Valentine's Day Fun For Your Little Loves in San Diego (Feb 2022)
Valentine's Day events are generally geared for a parents' date night out, but there are lots of things you can do with your little loves all month long.
WHAT TO DO WITH KIDS ON VALENTINE'S DAY IN SAN DIEGO (and all month long!)
Whether your kids love fishing, sports, baking, painting, trains, horses or even the circus, you'll find something that speaks to their heart from this list. Here are the special places in San Diego to take your kids and show them some extra love this month.
📆 SPECIFIC DATES
🐟 POWAY YOUTH FISHING DERBY
Feb. 4 at 5pm (seminar only). LEARN TO FISH from the pros and watch demonstrations on how to properly rig a line the night before the Annual Youth Fishing Derby. The FISHING SEMINAR will begin at 5:00 PM on Feb. 4. Fishing Seminar is FREE! Must register online. More info here
Participants and their families are invited to spend the night for only $16 a car. Don't forget your camping and grilling supplies. Absolutely no fishing is permitted prior to the Derby.
Feb. 5 from 6am-12pm (fishing derby day). Join the City of Poway, February 5, for an exciting day of fun and prizes at the FREE 27th ANNUAL YOUTH FISHING DERBY! Freshly stocked with rainbow trout, the lake will be open only to youth ages 15 and younger from 6:00 AM-12:00 PM. Winners must be present to claim prizes at the awards ceremony. *Participants must check-in at the registration tables to receive their wristbands before fishing that morning. Fishing Derby is FREE! Must register online. Lake Poway, 14644 Lake Poway Rd., Poway. 858-668-4772 More info here
📍 Lake Poway: 14644 Lake Poway Rd., Poway 92064 📞 858-668-4772 💻 website
🌿 GARDEN CRAFTS AT THE WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN
Feb. 6 from 11-12. Make playful Dinosaur Planters with Amber’s Artistry! Wild snacks and story provided. Makes 1 planter. Good for an adult/child pair. Cost: $15/members, $18/non-members
Feb. 11 from 1-3. Create a heart-shaped succulent wreath to express your love! In this fun, hands-on workshop, Instructor & Master Gardener, Muriel King of Muriel’s Succulents, assists you to make a wreath you’ll adore — the perfect accent for a front door, gate, as wall décor, or as a stunning tabletop centerpiece. Cost: $42/members, $50/nonmembers
📍 12122 Cuyamaca College Dr. West, El Cajon 92019 📞 619-660-0614 💻 website
🎪 CIRCUS VARGAS
Feb. 4 - Mar. 28. Join the Circus! Or at least go watch them perform acrobats, daredevil tricks and the flying trapeze. 2 hrs of nonstop fun! (No animals are involved.) Click here for all the info, dates, locations and Tips & Tricks For Seeing Circus Vargas with Kids.
Found a 20% off entire purchase all seating sections from their Twitter feed: “20EB22” (thanks to @kornycox for finding this!) 👏👏👏👏 ➡️ (Only use my 15% off discount code: "15AD22" if the other one doesn't work). ;)
🧁 SUR LA TABLE BAKING CLASS
Feb. 6, 12 & 13 at 1pm. Sign up for this Family Valentine's Day Sweets baking class at Sur La Table and you'll be whipping up shortbread heart cut-outs and chocolate raspberry filled cupcakes. It's not just about the recipes, but you'll learn techniques to perfect your baking skills from these hands-on classes. This two-hour family class is for ages 7+. Cost: $59/pp.
📍 Fashion Valley Mall: 7007 Friars Rd., Mission Valley 📞 619-757-2982
📍 The Forum Carlsbad: 1915 Calle Barcelona, Carlsbad 📞 760-635-1316
💻 website
💌 LIBRARY 3D HEART CARDS
Feb. 10 from 2:30-3:30pm. FREE. Join us for a fun craft for preschoolers and toddlers as we celebrate Valentine's Day! Make a Valentine’s Day 3D-card craft for your loved one. Class size is limited, however extra kits are available while supplies last to take and make at home. Registration for this event will close on February 10, 2022 @ 3:00pm; there are currently 20 seats remaining at time of publishing.
📍 University Community Library: 4155 Governor Dr., San Diego/UTC 📞 858-552-1655 💻 website
🍓🍫 MAKE CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES
Feb. 11 from 4-6pm. $5/pp. Join us in making chocolate covered strawberries. Each kit will include a half-dozen strawberries, melted chocolate for dipping, toppings, and a gift box.
📍 Silver Wing Rec Center (Otay Mesa West): 3737 Arey Dr., San Diego 92154 📞 619-424-0465 💻 website
🌺 PLANTS & ROMANCE AT THE SAN DIEGO BOTANIC GARDEN
Feb. 11 & 12 from 5:30-8p. You can still take your kids out for a magical evening garden stroll under the lights. Even though "activities are designed for adults; children are welcome but must be supervised at all times...play areas will not be open." Kids will love the thousands of twinkle lights, outdoor fire pits, live music and enjoy chocolates while learning about cocoa and the process of making chocolate.
Splurge: Parents opt for the Sweet Package ($50 until 1/31 or $60 until 2/7) that includes 2 engraved SDBG champagne flutes, 2 glasses sparkling wine or juice, 1 box of local Chuao chocolates and 1 air plant to take home.
💵 $22/adult, $14/ages 3-17, Free for kids under 3, discounts for members, seniors & military.
📍 230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas 92024 📞 760-436-3036 💻 website
💃 LIBRARY VALENTINE'S DANCE PARTY (virtual)
Feb. 11 from 10-10:45am. FREE. In honor of Valentine's Day, library staff would LOVE to boogie with you! This silly dance program via Zoom will feature songs like "Baby Shark" and "The Wheels on the Bus." Recommended for kids ages 2-6. Please register to receive the Zoom link. Only one registration needed per family. Registration for this event will close on February 11, 2022 @ 10:00am.
📍 Online: register to get the Zoom link. 📞 858-573-5007 💻 website
🍫 PEDAL BOATS & CHOCOLATES
Feb. 12-14. This would be so fun as a date with your littles. Santee Lakes is offering a special Valentine's weekend deal. When you make your reservations for a 1/2 hour pedal boat ride, you'll also get a box of See's Candies and 2 bags of duck food (while supplies last). Cost: $25
📍 Santee Lakes: 9310 Fanita Pkwy, Santee 📞 619-596-3141 💻 website
🚂 CHULA VISTA LIVE STEAMERS
These are small ride-on steam train cars that loop around a track in about 10 minutes. This makes for a really fun day, especially when there are playgrounds, picnic tables, large grassy fields and paved loop trails nearby. Why not bring a picnic to spend a few hours here together.
🕰 Only 1 weekend a month! Public run days this month are on Feb. 12 & 13 from 12-2:30pm!
💵 FREE to ride, but they accept donations (cash or Venmo) to help with trains/track maintenance
📍 Rohr Park: 4548 Sweetwater Rd., Bonita 💻 website
❤️ LIBRARY VALENTINE'S DAY STEM CHALLENGE: HEART TOWER
Feb. 14 from 3:30-5:30pm. FREE. Test your design and engineering skills in this special Valentine's Day-themed STEM challenge! Build a tower in the shape of a heart using nothing more than red cups and strips of cardboard.
📍 Point Loma/Hervey Library: 3701 Voltaire St., San Diego, CA 92107 📞 619-531-1539 💻 website
💃 LIBRARY OUTDOOR KIDS' DANCE PARTY
Feb. 16 from 10-10:30am. FREE. Join us on the Taylor Greene to sing, dance, and move along to favorite kids songs. Recommended for toddlers, preschoolers and their caregivers. Kids and Grownups will twist, shout and make their moves to musical favorites like "The Hokey Pokey," "The Chicken Dance," and more! Don’t forget water and a blanket or chairs (if desired).
📍 Pacific Beach/Taylor Library: 4275 Cass St., San Diego, 92109 📞 858-581-9934 💻 website
🐴 LIBRARY MINIATURE THERAPY HORSE "HERSHEY KISS"
Feb. 16 from 10:30-11:30am. FREE. Join us for a special storytime focusing on inclusion and belonging. Afterward, we will meet Hershey Kiss, a miniature therapy horse who helps people in the San Diego region. We’ll learn about the important therapy work he does with his owner, Vickie, and get to ask questions. Then we’ll have a chance to take pictures with him and meet him up close.
📍 Mira Mesa Library: 8405 New Salem St., San Diego, 92126 📞 858-538-8165 💻 website
⛺️ SAFARI PARK ROAR & SNORE
Feb. 18-20, 25 from 4:14pm-9am. Spend the night at the Safari Park with your family! Campers of all ages are invited to experience a sleepover that has something for everyone, including up-close animal encounters and walking tours to observe nighttime wildlife activities. All ages welcome with adult supervision. Cost: $149+
📍 15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido 📞 619-231-1515 💻 website
🏀 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
Feb. 20 at 1pm & 6pm. Your little sports fans will be mesmerized by all the tricks, spins and crazy shots these Harlem Globetrotters will make. My parents used to take me to these games when I was little, and I still remember how much these games are to watch, even for a non-sports fanatic parent. ;) One year I did the Magic Pass event, where I got to meet them, throw some shots with them pre-game and learn their tricks!
📍 Pechanga Arena: 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego 📞 619-224-4171 💻 website
📆 ALL MONTH LONG
🏛 MUSEUM MONTH
Feb. 1-28. Take your kids to explore their favorite museum this month. Pick up a museum pass from Macy's or a local library and you'll get 50% off admission at over 45 museums all month long! Click here for my Museum Month Guide
🦒 SAFARI PARK FREE SENIOR DAYS
Feb. 1-28. Let the grandparents spoil the kiddos for a day of love at the Safari Park! Adults ages 65+ get FREE admission all month long at the Safari Park. Just show valid photo ID at turnstiles. Parking is not included ($15/car). Not valid at the San Diego Zoo, this is only for the Safari Park. website
🍕 HEART-SHAPED PIZZA
Nothing says "I Love You" to a kid better than a pizza night! Order these cute heart-shaped pizzas, cue up a fun movie or play some board games at home for a fun, very simple, but super fun day. These local restaurants in San Diego are offering heart-shaped pizza: Mountain Mike's, Sammy's Wood Fired Pizza, CPK, The Vineyard 1924, Papa John's Pizza Hut & Round Table. Some are for the entire month, for the week or just a few days only. You'll find all the details here: Where To Order Heart-Shaped Pizza in San Diego
📆 ANYTIME
AFTERNOON TEA
Spend the afternoon having tea and crumpets and all kinds of cute little eats and treats. San Diego has a lot of tea houses so find one near you and sign up the girls or the whole family for tea. I took my boys to a birthday tea recently and I was scared they'd break something, but they were surprisingly very good little gentlemen and delighted in the kids treat tower and devoured the cold cantaloupe soup!
All of San Diego's tea shops:
Downtown: Westgate Hotel Afternoon Tea
Old Town: Coral Tree Tea House
Mission Hills: Shakespeare's Corner Shop & Afternoon Tea
La Mesa: The AubreyRose Tea Room
Torrey Highlands: Marlene's Tea & Cakes
Escondido: The Grand Tea Room
San Marcos: D'Liteful Chocolat
Oceanside: Bliss Tea & Treats
Julian: Julian Tea & Cottage Arts
🍦 LIMO RIDE + ICE CREAM
Rent a limousine for a couple of hours and ask the driver to take you through your kids' favorite drive-thru, to a special restaurant or just out for a sweet treat and a little fun at the playground. This will surely be one of the best drives of their life. If your kids are into cars, you can also rent a super fun car on Turo for the day. We rented a Maserati last year for my son's birthday and he felt like a king for the day!
🏺 POTTERY PAINTING
Get creative with some pottery painting with your kids, and the best part is that you get to leave the mess there. ;) There are lots of Pottery Painting shops all around so I'm sure you'll find one close by. Your kids will love getting messy and making their own creations with you. They'll remember this special time whenever they drink out of that special cup, eat off that special plate or pick you flowers for that special vase.
🚂 TRAIN RIDES
If you've got a little love who loves trains, these are where you'll want to hop aboard.
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST RAILWAY MUSEUM
Take a train ride through the beautiful Campo countryside, this will take you out and back for a total of about 45 minutes. Check back during the holidays for their really fun special train rides for Halloween and Christmas (these book up about a month out).
🕰 Sat & Sun from 10:30a-3p
💵 $10/adults, $5/ages 3-12, $8/ages 62+, free for 3
📍 750 Depot St., Campo 91906 📞 619-478-9937 💻 website
🔥 S'MORES ON THE BEACH
Tuck your toes-in-the-sand, gather around a private beach bonfire and enjoy the sunset views from the Hotel Del. They'll set up the fire, the chairs and give you a bag of s'mores fixins to roast so all you have to do is show up. You can even order food & drinks from their restaurants to eat beside your fire pit. I highly recommend doing this at least once, you'll remember this forever.
🕰 5:30pm or 7:30pm for one hour
💵 $195 per fire pit, up to 10 chairs
📍 Hotel Del: 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado 📞 619-435-6611 💻 website
Beach Genie is another local service that will set up your fire pit, chairs and s'mores. Cost for 6 people: $300. They have a Valentine's Special for Feb. 12-14 that includes 2 beach chairs, umbrella, table, 2 beach towels, cooler + charcuterie for 2, and 1 beach game for $200. Their regular beachside setup without s'mores is $125 for four people.
📍 They're permitted for Oceanside, Carlsbad, Cardiff, Torrey Pines & Silver Strand. website
🛶 GONDOLA TOURS
Relax and enjoy the sights from an Italian gondola as you glide along the water. One takes you through the Coronado Cays and the other takes you around Lake San Marcos. Both are suitable and welcome kids along for the ride. I've taken mine on the Coronado one for Father's Day and we loved our experience. They have add-ons like roses, chocolates, violin or mandolin player, and wine, but they welcome you to BYO music, drinks & snacks (corkage fee applies in Coronado, not in Lake San Marcos if you BYO wine) so pack up a cooler and enjoy the ride. TIP: Book a sunset cruise for the perfect lighting
GONDOLA COMPANY, Coronado
🕰 Any Wed-Sun from 1pm-9pm
💵 Cost for two people: $119-$144. (Special Dates: Feb. 11-14 from 1pm-11pm. Cost for two people: $194-$244.) $20/extra person.
📍 Coronado Cays 📞 619-429-6317 💻 website
BLACK SWAN GONDOLAS, Lake San Marcos
🕰 Any day Mon-Sun from 12-6pm
💵 Cost for two people: $99-$140. (Special Dates: Feb. 11-15 from 8am-8pm. Cost for four people: $175 by 1/31 or $225.) $25/extra person.
📍 Lake San Marcos 📞 760-410-6820 💻 website
🏇 HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDE
You'll have the best time on this special horse-drawn carriage ride through the vineyards of Temecula. This family-owned company is very accommodating for children. In fact, they always have super cute kid's holiday rides with special characters and activities. Believe me when I say this is one of my all-time favorite special events we've ever done, the price is a little steep but if you do it just once you'll have the most magical time.
Any day Mon-Sun from 9-5. BYO bottle of wine or juice. Cost: $185 for two people one-hour; $295 for two people two-hours includes charcuterie. Call for extra person pricing.
📍 Temecula Carriage Co.: Berenda Rd. + Anza Rd., Temecula 📞 844-369-1852 💻 website
🤸🏻♂️ PLAYGROUND + PICNIC
For an extra special day, run and play at their favorite playground, or choose a new one! Let them play as long as they want and have their favorite treats and snacks ready when they need refueling. Pack up an extra special picnic and don't forget a sweet treat and sparkling apple juice. They'll feel your love for a day of unlimited play! FREE.
🌊 TIDE POOLING
Kids love getting wet and looking for sea creatures, so check the low tides and head out to the beaches. FREE. Click here for my Tide Pooling Guide
🌳 HIKING
Spend the day in nature and take a hike. It doesn't have to be strenuous, lots of these are easy and flat for a good walk or just a stroll. Here are some of our favorite kid-friendly hikes: San Dieguito County Park, Guy Fleming Trail, Mission Trails, Louis Stelzer, lagoon walks, Chollas Lake, Lake Calavera, Sunsest Cliffs, Los Penasquitos Canyon, Felicita Park. FREE.
HAVE FUN! 🤗
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