Let’s start thinking about Valentine’s Day. Couldn’t we all use a little more love right now? Valentine’s Day can be a fun and meaningful opportunity for kids to practice kindness, creativity, and connection. It can also bring up big feelings and big expectations. With a little preparation, the season can feel joyful, inclusive, and refreshingly low-pressure for everyone.
Start With the Heart
Before breaking out the glitter and candy, take a moment to talk with kids about what Valentine’s Day really means. Instead of focusing on romance or popularity, center the holiday around care, appreciation, and kindness. For kids, that might look like celebrating friendships, thanking helpers, or noticing the people who make their days better.
Framing Valentine’s Day this way sets the stage for ideas that feel authentic rather than forced.
Prepare Kids for the Logistics
Knowing what to expect helps kids feel confident. Will they exchange cards with the whole class? Are treats allowed? Do items need to be labeled? These details matter to children and can prevent last-minute stress.
This is also the perfect time to talk about inclusion. If we’re giving Valentines, we give them to everyone. That single value takes pressure off kids who worry about who to include and opens the door for playful, universal Valentine ideas.
Encourage Clever Over Costly
Some of the most memorable Valentines are simple, funny, or unexpected. Encourage kids to think beyond candy and store-bought cards and lean into creativity instead. Candy is fine, but it doesn’t have to be the main event.
Different Valentine options let kids show off their personality and sense of humor, without the inevitable sugar crash.
Creative Valentine Ideas for Kids:
- Book Valentines: A bookmark with a note like “I’m booked on being your friend,” or a gently used book wrapped with a message.
- Puzzle Pieces: A single puzzle piece taped to a card that says, “You’re an important piece of our class.”
- Seed Packets: “Our friendship is growing,” especially fun with wildflowers or herbs.
- Temporary Tattoos or Stickers: Easy, fun, and almost always a hit.
- Joke or Riddle Valentines: Something kids can read aloud, trade, or giggle over.
- Mini Notebooks or Pencils: With messages like “You’re write-tastic!”
- Non-Candy Snacks: Pretzels, popcorn, or crackers paired with playful puns.
These ideas shift the focus from sugar to connection and let kids’ creativity shine.
Where to Find Supplies for Handmade Valentines
You don’t need to spend a lot or shop big-box to pull together thoughtful Valentines. A little scavenger-hunt energy can make the prep just as fun as the exchange.
- The Lippman Company: A great source for playful novelties, stickers, pencils, and small toys that work beautifully for non-candy Valentines.
- SCRAP Creative Reuse: Perfect for cardstock, stickers, stamps, ribbon, and kid-friendly art supplies. Letting kids choose materials helps them feel ownership over what they create.
- Reclaim It: Look for small notebooks, puzzles, books, or containers that can be repurposed into one-of-a-kind Valentines. A great chance to talk about reuse and sustainability.
- Art Supply Center: Portland’s oldest art store, serving artists since 1955. Run by artists, for artists, with new, used, and rare supplies plus knowledgeable staff and daily discounts.
- Your Own Home: Before shopping, check drawers and craft bins for washi tape, markers, old greeting cards, magazines for collage Valentines, or leftover party favors. Kids love the challenge of making something special from what’s already on hand.
Thoughtful sourcing reinforces an important message: creativity and kindness don’t have to be expensive.
Normalize Big Feelings (Including the Awkward Ones)
Even with everything planned, emotions can run high. Some kids feel excited, others feel anxious or left out, even in inclusive classrooms. Talking about these feelings ahead of time helps kids recognize that they’re normal and manageable.
Helpful questions to ask:
- “What part of Valentine’s Day sounds fun to you?”
- “Is there anything you’re unsure about?”
- “What would make the day feel good for you?”
When kids feel emotionally prepared, they’re more open to enjoying the celebration, whatever it looks like.
Make Kindness the Main Event
Valentine’s Day is also a great chance to expand the idea of giving beyond cards. Invite kids to brainstorm small acts of kindness leading up to the holiday. Writing thank-you notes to teachers, helping a classmate, or leaving a kind note in a sibling’s backpack all count.
You might even suggest “secret kindness Valentines,” anonymous notes, or small gestures that spread joy without focusing on who gets credit.
Keep It Age-Appropriate and Pressure-Free
Younger children thrive with simple plans and clear expectations. Let them choose Valentine ideas that feel fun rather than overwhelming. For older kids or tweens who may feel awkward about the holiday, clever, humorous, or low-key Valentines can make participation feel safer and more comfortable.
It’s always okay to keep things light.
Close the Day With Reflection
After the celebration, check in. Ask what they liked, what surprised them, or which Valentine made them smile. These conversations help kids process their experience and reinforce that thoughtfulness matters more than perfection.
At its best, Valentine’s Day isn’t about candy or comparison. It’s about creativity, kindness, and connection. With a little preparation and a few clever ideas, kids can celebrate in ways that feel fun, inclusive, and genuinely heartfelt. 💗
Johanna is married with two kids, three dogs, three cats, one leopard gecko, several chickens, and a few fish. She has been in the Pacific Northwest since the dream was alive in the 90s but has Southern roots and hails from Arkansas. The family spends a lot of time at some sort of sporting event for the kids. Johanna likes to fast craft, garden, host parties, and bake. Johanna and her crew go hard traveling, DIY-ing, and are always up for a new adventure or challenge.