Valentines traditions for kids?

[blondemoment123]

DS is only 15 months, but I’m curious what other people do for their kids.

My parents always got me “fancy” candy and a stuffed animal.

[readyin07]

Some sort of themed food for breakfast - pink or heart shaped pancakes, egg in a hole in a heart shape. This year I said no way to homemade and bought valentines doughnuts from a fancy place. And I have always done a scavenger hunt for them with little gifts - conversation hearts, chocolate or whatever. Emphasis on small. Ds1 this year thinks he is getting extra switch controllers and I am like if you think you are getting that you are going to be very disappointed. I don’t really do cards because they have gotten so expensive and seem kind of wasted on my boys.

[Susie]

I'm making the Rice Krispie treats and prepping her valentines for her preschool class.  Oh, and I made sure her favorite heart print leggings aren't in the wash for tomorrow.  That's about all I've got in me for a midweek pregnant-mom-of-a-preschooler Valentine's Day.

[1confused1]

I decorate their doors with paper hearts, get them a small candy/balloon thing and I make them their favorite dinner.

[namasteak]

I’d love to do something but have no ide 🤷🏻‍♀️

I got heart shaped ravioli from Costco and heart shaped brownie bites a few days ago at WF.

[mbcdefg]

I have a steak dinner and cheesecake planned for MH and myself for tomorrow ... but no idea what, if anything, to do for DD. She's so young (20 months) that she won't notice. 

Growing up my mom usually had a little cellophane baggie of candy and little toys for us three kids on the breakfast table in the morning. I don't remember ever doing a special dinner or dessert.

My mom bought me a package of Princess Sofia valentines for DD to give her daycare classmates ... I was on the lookout for Elmo valentines but couldn't find any. I don't even really know what Princess Sofia is but they're cute anyway. Undecided if I want to run out today and buy a multipack of Goldfish crackers or something to attach to them for the kids. I was also thinking of giving a valentine card to each teacher with a small piece of chocolate and maybe even a $1 scratch-off ticket, because they're all super-nice to her. But I don't know all the kids' or teachers' names, so I'm also debating if I want to email the director today to ask for a list?

ETA: I had a super-stressful today and didn't get a chance to go to the supermarket for treats. And I'm not going to email the director for names which would mean I'd have to go to the store tonight after DD's bedtime to buy treats. Soooooo, sorry, kids.

[mccallister84]

H gets the girls a stuffed animal and a book. I’ll make heart shaped pancakes and am attempting heart shaped calzones for dinner. We were going to do the heart on the door each day with things we love about them but totally forgot - maybe next year.

[hamster]

Honestly, I don't really remember. I think I got a stuffed animal and some chocolate?

We aren't really planning anything this year even for us. So, uh, 20 minute dinner suggestions?

[susiebw]

I do a little gifty bag for each of my kids that they can open when they wake up in the morning. This year they're each getting a valentines t-shirt that they can wear to school tomorrow, an age-appropriate book (not valentines related, just a book they like), and 2 little candy packs. I may run out and get them valentines donuts for breakfast too.

DS's (4yo) t shirt has Chewbacca on it and says "I Chews You." I love it.

[abs]

We keep it super simple.

Valentine themed books, small amount of chocolate, and a balloon. Done.

[Mrs.flang]

I don’t remember anything special growing up. I’m on ML now but normally I’d be working late since it’s tax season. DH and I don’t really do anything for each other but he will probably bring home a stuffed animal or treat for DD. V-day is verrrrry low on my list of celebration-worthy holidays.

[moonpie]

This is one holiday we don’t really do anything for DD. She’ll give and receive Valentines at school. We’ll dress her in a red shirt and bring food for the class party. That’s it, lol.

Her grandma does send a box with chocolates, an outfit, and stuffed animal. I feel like that covers it for us.

[gastro]

We make heart shaped cookies.
I always get them a treat - something small but a nice chocolate etc.

That’s about it. They do so much at school on Valentines Day I don’t really feel the need to do anything.

[nicolewi]

We've fallen into a loose tradition of making heart-shaped pizzas for dinner. I buy the dough and ingredients and then we assemble at home. I usually also make some kind of Valentine treat.

I used to always get (or make) cards, but as PP said, I feel like they are getting so expensive and kids don't really appreciate them. With four kids, I can spend nearly $20 on cards. That's crazy! I could buy them a new game or Lego set or something instead, for that amount of money. This year I got ONE cute pop-up card for all four kids to "share", and I bought the little Russel Stover $1 hearts with chocolates that they had at Target. I'm sure the chocolates aren't great, but the boxes came in all different designs and will look cute.

[pooh8402]

We don't do anything. I'm a little salty at having to make a box for daycare. The other kids already have theirs and they're all pinteresty fancy boxes. I was planning on wrapping a shoe box with red paper and putting heart stickers on it.

[kdubs923]

I got some break and bake Valentine's Cookies and they'll get some candy hearts. DH is working, so I might just get take out tomorrow night. Heart shaped pizza?

Last year I bought them each balloons. Lately they're both obsessed with dry erase boards (lol), so I got them each their own small board & markers. I wouldn't normally do an actual present for Valentine's Day, but it was small and I think they will be used a lot.

[gastro]

Feb 13, 2019 16:27:03 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

We don't do anything. I'm a little salty at having to make a box for daycare. The other kids already have theirs and they're all pinteresty fancy boxes. I was planning on wrapping a shoe box with red paper and putting heart stickers on it.

That’s annoying. Why can’t that be a craft project during day care?!

[pooh8402]

Feb 13, 2019 18:05:45 GMT -5 gastro said:

Feb 13, 2019 16:27:03 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

We don't do anything. I'm a little salty at having to make a box for daycare. The other kids already have theirs and they're all pinteresty fancy boxes. I was planning on wrapping a shoe box with red paper and putting heart stickers on it.

That’s annoying. Why can’t that be a craft project during day care?!

exactly, thank you!

[jaycee]

I got nothing growing up.

I'm give my kids a tiny box of 4 chocolates. That's it.

We go overboard at Christmas so we go very light with other holidays.

[tacokick]

We always got a 1/2 lb box of local chocolates for Valentine’s day growing up. My mom still gets them for us (and our spouses).

[tacom]

No idea what we will do next year but this year:

1) we made valentines with a friend and her baby to give to the dads. I bought red washable paint and we did baby footprints on heart shaped napkin dollies. It was messy but fun

2) I bought $4 worth of helium balloons and tied them to his booties and encouraged him to kick. It’s his new favorite game and I got great photos for OOT family

[boiler717]

He gets a book and we have red velvet pancakes from dinner. His school doesn’t do valentines. They host a tea for parents where the kids make the food and it is the only school day event of parents of the entire year.

[pennylane]

I have these large felt envelopes they had in Targets dollar spot (last year maybe? Or the year before) and give them a small little Valentines gift. DS doesn’t like candy, so he’s getting a book and a LEGO minifigure blind bag this year. DD (17 months) is getting a book and animal crackers.

No themed food or anything otherwise. DS signed his name on store-bought superhero cards for preschool.

[redpenmama]

My mom always celebrated everything (without going overboard), and I still remember it, so I've incorporated the same traditions into our family.

I get each kid a small ($10-ish) gift with a treat. In the past, we've made heart-shaped pizzas for dinner. Tomorrow, we are going to make and decorate heart-shaped cookies after school.

[blondemoment123]

I decided to swing by the grocery store and grab him a balloon. He thinks balloons are the best thing ever, but obvs he has no idea it’s a “special occasion”.

[blondemoment123]

Feb 13, 2019 14:38:08 GMT -5 susiebw said:

I do a little gifty bag for each of my kids that they can open when they wake up in the morning. This year they're each getting a valentines t-shirt that they can wear to school tomorrow, an age-appropriate book (not valentines related, just a book they like), and 2 little candy packs. I may run out and get them valentines donuts for breakfast too.

DS's (4yo) t shirt has Chewbacca on it and says "I Chews You." I love it.

DS has this shirt too and he wore it today!

[jnibean]

Feb 13, 2019 18:10:28 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Feb 13, 2019 18:05:45 GMT -5 gastro said:

That’s annoying. Why can’t that be a craft project during day care?!

exactly, thank you!

Every year I get at least one email asking me if they need to decorate a box for Valentine's Day.  We make our "mailboxes" during the day sometime before Valentine's day in my classroom and one year after a parent asked me and I told her as much, I thought she was going to kiss me she looked so relieved!  Sorry you have to do this pooh8402... 

[cherry1111]

Feb 13, 2019 16:27:03 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

We don't do anything. I'm a little salty at having to make a box for daycare. The other kids already have theirs and they're all pinteresty fancy boxes. I was planning on wrapping a shoe box with red paper and putting heart stickers on it.

That is 100% exactly what we did for DD. There were several Pinteresty boxes but I don’t care. And the good part is that you can save this box and reuse it every year for years to come. DS is using his box for the 4th year in a row.

[jorja]

My husband has gotten our daughter flowers every year since she was born. Now he gets our son a little stuffed animal or toy as well.

We make and decorate heart shaped sugar cookies. We have nothing to get out the door for tomorrow so I may make some heart shaped pancakes.

[gibbinator]

I guess nothing really. I usually make a nice supper but that's more for me and dh. I think the only kid-oriented activity is making cards for classmates the day before.