Love is in the Air

A random bit of trivia about me:  I met my husband on Valentine’s Day.  And if it weren’t for the fact that it was in a bar, it would make for quite the idyllic love story.

I’m not sharing this tidbit of personal information for no reason.  It’s a means to get us on the topic of Valentine’s Day, which, although is still a couple of weeks away, is already popping up on the kids’ activities radar.  Starting as early as this weekend, there are several V-Day-themed events happening around the area that welcome families to celebrate love.

The first is taking place this Saturday at Paper Source in Georgetown.  From 11am – 12pm, the store is hosting a “Be Mine” – Parent-Child Valentine workshop, where participants can create accordion books with Valentine themes using all kinds of neat art supplies provided by Paper Source.  Cost is $25 (add just $10 for a second child), and the class is recommended for ages 5-10.  A Tween Valentine Accordion Collection workshop for ages 9-13 will be offered on February 5, also for $25.  Register for both online or in the store.

Tudor Place is also hosting a cupid-inspired event on February 5.  The Be My Valentine: Valentine’s Day Card Workshop for Children will start with a tour of the historic mansion in search of Valentine’s Day cards from years past.  After the tour, children will design their own Valentine cards to take home.  The event, recommended for ages 5 and up, begins at 10:30am.  Cost is $7/member, $10/non-members, adult chaperons are free.  Register online by February 4.

Home Depot is also hosting a workshop with heart (literally) on Saturday, February 5.  The hardware store’s monthly Kids Workshop will teach guests how to create a heart shelf.  The free session runs from 9am – 12pm at all Home Depot stores. For more information, visit the website or give your local store a call.

For some Valentine fun that will really get hearts racing, head to Pump It Up in Elkridge the evening of February 9.  From 5:30 – 8pm, they are hosting a Valentine’s Day Family Event, offering families two hours of available jump time, two slices of pizza, drinks, and a special treat for the kids. Cost is $8/person for families of up to 3, $8.50/person for families of 4 or more.  Register online for this event.

Art and science will be part of the National Children’s Museum Valentine-themed event on Saturday, February 12, from 11am – 4pm.  Hearts of All Sorts will celebrate happy hearts with fun Valentine crafts and healthy hearts with hands-on activities and demos on how to keep hearts healthy.  This is a free event.

Join the Arlington Arts Center at the Clarendon Market Commons Barnes & Noble on Saturday, February 12, for a Valentine Making Workshop.  Guests of all ages are invited to drop in to make a Valentine for a special someone.  The free event begins at 1pm.

Get literal with your heart-focused activities at the National Museum of Health & Medicine.  On Saturday, February 12 from 10am – 12pm, Exploring the Heart: A Valentine’s Program will offer a look at how a heart begins and grows, as museum staff dissect hearts from a reptile, mammal, and bird to demonstrate similarities and differences between bird and mammal anatomy. Guests can also try making a medical illustration from the dissections or create an anatomically-correct Valentine’s Day card. Supplies will be provided. This free program is open to all ages, but probably not recommended for the faint of heart (har har).

Keep the quease factor down at Hooray 4 Books’ Valentine Workshop with Sharon Hickey. Kids ages 3 and up can join the local author (Card Auntie’s Wonderful Workshop) for a card-making workshop and create Valentines to take home and to send to soldiers overseas. Operation Write Home coloring sheets as well as stickers, markers and crayons will be provided for children to write with and decorate their Valentines. Call 703.548.4092 or send an email to info@hooray4books.com to reserve a spot.

Celebrate V-Day with the Smithsonian at the Freer/Sackler Galleries.  On Saturday and Sunday, February 12-13, the Museums of Asian Art are hosting In Every Language Love, an open house for all ages.  After a slideshow of images representing love in Asian art, guests can use printing blocks inscribed with the word “love” in more than a dozen Asian languages to make valentines. The free program runs from 12 – 4pm.