Inexpensive and Lovable Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids

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Yes, Valentine’s Day is primarily known for grown-up date nights and romantic gifts. But with four kids, we love to spread the joy at home with a few of these inexpensive Valentine’s Day ideas for kids. 

Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids

Kids really do get into the Valentine’s Day spirit of love and friendship. Maybe it’s the classroom Valentine’s card exchange at school. Maybe it’s the warm and fuzzy feeling woven throughout the month. But more likely it’s the sweet candy and treats! Okay, let’s give children a little more credit. 

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While the school parties and special desserts are fun, I think that kids just naturally love to LOVE. And Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to express that. These Valentine’s Day ideas for kids include crafts for them to make, treats to serve and items you can give your kiddo to show your love for them!

 

Inexpensive But Fun Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids

I’m sharing some fun Valentine’s ideas for kids, in a round-up of fantastic crafts, treats and gifts. These ideas will give you inexpensive and lovable ways to share the holiday with your kids. And so not to leave out the littles, I’ve included Valentine’s Day ideas for toddlers, too. There are also some real, memorable ways to create a deeper connection with your kids (with this holiday as the reason to begin a step in that direction). Your kids will love you for including them in the Valentine’s Day celebration!

Valentine’s Card Exchange

Kids LOVE to give Valentine’s Cards. And all the better if they are accompanied by a special gift. These budget-friendly cards and gifts can be easily made at home at a low cost.

If you love cute and unique, these Valentine’s cards are perfect! You can almost guarantee that nobody else in class is going to give these adorable Llama Valentine’s Day Cards from Simple Everyday Mom.

These Candy Necklace Valentine’s Printables from Five Marigolds are the cutest Valentine’s cards ever! 

A quirky card and a bag of treats is just what kids love on Valentine’s Day! Printable Sloth Valentine Cards from That Sweet Tea Life.

Ever met a kid who doesn’t love glow sticks? Me neither! Passports and Parenting has a fast printable homemade Valentine’s Day Card with Glow Stick tutorial.

Little Valentine’s Day Gifts on a Budget

Coming off the winter holidays, kids don’t really need anything extravagant. But children will delight in a small, special non-candy treat that shows you’re thinking of them. These are perfect for kids to gift each other in friend/school exchanges.

These awesome Race Car Valentine’s Day Cards from Where the Smiles Have Been will make a car-loving kid’s heart race!

Because kids just love slime, this inexpensive and fun gift is a keeper! DIY Valentine Slime with a free printable from Crayons and Cravings.

Another option to non-candy Valentine’s Cards, these Squishies-Inspired Cards by Paper Heart Family can be printed at home and then adorned with inexpensive Squishies Figures, found in bulk.

The cute and practical You Measure Up Ruler Wrap Valentine gift from Moms and Munchkins combines a hand printed card and inexpensive School Pack of Plastic Rulers.

Even young kids can create this Valentine’s Day craft with little Washi Tape Bubbles from Money Wise Moms to gift to their friends.

Don’t forget about the teacher! Consider pairing with seed packets or a potted plant. Teacher Valentine Card from Just is a Four Letter Word.

Handmade Cards for Family

Younger kids usually exchange cards and treats with friends at school. Creating homemade cards for family members is a great way to show off creativity and love (especially for little siblings that don’t yet go to school). No need to be perfect, just let the feelings fly. I made these gorgeous Valentine’s Day cards for my kids within a few quick minutes on my Cricut Joy.

Consider making DIY Valentine cards for each other at home. This personalized 3-D Valentine’s Day Photo Card with a lollipop treat from Chaotically Yours is fantastic!

A simple construction paper card with a sweet sentiment inside is so meaningful. A new box of customized Crayola crayons will encourage the creativity. Draw a picture or paste a photo inside for an added touch. These are the memories to hold in your heart forever. I still cherish the handmade Valentine card that my son made for me so many years ago.

Valentine’s Day Snacks

From a loving breakfast to a special treat in the lunch box or after school, these snack Valentine’s Day ideas for kids are cute and practical. Looking for more Valentine’s Day at home with kids ideas? Hosting a weekend lunch “party” for the family is a great way to create special memories.

• Doughnuts are always a welcome treat in my book!
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on the pancake batter in the shape of a heart.
• Add red food coloring to a glass of milk to make a “pink drink”.

I love this idea of cutting fruit into heart shapes for the ultimate Valentine’s Day fruit salad! Watermelon Heart Salad from A Designer Life.

Start Valentine’s Day morning off with these healthy and fun Breakfast Toast Ideas for Valentine’s Day from Perspective Portions.

A yummy after-school treat of Valentine’s Day Snack Bites from On My Kids Plate, with healthier ingredients that can be altered for taste.

Gather up the family for a fun evening of movies like Gnomeo and Juliet, The Princess Bride or Enchanted. Serve this crunchy, salty/sweet treat of Valentine’s Day Popcorn, recipe from 4 Hats and Frugal.

A delicious post-Valentine’s dinner dessert, these Hugs and Kisses XOXO Treats from A Hundred Affections

These double-decker brownies with M&Ms can be made especially for your Valentine with pink and red candies studded on the top layer.

Valentine’s Day Ideas for Kids to Take to School

These take-to-school treats would be sweet in a lunch box or for a classroom Valentine’s Day party. These Penguin Valentine Goody Bag ideas from Margin Making Mom include a recipe for a Chex snack mix. 

Oh so cute for inside the lunch box or for kids to hand out to classmates, these Love Bug Valentine’s Fruit Cups from Crayons and Cravings.

Creative and delicious, these Homemade Valentine Fortune Cookies from The Good Hearted Woman hide a sweet Valentine’s Day message inside the fold.

The kids at school will squeal if gifted a quirky Valentine Monster Lollipop from Kimspired DIY.

A little drop of sweetness! Valentine Gum Drops from Thrifty Jinxy 

Because things on a stick just taste better, these Valentine’s Day OREO Pops from Urban Bliss Life are going to be a highlight!

Pair these easy-to-make Valentine Heart Lollipops from Thrifty Jinxy with a simple card for a treat the kids will love.

Perform a Loving Act

Just like kids love to give presents at Christmas, they enjoy the giving of their affections on Valentine’s Day as well. This is a great time to show your kids different ways of loving. We can show our love for all people with service, including volunteering to help others. Start with your church or ask in your local community for ways that your children can help.

Help kids to think outside of their circle of friends as to whom they could share these gifts. Perhaps they would enjoy putting a Valentine’s surprise on the front porch of a neighbor’s house. Or go to a senior community and gift these to the elderly. Great Valentine’s Day ideas for kids that won’t break the bank and are sure to put a smile on someone’s face!

Here’s a super cute loving act that kids would enjoy – making these Valentine’s Day Birdfeeders from Wine and Glue to hang in a tree. Bet the birdies would love it!

Prepare a big batch of this yummy Valentine’s Day Toffee from Julie Blanner. Stack pieces on a heart-shaped paper plate to gift to neighbors!

This pretty Succulent Valentine’s Day Gift from Family Spice is an ideal gift for a volunteer or teacher. 

So elegant looking, these delicious Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies from Art From My Table are sure to put a smile on someone’s face!

A Lovable Handmade Gift

These precious handmade gift Valentine’s Day ideas for kids are perfect for making or giving. Ideal projects for older kids to do on their own and then give to friends or family.

Older kids can make this sweet Felt Pocket Kitty from Swoodson Says for younger siblings as a darling Valentine’s Day gift.

Bath bombs are the rage and these Conversation Heart Valentine Bath Bombs from Shrimp Salad Circus are awesome.

This stunning Nature Heart Collage from Craft Invaders can be created and gifted for Valentine’s and then hung year-round for a unique art piece.

Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

Let kids wear their heart on their sleeve (literally!) ShopDisney has some adorable Disney themed Valentine’s Day tees. There are also sweet love-themed accessories that can be worn all-year round, like a pair of cute socks or this WALL-E and E.V.E. Heart Necklace (perfect for tween and teen girls!)

If you have some time, you can put together a Valentine’s Day shirt for your kids. Mine have really loved wearing their handcrafted creations. Use your Cricut and iron-on to craft this unique Valentine’s Day Cricut T-Shirt Design.

If you have a sewing machine and basic skills, you can put together this adorable Valentine’s Day heart tee in about two hours.

Not in the craft mood? Etsy is the go-to place for handcrafted Valentine’s Day gifts for kids. Choose fuzzy cupcake socks by HappytoGiveBoutique and this Train Engine with Hearts tee by SunshineMountainTees. 

Valentine’s Homemade Crafts

Take the time to sit down and create something together with your kids this season. Okay, so I haven’t gotten into the make-your-own slime thing but I know that kids LOVE it! This Valentine’s Day Slime from The Farm Girl Gabs is so fun and glittery, what a kid’s dream come true.

There are lots of other crafty things you can do with the kids during Valentine’s. This Paper Heart Wreath tutorial from Hello, Wonderful is adorable (and what kid doesn’t love to wield the stapler!) Best part? Totally mess-free!!

Another mess-free project, this one specifically for little ones with a parent’s help. Mess-free Toddler Valentine’s Day Card Craft from Glitter Inc.

Just like every little girl on the planet, my daughter is obsessed with unicorns! How much she would love making this Unicorn Headband Craft from Creative Green Living. Pair them up with these adorable Unicorn Printable Valentine’s Day Cards.

Valentine Yarn Heart Ornaments from Some the Wiser are easy enough for preschoolers to make with help. Create a few in various sizes and string them up in a loving decoration that’s appropriate year-round!

Kids can put together these cute (and delicious) Valentine’s Day Hershey’s Kisses Mice from Color Me Crafty to decorate a table or hand out to their friends.

This elegant and very gift-able Valentine’s Day Jar Candle Holder from Creative Green Living is an inexpensive way to recycle a glass jar or vase.

Older kids who enjoy paper crafting will love to make a bunch of these Origami Paper Hearts from Needlepointers.

Create a XOXO Paper Garland for Valentine’s Day decorations, using this easy tutorial from Decor Hint.

Read a Loving Story Together

My littlest kids especially love to snuggle with mom and dad to read stories. Those are special memories for sure.

• A Valentine’s Day themed book (like our favorite, Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch) is a great bedtime read-aloud for young elementary.
• My baby daughter thinks that this book, Disney Baby I Love You This Much! is the best.
• Tweens and teens may love having a journal for writing down their thoughts (since actually expressing them outloud might prove to be too challenging!) There’s a plain version – JAM Paper Notebook with Elastic Band and also one with an embossed heart – Writing Journal with Gold Heart

  

  Give Your Child the Gift of YOU

  Instead of just building up to the single “day of affection”, try stretching out the love all month. The Gifty Girl has a collection of loving expressions to do in the 14 days leading up to Valentine’s Day. 

  

  Ever read about the The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts? There are additional books in this series that help you to love children and teens more deeply. I can’t think of a better Valentine’s gift from a parent to a child than your time, your attention and a deeper and more connected love!

  • The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively
  • The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers: The Secret to Loving Teens Effectively

  

  Looking for a few more ideas? You might like this post about Cheap Ideas for Valentine’s Day!

   

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