Originally posted on the FIT4MOM blog.
Written by: Jessica Maurer x Lauren Pedecone
As Valentine's Day approaches, it's the perfect time to celebrate the love that knows no bounds–the one between you and your little ones! At FIT4MOM, we understand the importance of bonding with your kids, and what better occasion than Valentine's Day to make those heart-to-heart connections even more special?
Two of our FIT4MOM signatures during Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre classes are our “Fun4Baby” activities and playgroups after class. Studies have shown that exposing babies to music can speed up speech and language development, so FIT4MOM instructors and moms sing songs, recite the alphabet, and count out loud to the children during exercises. After class, we facilitate simple crafts and activities for the children to foster motor development and creativity.
Lauren Pedecone, owner of FIT4MOM Naperville and the winner of our FIT4MOM Village of the Year award, shares that “Fun4baby is a special part of our workouts. With each tickle, smile, and high five, you automatically create a deeper bond between your kiddo and fellow mom friends. There’s something about watching everyone around you smile and laugh that you can’t help but do the same. It’s that one special hour of the day when you are tuned out from the world's distractions and are instead entirely focused on yourself, your kids, and the connections you are making with the moms in class.”
Let love take center stage this Valentine's Day through heart-to-heart connections with your kids, Mama! Join us as we explore why bonding with your kids can be rewarding and fun with these interactive Valentine’s Day crafts and activities to do with your kids.
Lauren shares, “When doing fun, festive activities with my kiddos, I always try to keep it simple, easy peasy, and with the least prep work. This means we can spend more time doing the activities versus making them!”
ACTIVITY #1: MUSICAL HEARTS
This fun interactive activity for kids all ages gets them moving and burns some energy.
ITEMS:
Cut out hearts (Self-made or purchased from a craft store)
Sharpie or marker
Music playing device like a phone or tablet
DIRECTIONS:
Write different activities on the hearts (run in place, give a high five, do ten jumping jacks, skip across the room, bark like a dog, sing your ABC’s, hug someone)
Place them on the floor in a circle
Ask the kids to walk in a circle while the music plays
When you stop the music, they pick the heart closest to them and perform the activity.
Repeat for as long as you would like.
If you have older kids, let them create and write the ideas. Lauren shares, “My 10 and 7-year-olds love creating their own ideas and adding some really fun ones to the circle.”
ACTIVITY #2: FINGER PAINTING HEART CRAFT
Create a masterpiece or a gift for family members!
ITEMS:
Cut-out hearts (Self-made or purchased from a craft store)
Full-size paper or construction paper
Finger paint
Tape (Painter tape works great)
Paper plate
DIRECTIONS:
Use the same heart cutouts from Activity #1
Tape it to the center of a white piece of paper
Add finger paint to the paper plate and allow the kids to paint around the heart
Once it dries, carefully pull off the heart
ACTIVITY #4: CANDY HEART STEM PICKUP
This is simple but great for all ages! Lauren shared, “My littlest practices working with the tongs to strengthen her fine motor skills while my older kiddos competed to see who could stack the most hearts in a certain amount of time.”
ITEMS:
Candy hearts
Small tongs or large tweezers
DIRECTIONS:
Make small piles of candy hearts on the table.
Ask each kiddo to use the tongs or tweezers to stack the hearts.
Instead of stacks, try letters, numbers, and shapes too
ACTIVITY #5: VALENTINE’S SNACKS
Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Rolls:
ITEMS:
Pre-made cinnamon rolls
Sheet pan
Parchment paper
DIRECTIONS:
Line the sheet pan with the parchment paper
Unravel the cinnamon rolls
Let the kiddo reform the roll in the shape of a heart
Ask each kiddo to use the tongs or tweezers to stack the hearts
Heart-Shaped Quesadillas:
ITEMS:
Heart-shaped cookie cutter
Your favorite quesadilla recipe
DIRECTIONS:
Follow your recipe to create quesadillas for your family.
Using the cookie cutter, create hearts out of each quesadilla
At FIT4MOM, we believe that fitness isn't just about breaking a sweat; it's about creating memories. Lauren told us, “Stroller Strides is so much more than a workout. It’s connection, community, support, and memory building–all built into one experience. We guarantee you will leave feeling stronger, more refreshed, and overjoyed.”
Why not turn your workout into a family affair this Valentine's Day?