I have a niece that is uber creative to the nth degree.  Times that by a gazillion.  (Let me rephrase that:  I don’t have just one creative niece.  I have a plethora of creative nieces — and creative daughter and daughters-in-law!)

Back to my niece.  Stephanie held a Valentine’s Exchange with her friends similar to the activity of exchanging Valentine’s like everybody did when they were in grade school (an activity that has gone to the wayside because we grow-up and mature).  She asked her guests to bring any type of Valentine that they would like to give to the other party guests.

Instead of the cheesy Valentines with cutesy critters or movie and cartoon characters, her guests made little gifts.  One made mini spa treatments; one made earrings; one shared a jar of homemade salsa with some chips; one made a heart shaped decoration.

Stephanie had heart shaped sugar cookies to decorate and pink and red sodas to drink.  Of course there was an assortment of Valentine candy to eat.  Yum!

This would be a fun idea to do with your teen-aged granddaughters.  They might have other plans for the actual day (as in going on a date with someone special) so you might want to do it on another day before Valentine’s Day. This exchange could be a great activity for a Saturday afternoon.  Or even Saturday morning where they come for a brunch.  (Just be sure that it’s not too early.  Your granddaughters probably like to sleep in!)

Take this idea.  Bend it.  Shape it.  Any way you like it.  (Can you name the song those phrases mimic??) Make this YOUR activity to fit your situation with your grandchildren.  Share Valentine’s — and love — with those special granddaughters in your family.

And maybe reminisce and giggle over the sweethearts everybody had in grade school.

Will you be able to spend Valentine’s Day with your grandchildren? I sure hope so.  Eating chocolate candy and getting hugs and kisses from Grandma are great activities for this holiday.

Family Education has some Valentine’s Day printables: cards (lots of ‘em), word searches, dinner place cards, alphabet Valentines, a Valentine Basket, party invitations, a quiz, a calendar, a shadow box, a heart mobile, and lots, lots more!

If your grandchildren live far away, you might want to print some of these printables up and then mail them in a Valentine’s Day package to them.

You might want to print off some of the Valentine Bingo cards that I have made, too.

If you live near your grandchildren, you can give them a ‘heart attack.’  Make arrangements with their mother to let you into their bedroom after they have gone to sleep the night before Valentine’s Day.  Put valentines (that you have cut out of red, pink, and white paper) all over their bedroom.  Sprinkle Hershey’s kisses and little heart candies all over.  You might want to include a couple of red and pink helium balloons with a note that says something about the heart attack being ‘brought to you by your loving grandma.’  (Be sure to save out some kisses for yourself . . .)

Here’s a cute idea of a Valentine’s mouse that you could make with your grandchildren.

Grandma Lizzie has a great idea for a count down calendar to Valentine’s Day.  What a unique idea!!!

I hope you can find a few activities here to do with your grandchildren!

So many clever grandmothers out there!  And Gramma Kathy is one of them.

She commented on my Pillow Pal post (lovely alliteration there, eh?) and mentioned the mailboxes that she made for her grandchildren.  Intrigued, I scurried over to her site and was absolutely delighted!   Since I think her idea is a ‘must see’, I’m linking to it from here (with her blessing, of course).

She found darling little mailboxes at Target that she decorated with fun stickers.  She also put her granddaughter’s names on the boxes.  When the granddaughters come for a visit, they can check their mailbox.  If the flag is up, they have mail. (Grandma’s ‘mail’ were bracelets, socs, stampers, and necklaces.  It could even be candies or coupons for activities to do with grandma.)

Isn’t that the greatest idea ever?  She also has a wonderful idea of how to handle mail items that are too big to fit into the mailbox.  Read all about it on her Sealed With a Kiss.

So, for all of you organized grandmothers out there that are prepared for holidays weeks in advance, here is something that you can do for Valentine’s Day for your grandchildren.

Robert Sabuda is a children’s book illustrator.  And creator of pop-up books.  His website offers simple pop-ups you can make. This would be an easy, great, and inexpensive activity to do with your grandchildren.

He has several Halloween pop-ups: a witch, bat, and this endearing Frankenstein.  He also has pop-up directions for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valetine’s Day.

Folding the pop-up turkey would keep grandchildren busy while grandma is wrestling the turkey in the kitchen.  Older grandchildren can supervise younger grandchildren in the making of these pop-ups if the turkey in the kitchen starts winning the battle against grandma . . .).