Don’t miss these great events for families in February!
Pennsylvania: Valentine’s Day Treats & Sweets
Families can celebrate Cupid’s holiday with love for all things sugared and sweet. Give yourself permission to splurge on treats with the kids this month at yummy festivals and fancy tea parties.
The Blue Cross RiverRink hosts its annual Sugar & Spice on Ice on Sun., Feb. 7. Between ice skating sessions at Penn’s Landing, families can sample desserts (don’t miss the delicious mini strawberry cheesecakes!), participate in a chocolate chip cookie-eating contest, play candy-themed games, make Valentine’s Day crafts, have their faces painted and take free “sweetheart photos.” 1-5pm. Free with skating admission, $8.
Kids can take time for tea at several parties this month. Preschoolers and their caregivers can go on a Valentine Adventure at the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy in Schwenksville on Tues., Feb. 9, featuring teas and treats (1pm, $13, pre-register). Or reserve your place for the Saturday Afternoon Valentine’s Tea for ages 3-8 and their families at The Radnor Hotel on the Main Line, Sat., Feb. 13 (1pm, $49.95). Also on Feb. 13, Blue Marble Bookstore in Phila. hosts a free tea party and Valentine’s Day crafts for ages 3-10, 2pm.
Theme parks offer delectable Valentine’s Day events, too. Kids can join Elmo for a “My Fuzzy Valentine” lunch and sing-along at Sesame Place in Langhorne, Sat., Feb. 13 (12noon, $16-$22). All month, cocoa capital Hershey, PA hosts its Chocolate-Covered February celebration. Family-friendly highlights include free hot chocolate, chocolate children’s tea and a Chocolate Dessert Tasting Journey.
South Jersey: Pancake Days
Feel like eating flapjacks? This month, your family can join the nationwide pancake celebration at South Jersey diners.
From Feb. 14-20, The Pop Shop in Collingswood serves an exclusive “pie in a pancake” dessert breakfast and offers $1 off discounts on classic pancakes. Test your pancake knowledge in a trivia contest for a chance to win a week’s worth of free pancakes. On. Tues., Feb. 16, tots can enjoy a reading of the story If You Give a Pig a Pancake at 9am.
On Tues., Feb. 23, participating IHOP locations nationwide offer FREE short stacks of buttermilk pancakes in celebration of National Pancake Day from 7am-10pm. In exchange for the pancakes, IHOP asks guests to consider donating to a local charity.
Delaware: Valentine Varieties
Kids can make contemporary valentines and explore valentines of the past during hands-on craft programs in Delaware this month.
Create Heartfelt Valentines for free at the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover. Ages 5-10 can participate on Sat., Feb. 6. A preschooler program for ages 3-5 will be held on Wed., Feb. 10. Pre-register for both workshops. Also free in Dover on Sat., Feb. 6: Kids can learn about and make their own vintage valentines at the Johnson Victrola Museum.
In the 1800s, sailors crafted valentines from seashells for their loved ones back home. Families can make their own sailor valentines using shells and other items found on local beaches at the Indian River Life-Saving Station at Delaware Seashore State Park in Rehoboth Beach, Sun., Feb. 7, 1pm or Sat., Feb. 13, 10am. $15. Pre-register.
Learn how to write love notes with a quill pen, make a Victorian valentine and design a candy bar wrapper at the annual Victorine’s Valentine Day at Hagley Museum & Library in Wilmington, Sat., Feb. 13, 12:30pm. Free with admission, $4-$11, ages 5 & younger free. Rockwood Mansion & Park in Wilmington also hosts a family craft program on Sun., Feb. 14, where kids and parents can craft old-fashioned valentines. $2. Pre-register.
Stephanie Halinski is calendar editor of MetroKids.
