The Cutest Valentine's Day Gifts And Activities for Kids

Valentine's Day is coming up - and this holiday is such a fun time for kids to give thoughtful gifts to those they love and care about. Whether you have a baby, a toddler, or school-aged kids, we have a roundup of the best ideas for Valentine fun! 

How much should you spend on a Valentine's Day gift for kids? 

Parents often want to do something special for Valentines for kids. A fun way to celebrate this holiday can be to create a small gift basket or box full of goodies for their little one. They can fill the box with free or low-cost items that can make their child's day!

From hand-written notes, to a board book or puzzle, to stuffed animals or pajamas, to dishwasher safe heart-themed cups and plates, a Valentine box can be a fun way to celebrate this holiday - and doesn't have to cost a lot!

Another great way to celebrate Valentines with kids is to decorate their door with paper hearts. For each kid, write a word on a paper heart that describes them. From "funny," to "sweet," to "athletic," to "compassionate," think of some ways to lift your child's spirit with festive decorations on their door that make them feel extra special and loved.

What about classroom Valentine's Day sets?

Practically every school does some kind of Valentines party for each classroom. From adorable, creative homemade cards, to affordable, store bought sets of cards, kids love sharing cards and treats with one another!

There are so many great Valentine card sets to choose from. Some are scratch and sniff, some have goofy pictures, some have tattoos or stickers, some have food or candy attached, and others come in all shades of pink, red, and purple. Valentine kits might include television show characters, a robot or superhero, baby animals, and other themes that kids love.

Valentine cards are a way to showcase your child's unique interests and creativity. Exchanging cards in the classroom is fun for kids of all ages, and a great way to cherish the friendships they've made all year long.

Boxed Valentine's Day cards make celebrations easy.

You can buy a card making kit for Valentine's Day that makes it easy to create adorable cards for friends. If your child is having a class party, they will probably come home with a big collection of cards and trinkets, some store-bought and some homemade.

Whether you buy a boxed set of cards for the classroom party, or design your own cards, let your child's creativity shine! Let them pick out cards with characters they love, or help them design and decorate handmade projects to give to their classroom and their friends.

Should you give your children candy, or something non-edible for Valentine's Day? 

All kids deserve the occasional treat! If you prefer to give your kids chocolates, gummy candy, cookies, lollipops, conversation hearts, cakes, cupcakes, or other candies as Valentine's Day gifts - go for it! Treats are always appreciated by the recipient, especially if they are made from scratch!

Some parents try to steer clear of sugary treats for holiday celebrations, especially if they have kids of a younger age. Valentine's Day is a time to focus on love, and this can be shown just as much through kind words and heartfelt gifts as it can through food. 

Kids of all ages can appreciate heart-themed trinkets like pencils, stamps, stickers, play dough, slime, bracelets, a teddy bear, a locket, or other special toys.

What are some last-minute Valentine's Day gift ideas for kids?

If you had your sight on creating over-the-top Valentine-themed gifts for your kids, but simply ran out of time (as many moms do, of course!), check out these great ideas for last-minute Valentine's gifts for kids:

1. Decorate the house with streamers and balloons.

2. Have fun doing cookie decorating kits.

3. Have a short poem writing contest and pick a winner.

4. Buy them something soft and cozy, like a new bathrobe or cute pair of slippers.

5. Bake a heart-shaped cake from scratch.

6. Make some popcorn, rest, and watch their favorite movie.

7. Paint their nails pink.

8. Make Valentine bracelets together.

9. Find them a cute new stuffed animal.

10. Write a list of all the things you love about your child.

What are some other cool Valentine's Day ideas for kids? 

There are so many ways to celebrate this special day of love. Whether you have one kid or four, this is a great time to invest in quality time as a family, and there are many amazing (and free) ways to celebrate.

Celebrations don't always have to involve gift giving, buying a bunch of cute toys and candy that will only last a short amount of time, or crafting elaborate valentines. Your children will appreciate any time they get to spend with you, with your undivided attention.

What are some free ways to celebrate Valentine's Day? 

There are many great ways to celebrate the month of love without buying expensive gifts. If you're looking for fun, free (or low-cost) ways to celebrate love all year round long, try some of these ideas:

Visit someplace where you have a membership. 

Although this can be a hefty cost up-front, getting your kids a membership to local destinations can truly be a great way to spend time with one another year-round.

From indoor play spaces, to amusement parks, to museums, to zoos, and much more, visiting somewhere where your family has a membership is a sweet way to celebrate this holiday.

Decorate cute, homemade cards for one another.

Cardmaking is such a simple, but often overlooked, activity to do as a family. Making a homemade valentine is a really simple way to expand your kids' creativity and patience. All you need is to collect art supplies from around the house: stickers, paints, markers, crayons, colored pencils, stamps, cotton balls, buttons, ribbons, construction paper, hole punches - the opportunities are endless!

Have a park picnic.

Forget buying your kids a cheap toy or candy that will only last a few minutes. Pack up some snacks or lunches, and take your kids to the park! Although February weather can vary depending on where you live, going on a park picnic is a fun way to spend time together and enjoy the sun - if you have nice weather where you live.

You can even make it a Valentine-themed meal. Find pink, red, or purple foods (apples, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, purple carrots, etc) or use a cookie cutter and create heart-shaped sandwiches, waffles, or pizza.

Bring along a soccer ball, frisbee, kite, jump rope, scooter, or a range of other outdoor activities for an afternoon or evening full of Valentine fun.

Cute cards for a crowd

Creating cute, sweet Valentine cards is one of the best parts of this holiday. If your kids love arts and crafts, this is the perfect time to let them funnel their creativity into designing amazing Valentine cards for friends and family.

Although many store-bought Valentine kits include a small toy or candy, making and receiving homemade Valentines are so fun!

Here are some great ideas for Valentine cards:

1. Toilet paper roll hearts. This craft is so simple and fun for kids. Save an old toilet paper or paper towel roll, and bend the end so it forms a heart shape. Use this heart as a paintbrush to stamp adorable hearts on a piece of construction paper or card stock. These little hearts can be done in all kinds of colors, and make great simple Valentines.

2. Valentine sun catchers. Suncatchers are so beautiful and make great Valentine art. All you'll need is a large heart cut out of construction paper or cardboard, with the middle left empty. Put sticky contact paper on the back of the heart, and then let your kids stick little pieces of tissue paper onto the contact paper. This art piece can be hung in a sunny window for adorable Valentine cheer.

3. Q-tip painted hearts. Using Q-tips as paintbrushes can be a great way for kids to practice fine motor skills (and not make a huge mess doing art projects!). Put several splotches of different colored paints on a paint tray, place one Q-tip in each spot of paint, and let your kids practice painting dots all over a heart Valentine you've cut out of cardboard or construction.

4. Valentine heart trees. Create a beautiful, commemorative Valentine tree by tracing your child's hand and forearm on a piece of brown construction paper. Cut this out and glue it onto a white piece of construction paper. This will form the tree trunk and branches of the Valentine tree. Next, use stamps, paint, or paper heart cutouts to glue onto the glue as the leaves. Help your child choose shades of pink, red, and purple to make it a truly Valentine-themed art piece.

5. Valentine photo frames. A great homemade Valentine for family members is a photo frame. Help your child glue 4 popsicle sticks together to make a square frame, and then let them paint the sticks. Once the paint is dry, let your child glue conversation hearts along the border of the frame. This sweet keepsake would be loved by a parent, grandparent, or other family member!

Books about family love

Another low-cost Valentine gift is a great new book! Kids always get a thrill out of reading a new story. You can't go wrong buying your children a new book or two to enjoy.

Check out these cute books that celebrate the month of love!

• You're My Little Cuddle Bug by Nicola Edwards

• I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Rossner

• Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

• Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton

• Llama Llama I Love You by Anna Dewdney

• Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

• Dr. Seuss' Lovey Things by Dr. Seuss

• I Turtley Love You by Harriet Evans

• Little Blue Truck's Valentine by Alice Schertle

• Cupig by Claire Tattersfield

Even better - have your kids pick out a book or two to share with their classroom this Valentine season!

Celebrate the month of love with these fun ideas. 

Valentine's Day is a wonderful holiday, where kind words and thoughtful gifts are exchanged. Try out some of these parenting ideas to make your kids' Valentine's Day celebration one they'll always remember.