With Valentine's Day right around the corner, surprise your loved ones with a bit of amore, Kansas City style! These are our favorite ideas for couples and families...
- Snap a Pic with Hartley's Heart in Downtown Lee's Summit near 3rd and Douglas. The iconic heart commemorates Dale Hartley, the owner of Hartley's Furniture Store (no longer in business) and one of Downtown Lee's Summit's founders. The heart has come to symbolize the district. Downtown Lee's Summit is the perfect place to spend an afternoon shopping, dining, and enjoying one of America's best Main Streets.
- Send a Puppygram! Give the gift of a Great Plains SPCA Puppygram all February long! Puppygrams are puppies delivered to your home or office for you to play with and snuggle for 15, 30 or 60 minutes. All proceeds benefit the shelter pets at Great Plains SPCA. Great Plains SPCA's annual Puppygrams are available throughout the month of February, including Valentine's Day! Puppygram orders can be placed through the Great Plains SPCA website starting on Wednesday, January 26. Puppygram puppies will be made available for adoption throughout the month of February and will appear on the Great Plains SPCA website, www.greatplainsspca.org/adopt. Adoptions at Great Plains SPCA are by appointment only. To make an appointment, email adoptions@greatplainsspca.org.
- Attach one of Helzberg's "I Am Loved" pins (available free at Helzberg locations, Helzberg.com) to a card or package. The pins have been a Helzberg Kansas City tradition since they were first announced in the Kansas City Star in a 1967 ad campaign.
- Send "the very best" with a Hallmark Card. The Kansas City-based company offers free self-guided tours through the Hallmark Visitors Center (2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO, 816.274.3613), where you'll learn the history of Hallmark and watch the production processes of Hallmark cards on factory machines. And don’t leave without pressing the button to watch a gift bow made right before your eyes as a free souvenir to take home.
- Commemorate your love with a love lock on the Old Red Bridge in Minor Park (KCParks.org/attraction/old-red-bridge-love-locks/). "The placing of love locks is a custom whereby couples affix a padlock to a bridge, fence, gate or similar fixture, so pronouncing their unbreakable and everlasting love. The Old Red Bridge is adjacent to the new bridge located on Red Bridge Road between Holmes and Blue River Road in south Kansas City."
- Split a Skyscraper (a giant milkshake or ice cream soda meant for sharing) at Winstead's (WinsteadsSteakburger.com). The Plaza location delivers the treat with a jingle!
- Take the family to a valentine themed event in Kansas City. From craft projects to special shows—there is something for everyone on our Kansas City calendar.
- Treat your sweetheart to made-from-scratch personalized chocolates from Laura Little's Candies (LauraLittleCandy.com). They offer free personalization on fudge hearts for your valentine!
- Make a masterpiece for your special someone at a paint-your-own-canvas shop or ceramics shop - all in our Going Places Guide.
- Serve the kids Shatto Dairy Farm's pink strawberry milk or baby blue cotton candy milk for breakfast. The Missouri dairy farm sells milk at local grocery stores. ShattoMilk.com
- Take a Photo in front of a KC Art Wall... many show love and make the perfect backdrop for your KC Valentine pix!
- Kids love Lego and Lego bricks can spell I love you! Head to Legoland Discovery Center at Crown Center where you can build Lego valentines, race cars, ride theme-park style rides and watch Lego films at their 4D theater.
- Delight in delicious ice cream. Local ice cream shops serve up amazing gourmet flavors and we've rounded up the best in our Guide to KC's ice cream shops!
- Buy a box of chocolates from a local company. Go classic with Russell Stover (RussellStover.com) or splurge with gourmet delights from Christopher Elbow (ElbowChocolates.com).
- Take pictures together at local landmarks: Fountains, local galleries, parks or the "Married Love" statue of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill at the Country Club Plaza.
- Show your KC love with a Charlie Hustle (CharlieHustleShop.com) shirt emblazoned with a huge heart and the letters “KC.” The style became extra popular during the 2014 World Series when Paul Rudd was photographed sporting the tee and enjoyed a resurgence with the 2015 Kansas City Royals World Series Championship. This is one shirt that will always be in style in our book.
- Cookies from McLain's Bakery in Waldo (McLainsKC.com) have been enjoyed by generations of Kansas Citians since 1945! Buy a dozen to share with the family.
- Ride to the top of the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum and Memorial and take a photo together. With an amazing view of the city skyline, this location is one of the city's most popular spots for marriage proposals.
- Enjoy decadent Strawberry Hill Povitica Bread (Povitica.com), a holiday delicacy for decades.
- Eat heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's (PapaMurphys.com), where they sell take 'n bake pizza. Or dine in or order carry-out at Minsky's (Minskys.com), where they sell the special shapes for holidays.
- Buy a balloon bouquet. Head to your local grocer or Dollar Tree for a Valentine balloon bouquet.
- Make your own KC valentine tradition and share it with us on the KC Parent Facebook page at Facebook.com/KansasCityParent.
Kristina Light has been collecting “I Am Loved” pins since her grandmother began the tradition when she took her shopping as a girl. Now, she continues the tradition with her daughters.