Prepare No Candy Valentines for Kids

Valentine's Day is a fun time of year. However, it often comes with lots of candy, and too much sugar can lead to unhealthy weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and cavities in kids. When making valentines for your children or for their class, you can hand out healthy snacks, give out fun toys, or make unique cards instead of giving candy.

Steps

Using Healthy Snacks

1. Put cute cards on bottles of orange juice. If your kids love orange juice, give them orange juice as a Valentine's Day snack. You can print out decorative labels that say things like, "Orange you glad it's Valentine's Day?" You can also write the labels yourself if you have good handwriting. Carefully remove the regular orange juice label. Wash off any glue that's stuck and then glue on your label.
   • Make sure to opt for orange juice without added sugar. Orange juice with a lot of added sugar or products like high fructose corn syrup is not healthy.
2. Use fruit. Fruit can be a healthy snack and you can make a variety of cute puns and jokes using fruit. Use decorative, colorful font to write out a variety of fun sayings on printer paper or write them down yourself. Then, cut the sayings out into small square or heart-shaped cards. Punch a hole in one corner and tie them around fruit for your child's valentine.
   • You can write a phrase like, "You're the apple of my eye" for an apple or "You're a cutie" on a clementine.
3. Hand out nuts. Nuts are a healthy, nutritious form of protein that can make for a great Valentine's Day present for your kids. Buy small bags of nuts at the store. Then, write out messages like "I'm nuts for you!" using decorative font on your computer. Print the phrases out and cut them into square or heart shapes. You can then glue or tape these cards onto the bags of nuts.
   • Be aware of the school's rules on peanuts and other food allergens. Many classrooms have gone "peanut free" due to severe allergies of some children. Tree nuts are another potential allergen.

Providing Fun Items

1. Use glow sticks and construction paper. Cut a small heart out of a piece of construction paper. Write something like, "You make me glow" using colorful letters on the heart. Then, use a hole puncher to punch a hole on either end of the heart. Feed a small glow stick through the hole.
   • Make each valentine unique to each child. For example, you can use construction paper in each child's favorite color. You can also decorate the cards with stickers that reflect your children's tastes. If your daughter likes cats, for example, decorate her card with cat stickers.
2. Give out fun pens and pencils. There are many pens and pencils you can buy online or at a supermarket that are Valentine's Day themed. You can get pencils that are in colors like red and pink or are decorated with hearts. You can then place these pencils in cards.
   • Use construction paper to cut out the shape of a heart. Write something on the heart like, "I think you're just write!"
   • Then, use a hole puncher to punch a hole on either end of the paper heart. Feed the pencil through the hole.
3. Make pet rocks. You can glue a pet rock to a blank card or piece of craft or construction paper. Write something on the paper like, "I think you rock."
   • To make a pet rock, glue a set of googly eyes onto the rock, which you can get at any craft store. Then, use a marker to draw on a smiley face.
   • If you want, you can add other embellishments. For example, glue pipe cleaners onto your pet rock to give it hair.
4. Tape a card to a yo-yo. A yo-yo can be a fun toy that can entertain a child for hours. Instead of handing out candy, give your child a yo-yo. You can cut out a small square of construction paper and write something like "I like the way you roll" on it. Then, tape the card to the yo-yo and give it to your child.
5. Wrap a box of playing cards. Cut out a small square of construction paper and write a phrase such as "You're the real deal" on it. Then, use decorative wrapping paper to wrap the playing cards. Tape the construction paper onto the wrapped cards when you're done.
   • Use Valentine's Day themed wrapping paper, such as wrapping paper with hearts or images of Cupid on it.

Making Cards and Decorations

1. Decorate cards with stamps. You can buy stamps at most craft stores and some department stores. You can also buy ink in various shades. Go for shades associated with Valentine's Day, such as pinks and reds. You should also pick up some blank cards.
   • Use stamps of letters to write out messages on the cards, such as "I love you!" and "Happy Valentine's Day!"
   • You can use stamps of images to decorate as well. You can use generic Valentine's Day images, like hearts, or you can cater to your children's interests. If you have a child who likes dinosaurs, for example, stamp their card with dinosaur images.
2. Invest in an origami set. You can buy an origami set at most craft stores. You can use the set to make origami shapes, such as hearts, to give to your child for Valentine's Day.
   • An origami set can be a fun family Valentine's Day activity. You can have your children make cards for one another and for friends from school using the kit.
   • If you can't find an origami set, you can cut out squares of Valentine's Day themed wrapping paper and use that instead.
3. Make cards using toy zoo animals. Pick up some blank cards and sushi grass or green construction paper at a craft store. You can also buy small toy zoo animals. Tape the sushi paper along the bottom of the card to create the image of grass. If you don't have sushi paper, cut your green construction paper into a grass-like shape and glue it onto the card. Then, use clear tape to attach a small plastic animal on the card near the grass.
   • Use your child's favorite zoo animal for their card. If your son loves tigers, for example, make sure to give him a tiger on his card.
4. Glue a toy race car to a card. Get a blank card and write a message like, "You make my heart race." Then, glue or tape a small toy race car to the card.
   • If you want, you can decorate the card with images of a road before taping or glueing the car on.

References

See also

• Make It Through Valentine's Day Without a Valentine
• Create a Harry Potter Valentine's Day
• Surprise Your Sweetheart in a Small Space
• Plan a Valentines Day Date in Elementary School
• Celebrate Anti Valentine's Day
• Be Your Own Valentine
• Spend Valentine's Day on Your Own (for Girls)
• Make Valentine's Day Curtains
• Text a Girl on Valentine's Day
• What Are Some Unique Valentine's Day Ideas

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