Card 8- "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."- Deuteronomy 6:5 Activity: Practice strength (and endurance!) with some races to the mailbox, jumping jacks, toe touches, bunny hops, chair squats, etc.
Card 9-"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."- Proverbs 10:12 Activity: Have your children lay on the floor and cover them up with a big blanket. Play the 'parachute' game with them by lifting the blanket waaay up high and dropping it down on them. (Our children LOVE it when I wash the sheets and they beg me to do this to them!)
Card 10- "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love:not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."- 1 John 4:9-10 Activity: Write a letter to a family member or a friend to say 'I love you' and take a car ride to the post office to mail it.
ps- I would love to read any ideas you have to share!