Valentine Riddles

When kids are young, Valentine's Day can be quite a challenge. Yes, it's fun to address all those classroom Valentine's Day cards with the silly animals or the pop culture themes. I can remember really loving receiving Valentine's cards from my classmates, knowing that everyone else in the class received identical cards to my own.

But kids can also feel a little creepy if someone singles them out for special attention on that day, especially if that someone is of the opposite sex. Kids are just not yet ready for "love," and can feel uncomfortable just with the hints of love (except, of course, for the love of a parent or a sibling, which have no sexual connotations).

Humor can be very important to dispel any awkwardness around Valentine's Day. Here are a couple of riddles to lighten the mood.

1. What do you call a blushing deer?

2. What do you hear when deer get chatty?

3. What did the love-sick girl say when the red-headed boy got up from his chair?

4. Why did the bride and groom put a beehive in their suitcase?

I'm sure you'll know some appropriate moments to share riddles with your kids, but breakfast seems like an obvious choice. At breakfast, everyone is still a little dopey, so maybe the riddles will seem funnier. Or maybe in your family just the opposite is the case because your sleepy people feel too grumpy in the morning.

However, if you share a few Valentine's riddles at breakfast, then your kids can share those same tidbits of silliness with their friends on the school bus or during recess. If other kids laugh, well then, you've just gotten yourself a few brownie points with your child. More likely than not, though, all your riddles will get is a groan or two, but that must be worth something.

Here are the answers to the above riddles:

1. A red hart

2. Conversation harts

3. Red rose.

4. So they could go on their honeymoon.

Okay, so they're not really funny. You may have to explain to a child that a hart is another name for a deer. It is a good vocabulary lesson though -- something that may help in a Scrabble game at least.

I'm still looking for more Valentine's Riddles. I may add to these if I get any brainstorms.

If you can think of a good Valentine's riddle, please post it in the comment section.

If you like to make your own cards for Valentine's Day, you can do a lot with a few Valentine's riddles. The outside of your card could have an animal picture on it, either found, a pet photo, or hand drawn. Then write your Valentine riddle question on the front of your card. Inside the card you put the answer to your riddle.

There are lots of ways to decorate the card. Red glitter or foil hearts add some sparkle. You can also glue on paper hearts or white doilies. Photos from old calendars may have parts you can cut out and attach to the front of your card. And, of course, nothing beats your own drawing.