If you live in the UK, you’re crossing days off the calendar on this third lockdown. We’re not quite sure when the government will ease restrictions, but for now, we’re stuck at home. Which is a bit of a letdown with Valentine’s Day coming up! It’s not so bad, though: You’re probably planning for a cozy stay-at-home Valentine’s Day with your significant other, anyway. Do you already have the presents ready? From sweet jewelry to heartfelt books, there are plenty of options to celebrate the day!
But have you considered a playful twist on the typical Valentine’s celebrations? Things can get dull when you’re stuck at home, so why not add some excitement to an otherwise lovely day? Here are some fun “at home” Valentine’s Day ideas!
Create a Valentine inspired board game.
A board game is a superb opportunity for families to play together. So if you’ve got children who are old enough to play, they can join in too. You don’t need to be an expert craft artist to make it work. You can simply use an old board from your favorite game. Monopoly is a good base to use and transform the real estate rules into a love spreading campaign. Check youtube.com for a step-by-step tutorial. You can turn the street names into fun activities together – which you can keep child-friendly if you’re playing as a family. If you’re feeling more creative, you can also make your own game, combining unexpected props such as fun dice from skullsplitterdice.com to make things more interesting.
Stage a treasure hunt.
Treasure hunts are the kind of games we associate with childhood. But it can be a lot of fun when you’re stuck at home. You can take inspiration from some of the most popular treasure hunt ideas for kids . There’s something exciting about finding a hidden chest that contains a treasure. In this instance, the chest will contain Valentine’s Day presents. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to prepare and plan each step of the hunt. Typically, a good hunt sends players from one location to the next using clues. You can choose to combine all clues found throughout the game to find the last location, or simply lead your partner to it.
Turn your room into an escape room.
Escape rooms are similar to treasure hunts in many ways. You also get to solve a puzzle to progress and get to the next step. However, unlike treasure hunting where the present is hidden, an escape room can also display the final reward. You can wrap your present in sweet patterned paper and add a padlock to secure it. The aim is to retrieve the key or the code to open the padlock. You can look online for fun cryptic clues and decipher puzzles that will keep your partner entertained. Ideally, you want to aim for a handful of simple puzzles or a couple of tricky ones. The whole game should not last more than 30 to 45 minutes at home. Otherwise, the game could get frustrating!
Valentine’s Day is for romance, red roses, and candlelight dinners. But when you’ve been staying at home since the start of the year, the prospect of a romantic dinner on the coffee table in front of the TV may not seem so appealing after all. How about making it entertaining with a playful twist? Couples who play and laugh together are more likely to make the most of the situation despite the lockdown!
xx Lauren
