Best Valentine’s Day Activities for Teens
Teenagers aren’t slipping little cards into a decorated cardboard box on their classmates’ desks or making, “I love my mom because…” notes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to celebrate Valentine’s Day—especially with friends. Celebrations connect us and give us shared memories.
I’ve collected a list of ideas to create a fun and memorable Galentine’s Day for teens. There’s crafty fun, games, and ideas for giving back that will appeal to teens wanting to show some love to those in need. Your teen might love to help plan an event, curate a playlist, or otherwise be involved in creating the celebration.
Games or Party Activities
1. Valentine’s Scavenger Hunt
Create clues or riddles with a romantic or friendship theme, leading to small prizes or treats.
Free Printable Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt from Play Party Plan
2. Minute-to-Win-It Games
Perennially popular minute-to-win-it games are a high-energy option for teens that want to have a friendly competition.
Valentine Minute-to-Win-It game ideas from Happiness Is Homemade
3. Valentine’s Trivia
Prepare a trivia game about Valentine’s Day traditions, history, and pop culture.
Valentine’s trivia from Krafty Lab (also Valentine This or That Questions from this website)
4. DIY Photo Booth
Set up a photo booth with Valentine props (hearts, Cupid bows, etc.). Teens can snap fun pictures with friends and share memories.
Valentine backdrop ideas from A Cut Above Photo
Printable photo booth props from Kristen Duke Photography
5. Valentine’s Escape Room
Design an escape room experience with puzzles and challenges around love or friendship.
Instructions for creating a DIY escape room that can be modified for any theme from Daddy Realness
Printable Valentine escape room from Etsy
6. Costume Contest
Encourage teens to dress as iconic couples or Valentine-themed characters, with prizes for the best outfits.
Valentine’s themed costume ideas from Studio DIY
7. Valentine’s Karaoke Party
Let teens perform their favorite love songs or breakup anthems.
Valentine’s Day playlist on Spotify
8. Giant Game Day
Gather a few oversized games—Connect 4, Checkers, Sorry—and invite some friends.
9. Movie Night
Host a screening of teen-friendly romantic comedies like Cinderella (sweet Drew Barrymore movie) or Persuasion. You could also go for celebratory sing-along movies like The Greatest Showman or Enchanted.
10. Book Exchange
Have teens do a blind-date-with-a-book exchange where each teen brings a book they loved, wrapped so that the cover is hidden. Run it like a white elephant gift exchange where participants can steal a book or keep the one they open.
Instructions and free printable templates for blind-date-with-a-book event
Creative or Crafty Activities
11. Bake-Off Challenge
Organize a baking competition where participants create Valentine-themed desserts like cookies, cupcakes, or cake pops.
Dessert bakeoff download from Etsy
Dessert bakeoff contest printables from Etsy
12. Chocolate-Making Class
Teens can learn how to craft their own chocolates or candies.
13. Craft Workshop
Teach how to create items like heart-shaped jewelry, decorative candles, or origami flowers.
Valentine craft ideas from The Pioneer Woman
14. Canvas-and-Coffee
Offer a painting class with Valentine’s themes while serving lattes and frappuccinos.
Valentine paint night tutorials playlist (YouTube)
15. Valentine Floral Arrangements
Have your teens create a cute floral arrangement using fresh or artificial flowers.
Mini flower arrangement tutorials (YouTube)
16. DIY Spa Day
Set up a fun self-care day with face masks, mani/pedis, and makeup tutorials.
Spa day treatment ideas from AZ Spa Girls
Spa day ideas from Big Heart Little Star
Service or Volunteer Activities
17. Card Making
Provide craft supplies like paper, markers, stickers, and stamps. Teens can make cards for family, friends, or community members in need (e.g., nursing homes or hospitals).
18. Community Service Project
Organize a group effort to assemble care packages or write uplifting notes for local shelters or charities.
50 Community Service Ideas for Teen Volunteers
19. Love & Kindness Notes
Make kindness cards to leave compliments or positive messages for classmates, teachers, or community members such as police officers, grocery store workers, postal workers, delivery drivers, etc.
20. Adopt-a-Pet Event
Collaborate with a local animal shelter to help find homes for pets, creating Valentine cards for each animal.
Read: How to Speak Your Child’s Love Language
Make Valentine’s Day Fun for Teens
However your teens choose to celebrate or not celebrate, make sure you include an “I love you!” in your Valentine’s Day plans. It may feel like they’re pulling away and wanting to spend more time with friends, but they still need to know that our love for them is deep and secure.
Ask them whether they want to plan a fun activity with friends, like a Galentine’s Day celebration, and share some of the suggestions from the list above. Then let them take the lead and create their own special Valentine event.
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Galentine’s Day Celebration for Teens
