​Who said Valentine's Day cards had to feature hearts? This year, locations around NYC are offering some creative Valentine's Day workshops and events. Children can make skyscraper Valentines, develop a love for nature, take part in a self-love project, and even make pink gingerbread houses. 

Read on for the scoop on the best Valentine's Day outings with kids in NYC. If something piques your interest, click through to the event listing for full details. For more fun happenings this month, check out our February GoList, and remember, our Event Calendar is full of activities and events happening every day in New York City. Search "Valentine" or "love" to find more sweet holiday fun.

Valentine's Day as an adult can be wonderfully romantic or terribly lonely depending on one's relationship status. But from a child's perspective, the day can be fun and sweet. It gives kids a chance to be creative by making cards, mailboxes, and decorating cookies and is an opportunity to learn about love, kindness, and caring for others. If you are going to have a Valentine's date night, make sure to check out some of these options for Parent's Nights Out childcare. And don't forget there are also fantastic ways to celebrate Black History Month with many events around the Bayou City. 

Here are some ways you can celebrate Valentine's Day as a whole family:

The idyllic community of Cold Spring Harbor is the perfect spot for a family-friendly winter day trip. While you may have it on your summer-only list, there is plenty to do on a chilly day in this charming western Suffolk County hamlet, where kids can enjoy several educational facilities and some delightful restaurants and sweet spots.  

In TADA! Youth Theater's The History Mystery, an hourlong musical, a trio of history-hating teens is magically transported back in time to meet Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, and others when they were adolescents. Not only do they learn about the experiences that helped shape these iconic figures, they also see how the past impacts our present. For school-age kids living in today's difficult political climate, it's a fun but fact-packed look at how every person, even a child, has the ability to affect positive change.

When you have young children, it is only a matter of time before red roses, champagne, and fancy menus are replaced by balloons, pink lemonade, and heart-shaped lollipops on Valentine's Day. This, however, doesn’t mean you have to stay in watching Nick Jr. specials. Many Valentine-themed activities are scheduled to take place in the Hartford area. Whatever you decide, there are ample opportunities to celebrate love on Valentine's Day. If you decide to keep the celebration at home, check out this fun Valentine's craft perfect for little ones.

Valentine's Day is a unique holiday. It is a celebration of love, but usually reserved for romantic relationships. However, in the spirit of showing the ones you love the most how special they are, Valentine's Day can also be a great opportunity to celebrate as a family. In Februrary, when the winter doldrum sets in, finding ways to get out and celebrate in the spirit of love may be just what the doctor ordered!

Here's 14 ways you and your family can celebrate Valentine's Day in a uniquely Philadelphia kind of way. For more Valentine's Day, check out our event round-up of great activities.

Outdoor skating and Connecticut have an on-again off-again relationship. When it snows, the ice has to be shoveled. When we have a string of warm temps, we get slush. A frozen pond in this state has become a rare commodity. And, sure, indoor skating has its benefits with its reliable ice, comfortable temperature and lack of bumps and all.

But there is just nothing like skating outdoors when the ice is good and the sun is shining. Think a picturesque pond surrounded by woods to block any breeze. Think rosy cheeks and cozy scarves. Think Currier & Ives. Are you with me?

We have rounded up some postcard perfect ponds, municipal skating spots, and one particular open-air rink that has drawn in crowds for more than two decades. For even more winter fun check out our winter guide and CT winter bucket list!

I'm always looking for birthday party ideas that don't involve a potential slideshow of my Pinterest fails, especially for my 9-year-old who is blossoming into a mini Martha Stewart. Luckily, NYC seems to open new party spots monthly for the kids.

We've rounded up a sampling of some of the top new locations around the city that are offering kid party packages or room rentals, including a rock climbing spot and cool preschool-age play spaces.

Need further inspiration to kick that birthday fatigue to the curb? Check out our NYC Birthday Party Guide, or peruse these special occasion options, from dine-in movie theaters and fancy high tea to museum sleepovers.

So read on for a list of great birthday party venues that might just save your couch, the dog, the cat, your relationship with your downstairs neighbor, and your sanity!