The Ultimate Guide to Galentine’s Day Party Activities for Kids
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Fun Galentine’s Day Party Ideas for Kids
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*Post updated 12/23/2025
Planning your 2026 Galentine’s Day party for kids? Here are fresh ideas and popular activities kids are sure to love. We’ve hosted a Galentine’s Day party every year (except during COVID times) to help our kids build self esteem and have a fun day of play. The Galentine’s Day/Palentine’s Day party always consists of at least one craft, one game, and one snack. Parents of other kids love it because they also essentially get a free babysitter for a few hours so they can enjoy lunch or dinner for Valentine’s Day. So, what activities can kids do at a Galentine’s Day party? Here’s the ultimate guide to fun and kid-friendly party activities.
Squishmallow Hot Potato
Grab a small Squishmallow or other stuffed animal from your child’s collection to use for a classic game of hot potato. You can make things even more exciting, depending on the number of kids at the party, by adding one or two more stuffies to the game. Queue up a song or two before the game starts and let the music play. Every time you hit pause, the person with the stuffed animal is out. One twist on this idea is to buy a new stuffy, like this Valentine’s Day Squishmallow, and make it the prize for the winner at the end of the game.
Galentine’s Day Bingo
Bingo is a great activity everyone can play while they’re enjoying their party snacks. You can find printable bingo cards to use or you can purchase a kit to take some of the guesswork out of planning. For daubers, use conversation hearts or other Valentine’s Day candy. Be sure to have treat bags for each child so they can bring their candy home at the end of the game. Having an older brother or sister call the game can help get the whole family involved in the day’s celebrations too. If you don’t want to print out cards on your own, there are lots of different Valentine’s Day bingo sets available for purchase as well.
Paint-and-Pass Party: Galentine’s Day Edition
One of the biggest hits at any Galentine’s Day/Palentine’s Day party we’ve ever hosted was paint roulette. We had an 8 x 10 blank canvas for every child and purchased a few packs of paint markers. Each child writes his or her name in the corner and begins drawing. For every round, the kids get 1-2 minutes to work on the canvas. When time is called, everyone passes their canvas to the child on their right. The game continues until everyone has painted on each canvas. At the end of the game, all your guests get an original piece of art to bring home that’s made by all their friends. You can let them be creative with their own ideas, but a fun take we love is to have everyone draw portraits of each other. To turn the Galentine’s Day party into a painting party, check out our blog on how to host a kids’ painting party.
Galentine’s Day Musical Conversation Hearts
A play on musical chairs, this game is filled with lots of activity and chance for kids to be silly. Simply cut out construction paper or purchase foam hearts to create the base of the game. Write a command on one side of each heart, such as “dance like a monkey” or “jump up and down 5 times.” Have everyone walk in a circle next to the hearts while you play a song. Whenever you pause the music, everyone has to perform the activity listed on the heart next to them. You can remove a heart after each round so there’s only one child left at the end to be the winner, but I prefer to have more hearts than we do kids to keep the game going as long as possible. For music, I tend to play the Freeze Dance song on repeat, but you can also create a playlist of your kids’ favorite songs for this game.
Best Friends Things I Like About You
A fun and quiet activity to help settle everyone down after an energetic game like Musical Conversation Hearts, Things I Like About You helps kids discover what makes them great friends. Gather everyone around a table and give them a numbered sheet of paper. Each child puts their name at the top and then passes the paper to the person sitting next to them. As the sheets go around, everyone writes down one thing about the person whose paper they have. You can offer suggestions, such as “good listener” or “great at playing tag.” This activity can help build self esteem, and the lists are great for adding to a scrapbook as a fun way to remember the party and childhood friendships.
Galentine’s Day Group Craft
There are so many craft ideas that they would take up an entire blog post, but you don’t have to be a crafting expert to put this activity together. There are lots of bulk craft kits available for purchase that take the guesswork out of planning and give you all the materials needed. Decorated picture frames, bookmarks, trinket boxes, and wind chimes are just a few ideas you can use for your Galentine’s Day/Palentine’s Day party.
Galentine’s Day Photo Booth/Selfie Station
Having a photo booth setup creates another fun activity for kids at your Galentine’s Day party, and it also makes sharing pictures of the party with parents easy. The key to adding excitement is having a variety of props available. Think feather boas, heart-shaped sunglasses, and fake mustaches. You can also buy a prop kit if you don’t feel like shopping for everything separately. For the backdrop, foil fringe party curtains you can simply tape to the wall are perfect.
Galentine’s Dance Party
A dance party is as simple as it sounds, and it’s the perfect activity for kids to enjoy while you’re busy getting the next leg of the party ready. Amazon Music has lots of kid-friendly party playlists available, so you can simply hit play and let the silliness begin. Make sure to clear furniture out of the way so everyone has enough space to jump and wiggle to the music. You can set a timer so the dance party has a clear end and so everyone can begin transitioning to the next activity.
Valentine’s Day Punch Board Game
This game doubles as a prize board for bingo and other activities, but it can also be a fun way to get kids excited about getting a small treat without having to win any competitions. To make the board, you’ll need red solo cups, tissue paper, poster board, and some small prizes. You can find all the instructions from Events to Celebrate blog. Prizes we’ve used over the years include mini erasers, heart-shaped stampers, bouncy balls, and mini rubber duckies.
Galentine’s Day Cupcake Decorating
Part activity, part snack, cupcake decorating lets everyone enjoy a sweet treat and flex their creative muscles at the same time. If you don’t feel like baking, you can order un-frosted cupcakes from your local bakery. Traditional vanilla buttercream and strawberry frosting from the grocery store are great for decorating, but you can also add food coloring to any white frosting to make new colors. Have plenty of pretty themed sprinkles on hand as well as a variety of other toppings. Sour candies, gummy bears, and conversation hearts are all fun options. Be sure to ask parents about any food allergies so you know what to avoid when ordering or baking the cupcakes and when choosing toppings. It’s also a good idea to have some cupcake boxes available for kids who want to bring their treats home instead of eating them at the party.
DIY Candy Bar
Instead of doing favor bags as gifts for each guest, a cute Galentine’s Day or Palentine’s Day party idea is the candy bar. Place an assortment of sweets, such as peanut butter cups and jelly beans, in different bowls to create a candy buffet. Use spoons as scoopers for each bowl and use smaller tongs for larger pieces of candy. Every child should receive a small favor box they can fill up with their own mix of treats. This is a perfect activity for kids when they are waiting for their parents to pick them up at the end of the party. If finding all the candies separately seems like too big of a chore, you can also purchase candy buffet kits, which are available in an array of color schemes to fit the party theme.
Musical chairs for Galentine’s Day
Of course, there are standard party favorites like musical chairs that help fill the time for a party. The standard version is always fun for kids, but you can add a twist by tying a balloon to one or two chairs. The kids who end up in the chair with the balloon each round can win a small prize, such as a bouncy ball or fidget toy. This adds an extra layer of excitement and gives more kids a chance to win. Another fun twist is to switch up the movement. Instead of simply walking in a circle until the music stops, challenge everyone to walk backwards for run round or hop on one foot for another.
Guess the Chocolate: A Sweet Seasonal Game
We all know that boxes of chocolate can be unpredictable, so why not turn the art of guessing which chocolates are in a box into a game? Four-count boxes of Whitman’s Samplers or Russell Stover chocolates are great for this game because each child can get the same assortment for the game. Simply ask everyone to guess which type of chocolate each one is before they take a bite. You can keep a tally of all the guesses on a whiteboard to track who is right every round. Have everyone take a small bite to see how many people had the correct guess. You may want to provide them all with a list of choices in case some kids aren’t familiar with the different types of candy that might be in the box.
Baby Picture Guessing Game
Because Galentine’s Day and Palentine’s Day are all about strengthening friendships, games that help kids get to know each other better can be lots of fun. Ask parents to email you a baby photo before the day of the party. Have the photos printed online or at your local pharmacy and place them all on a posterboard or corkboard, making sure to write the name of the child on the back for the guessing game. All your child’s party guests can then take their turns guessing who each picture is of. Reveal the correct answers at the end to see how many guesses were correct.
Valentine’s Card Exchange Bags
If you’re planning on hosting a Valentine’s Day card exchange at the party, another activity to consider is decorating Valentine’s Day Card exchange bags. Simple brown paper bags work great, but you can also buy a bulk package of pink, purple, or red gift bags too. Have plenty of stickers, sequins, markers, and other decorations available and don’t forget about glue sticks as well. Each child should put his or her name on their bags so they can take all their cards home at the end of the party.
Galentine’s Day Movie Watch Party
You can keep the party extremely easy and laid-back by simply hosting a movie viewing. Tweens might be more into this idea than playing a lot of games, and it seems like more of a “big kid” activity. Serve popcorn and movie theater candy boxes or make it a pizza party for everyone. Movies with age-appropriate ratings about friendship are ideal for the Galentine’s Day/Palentine’s Day celebration. Lilo and Stitch or Shrek are great for school-aged children, and older kids (13+) might love Pitch Perfect or even the classic My Girl. For younger kids, you might want to limit the viewing party to an episode of a favorite show instead of a full movie but be sure to ask parents about their feelings on screen time before you make a final decision.
Galentine’s Day Cornhole/Bean Bag Toss
A party classic in the Midwest, cornhole (or a similar bean bag toss game) can be played indoors while still helping kids burn off some extra energy. You can adjust the rules based on the age of the kids playing, with the basic principle being to get the bean bags as close to the target as possible. This adorable Valentine’s Day bean bag toss also makes a fun decoration and can be used over and over again. If you already have a cornhole set, you can dress it up with a simple red plastic tablecloth and some construction paper hearts!
Conversation Heart Stacking
Not all games have to take a lot of planning to be a hit. Stacking conversation hearts to see who can make the biggest tower is easy to plan while still giving kids a unique challenge. Pass out small bowls or snack baggies filled with conversation hearts and ask everyone to build the biggest tower possible without it falling. Have a broom on hand to clean up if any candy towers fall onto the floor during the excitement.
Galentine’s Day Candy Spoon Race
After the conversation heart stacking is over, you can use the same candy for a spoon race. Pair everyone off in teams of two, with one person racing the first leg and the other racing the second. When the first person on each team gets to the middle point of the race, they must transfer the candy from their spoon to the teammate’s. The first team to reach the finish line with all the candy still on the spoon wins!
These are just some of the many different activities you can host for your child’s Galentine’s Day or Palentine’s Day party. Don’t be afraid to get creative with some unique ideas of your own. From decorating their own mini heart-shaped pizzas to playing a game of pin the heart on the cupid, the possibilities are endless! Check out our other posts to find even more Galentine’s Day ideas!
Frequently Asked Questions About Kids’ Galentine’s Day Parties
What is a Galentine’s Day party for kids?
A kids’ Galentine’s Day party is a friendship-focused celebration that emphasizes fun, kindness, and creativity rather than romance. It’s a playful way for kids to celebrate friendships with games, crafts, and shared activities.
What age group are these Galentine’s Day party activities best for?
Most of these activities work well for kids ages 4–10, but many can be easily adapted for toddlers or older elementary-age kids by simplifying steps or adding small challenges.
How long should a kids’ Galentine’s Day party last?
A kids’ Galentine’s party typically lasts 60–90 minutes. That’s usually the sweet spot to fit in a few activities, a snack or treat, and free play without kids getting overwhelmed or tired.
Do I need to host a Galentine’s Day party on February 13th?
Not at all! Kids’ Galentine’s Day parties work just as well the weekend before Valentine’s Day or even earlier in the month. Choosing a flexible date often makes it easier for families to attend.
What are the easiest Galentine’s Day activities for kids?
Simple crafts, printable games, decorating cookies, or setting up a small activity station are some of the easiest options. Activities that don’t require strict rules or long instructions tend to work best for younger kids.
Can these activities work for a classroom or school party?
Yes! Many of these Galentine’s Day party activities are perfect for classrooms, homeschool groups, or after-school programs. Look for low-mess crafts, printable games, and activities that can be done in small groups.
What snacks are best for a kids’ Galentine’s Day party?
Kid-friendly snacks like heart-shaped cookies, fruit skewers, popcorn mixes, or mini cupcakes work well. If you want to keep it simple, store-bought treats paired with one interactive snack activity are more than enough.
How many activities should I plan for a kids’ party?
Planning 3–5 activities is usually ideal. Kids won’t necessarily complete everything, but having options lets them move freely between activities without feeling rushed.
Can I host a Galentine’s Day party at home without spending much money?
Absolutely. Many activities use basic craft supplies, printables, or items you already have at home. Focusing on experiences rather than decorations helps keep costs low.
What makes a Galentine’s Day party special for kids?
The focus on friendship, teamwork, and creativity is what makes a kids’ Galentine’s Day party feel special. Activities that encourage sharing, compliments, or working together help reinforce the theme in a meaningful way.
Planning a party? Download our Kids’ Party Planning Checklist to make everything easier!
