What do you think of when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts? I know, it gets harder each year to buy something that doesn’t feel like you’re wasting your money and actually represents the day.

But here’s the thing: once you’re past the huge, huge grand gestures of love and you’re sliding into everyday actions that show your love, what does that mean for Valentine’s Day presents? It doesn’t mean you can’t do the big grand gestures. I don’t think so anyway. I think it means that you can swap up the type of gift you give to things that actually matter. Gifts that say I see you, I love you and it’s still cute.

If you’re on the line of “I don’t want to waste my money but still get a lovely gift”, I thought I’d put together a more sports-focused gift. Because while we’re not inherently a sports-oriented family, the boys still play cricket and Mr H and I still spend a lot of time during the cricket season taking the boys to matches and training, as well as going to games as a family ourselves. And with that in mind, here is our round-up of sport-adjacent Valentine’s gifts.

Comfortable Footwear

OK, I know nothing screams romance more than comfortable footwear, but stick with me. When you’re out and about on multiple errands, picking up kids, and standing on the sidelines, your feet take the brunt of it, and you need comfy shoes. Thankfully, comfy doesn’t automatically mean ugly these days. Especially not when you look at the range of outdoor shoes from brands like Adidas. They’re designed for walking and hiking, and perfect for those chilly mornings on the sidelines or even taking the family for a hike at their protestations.

But comfy shoes aren’t just limited to hiking boots. You can choose brands like Hunter for those wet dog walks, which basically says thank you for going out in the rain, so I don’t have to. Here’s some stylish boots, so you don’t get wet feet when you need to fetch the dog out of a knee-deep puddle. It’s a love language, but in a different way.

Plus, when you pair your comfy shoes with other gifts like socks with a little innuendo on them, you can still keep the romance alive even if, on the face of it, a pair of wellies doesn’t scream “I love you”.

Casual Valentine’s Wear

Really, how many times are you going to wear that fancy dress or three-piece suit? And while you will probably look amazing, like you’ve stepped out of a James Bond film, the reality is you’re only going to pull an outfit of that calibre out of the wardrobe on one of a few occasions: weddings, New Year’s Eve or special occasions, i.e. a big birthday or anniversary. Sure, high-end clothes might be more “flashy Valentines”, but casual wear can be just as meaningful.

If you’re paying attention, you probably know how and where your partner likes fewer restraints on their clothing when they relax, or you know if they prefer wool over handmade materials when relaxing, or pure cotton sleepwear. That’s true love. That says I know you.

And that’s where casual Valentine’s wear as a gift lives. It doesn’t need to be boring; in fact, it shouldn’t be. You can choose casual wear from high-end brands for added luxury, not just Primark. You can mix and match between casual outfits for chilling in the pub or watching cricket practice, to casual outfits for finally getting around to catching new shows everyone has seen, so you’re dressed for four hours on the sofa, not the opera. And that’s the distinction here. Not that you don’t care, you care enough to notice what they like, and you treat them to casual wear but elevated.

Sports Accessories

No one will be pleased to get a foam roller for Valentine’s Day, but if you’re a sports family or sports-adjacent family, a few well-chosen accessories as part of the gift, not just as the gift itself, work well.

We’re talking about gloves, socks, rechargeable heaters to hold in the depths of winter when you’re on your second kid’s football match of the weekend, and the temperature hasn’t even gotten close to double digits.

You can go for personalised water bottles or gym kit bags with a cheeky message that resonates with both of you. You can buy practice equipment, especially if they’re seriously into sports, or high-tech kit they’ve been coveting but didn’t buy as it’s a bit out of the normal splurge range. Accessories, like clothing, don’t need to be boring, especially if you put thought into them.

Sports Gifts

Here’s where you can add a bit of romance and wow to your Valentine’s gifts. You can buy tickets to match games or experiences as your Valentine’s gift. For us as a family, we love cricket, so I would probably look into getting tickets for a match at a ground we’ve not been to and maybe add a hotel booking to it to make it more special. You can do this with any sport: a weekend away watching Wimbledon, a special away match for your football or rugby team paired with an extended trip. If you really want to splurge, you can follow your team abroad; it’s entirely up to you. But basing your gift around a ticket and then building on it is an elite gift in anyone’s opinion.

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