Valentine's Day is a special occasion for celebrating love and family. It can be especially meaningful for kids when they learn about different types of relationships and how they relate to their families. One perfect idea to do this is by using photos (wedding/ family/ friends) as Valentine's for the kids! This activity allows parents or guardians to share stories from their marriages while teaching children about love, such as friendship, familial love, and romantic love. We have free printables available in English & Chinese, which include six heart shapes with words associated with each type of relationship – the perfect idea for Valentine's day! So grab your memorable photos and start creating Valentine's memories that will last a lifetime!
I felt emotional when I saw my 5-year-old daughter looking through our wedding album. She seemed happy and interested in the pictures. I realized that it is remarkable to share something important with our family. Even small things can have a significant impact on us.
Instead of just writing out cards for Valentine's Day this year, I thought it would be an excellent idea to explain our different types of relationships to kids.
With our free hearts printable, we talk about romantic love 愛情/爱情, familial love 親情/亲情, and friendship 友情 in a fun way. We can also talk about the difference between love 愛/爱 and like 喜歡/ 喜欢 to our kids, and hopefully, this blog can guide you as well.
Download: Free Hearts Printable
Can We Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Family?
Yes! This day is not just about celebrating romantic relationships; you can also celebrate the day with your family, friends, and anyone you love.
We can make Valentine's day a family tradition by showing our kids the pictures of our wedding and telling them about how we fell in love. It will be a great way to show them how meaningful relationships are, and this Valentine's Day idea is perfect for kids who want to learn more about different types of relationships.
Romantic Love vs. Familial Love vs. Friendship
Romantic love is the love between two people in a romantic relationship. Familial love is the kind of love that families share, and friendship is the affectionate bond between two friends.
It may be hard to explain these different types of relationships to children who are still learning about them, but Valentine's day is an excellent opportunity to do so. We can use our free printables to explain the different types of relationships and discuss which are most important to us as a family.
How to Explain Romantic Love to Kids?
Explaining romantic love to children can be tricky, but it's essential to growing up. You can start by letting them know that romantic love is a very special feeling between two people. Two people share it when they care deeply for each other and want to be together. Tell them that the emotion of love is a big part of what makes relationships so special and unique.
Here's an age-by-age guide by Parents Canada on explaining romantic love to children.
Familial Love
Explaining familial love to children is essential to building a supportive and loving family. Familial love is about caring for each other deeply, understanding, respecting one another's feelings, and valuing your relationships. It's about spending quality time together, sharing experiences, and supporting each other through life's ups and downs. The best way to explain this type of love is to show it in action – through hugs, conversations, shared activities, and many more.
Here are 25 picture books about families (English).
Here are some Chinese books for recommendations about familial love:
Friendship
Explaining friendship to children is an important part of growing up. Friendship is about sharing experiences, enjoying each other's company, and being there for one another when times are tough. It's about understanding, listening without judgment, and respecting each other's feelings. To explain this concept to children, emphasize the importance of having a supportive friend in their life and show them how to be a good friend by being kind and thoughtful towards others.
With the help of our hearts printables, it can help the explanation easier! Plus, kids can practice learning both Chinese and English. It is also a great activity to do as a family, and it will be lots of fun for everyone!
Here are five books about friendship for kids (English).
Here are some Chinese books for recommendations about friendship:
Feelings
Another valentine's idea is to help explain the definition of “feelings” to your kids.
Teaching children to recognize, understand and express their emotions helps them develop into emotionally healthy adults.
To explain feelings to children, use descriptive language to explain different emotions. Help them understand what it feels like when they are sad, frustrated, or excited.
Here are some book recommendations (English) to help kids understand their feelings.
Here are some Chinese books recommendations about feelings & emotions:
Like vs. Love Relationships
Explaining the difference between like and love to children can be complicated, but it is an integral part of helping them understand strong emotions. Start by explaining that “like” is a kind feeling for something or someone, while “love” is much stronger.
To explain further, use examples to illustrate the differences – for instance, you might say that you like ice cream but love your family. Give children time to ask questions, so they feel comfortable expressing their feelings. Talk about how it's okay to love different things and remind them that these powerful emotions must be handled with care.
Here are some children's books about love (English).
Here are some Chinese books recommendations:
Free Hearts Printable – Valentine's Idea for Kids
We have included Chinese or Bilingual Chinese (Chinese & English) options for the Chinese versions of the printables. So you can have more variety to choose from!
We have six different language versions available for you to download:
- English
- Traditional Chinese
- Simplified Chinese
- Pinyin Chinese
- Zhuyin Chinese
- Jyutping Chinese
There are six printable hearts for you to choose from, each with different terms:
- Romantic Love 爱情/愛情
- Familial Love 亲情/親情
- Friendship 友情
- Feeling 感情
- Love 爱/愛
- Like 喜歡/喜欢
Materials:
Instructions
STEP 1 – DOWNLOAD
You must first download the free hearts printable. Select your preferred language.
STEP 2 – STORE
Once you've downloaded the file, save a copy in a safe place (i.e., External hard drive, cloud storage, etc.)
STEP 3 – OPEN
Open the files with Adobe PDF Reader. You can download it for free.
STEP 4 – PRINT
You can print the file by clicking on the “Printer” icon after opening it in Adobe PDF Reader.
Verify that it will print in landscape mode and choose “fit” from the page sizing & handling session.
I recommend using white card stock for the best result.
STEP 5 – CUT
You can use a pair of scissors for cutting.
STEP 6 – LAMINATE (optional)
For heavier weight and extra durability, I use five mil laminator pouches.
Use a laminator pouch to insert each sheet. Then, laminate them using a laminator.
STEP 7 – CUT (Optional)
Cut the printables again using a pair of scissors for cutting.
STEP 8 – PRESENT
Your hearts printables are ready! It is time to present them to your kids.
How to Use the Hearts Printable?
You can start gathering pictures of your children's friends and family! Once you have finished gathering the photos, you can use the hearts as a guideline.
Here are some examples:
When you find a picture of a relative or family member, you can grab the green heart (Familial love) and place it under the photo.
When you find a picture of your child's friend, you can select the yellow heart (friendship) and place it under the photo.
When you find a picture of yourself and your partner, you can grab the red heart (romantic love) and place it under the photo.
When you find a picture of your child's important person, you can grab the red heart (love) and place it under the photo.
When you find a picture of your child's favorite thing/activity, you can grab the pink heart (like) and place it under the photo.
When you find a picture of your child laughing, you can grab the blue heart (feeling), and say they “feel” happy.
Conclusion: Excellent Valentine's Idea for Kids
Why not use your photos (wedding/ family/ friends) this Valentine's Day as an idea to teach your kids about love and relationships? With our free heart printables (English & Chinese), you can explain the difference between like and love, recognize different emotions, and create a lasting memory for them. This is a great way to show kids how much they are loved while teaching them valuable lessons that will stay with them forever. So grab pictures of your family this Valentine’s day and get ready to share love stories!
Download: Free Valentine's Printables
