A lot to love at kid-friendly Valentine’s Day events

Save the romance for your significant other and take part in innocently heartwarming ways to show your whole brood you love them this Valentine's Day.

Forget the cheesy buy-in-bulk Valentines of present day, kids can make vintage cards at Pennypacker Mills (5 Haldeman Road, Schwenksville) from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 7. Crafts include a Valentine hot air balloon decoration, cards, pins, and a heart-shaped candy container.

Get your hands dirty at the Clay Studio  (137-139 N. 2nd St.) when they welcome families to create heart-shaped clay trinkets on Saturday, Feb. 7. Wear your art-making clothes for the two-hour class, starting at 10 a.m.

Families can try their hand at printing their own Valentines, tote bags, and more at Fleisher Art Memorial (719 Catharine St.) on Sunday, Feb. 8. From lithography to screen printing, you'll try it all at one of two sessions: 10 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Bring the whole family to Nest Philadelphia (1301 Locust St.) for a lovable evening benefitting PAWS. On Friday, Feb. 13, hit the candy bar, take part in crafts, visit adoptable dogs from PAWS and more from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Though they may not realize it, animals will celebrate Valentine's Day, too. The Philadelphia Zoo (3400 W. Girard Ave.) will welcome families on self-guided "love tours" to see members of the animal kingdom with their loved ones. Zoo staff will be on-hand at many exhibits explaining how the zoo's creatures experience love. Check it all out between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 15.

Have your heart and eat it, too. At this three-hour kitchen science program, youngsters will make candy hearts in the shape of actual human hearts while learning about their own blood-pumping organ. The session begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 at the Franklin Institute (222 N. 20th St.).

What's a little more chocolate? The Betsy Ross House (239 Arch St.) hosts a number of colonial chocolate-making demonstrations — with samples! — from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14.

"It's a Constitutional love story, baby just say 'yes' " is how the lyrics to these historical love songs would've gone if T. Swift had written them. However, we're relegated to hearing the plainspoken version of presidential romances as a part of the National Constitution Center's (525 Arch St.) Valentine's Day activity. At noon on Saturday, Feb. 14 hear some tales of romance from inside the White House and stay for the whole day, featuring Presidents Day goings on.

Take a trip to Victorian times at the Hagley Museum (298 Buck Road, East Greenville, Del.) for a warm cup of hot chocolate, art activities, and more. From 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., the museum will hold family-friendly hands on activities as well as show a display of vintage Valentines on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Parents: Don't worry about a V-day babysitter. Drop your kids off at the Independence Seaport Museum (211 S. Columbus Blvd.) on Saturday, Feb. 14 where they'll take it to the high seas with an evening of sailor obstacle courses, Valentine making, and ice cream from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

A similar deal takes place at the Elmwood Park Zoo (1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown) when the animals will come out to play, children can take a tour of the zoo, play games, and have dinner. Drop the tots off at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14. Pickup is any time between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.