Valentine’s Day is a perennial favorite for elementary school children. It’s a chance to don their heart-adorned socks and pass out tiny folded cards to all of their classmates, and usually, to indulge in some sweet treats. Look beyond the standard candy items to these fun ideas and help your child craft personal, unique goodie bags for his or her friends.
It’s easy to bake up a big batch of Valentine’s cookies and load a few into cellophane bags! Pull out your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and instead of chocolate chips, use some red, pink, and white candy-coated chocolates like M&Ms.
Kids love crafts, and a great alternative to the standard goodie bag is to make a bookmark kit. Fill a sandwich bag with 8.5” x 2” strips of cardstock or scrapbook paper (any color), stickers, ribbon, googly eyes, pom poms, and anything else you and your child can dream up. Punch a hole at the top of the bookmark for the ribbon and let the kids do the rest!
Themed goodie bags can also be a lot of fun. Of course, the obvious theme is “Valentine’s Day,” but feel free to think beyond that. A writing-themed bag with scented pencils and erasers, mini notebooks, Mad Libs, and a plastic pencil sharpened is a lot of fun, and you can stick to traditional Valentine’s Day colors or go wild with something unique!
Many of the toys that make their way into goodie bags are cheap and poorly made. But there’s no reason you can’t save money and fill a bag with toys that kids can enjoy. Try inexpensive but fun items like miniature bottles of bubbles, twisty straws, temporary tattoos, dice with typed instructions for a game, and little magnifying glasses.
It’s still a tad too cold for gardening in much of the country, but a cute miniature terracotta pot and an inexpensive packet of seeds is a great way to get their little imaginations growing. You can find the pots online or in a chain store in bulk for just a few dollars, and the seeds can be picked up almost anywhere. Paint a heart or each child’s name on the pots and throw in a well-sealed baggy of potting soil for a ready-made gift!
If you’re feeling up for getting a little crafty yourself, gather the kids and make homemade playdough for their friends. Just mix 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of salt, 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and about 4 drops of any color food coloring into a pot and mix it well. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture over medium heat until it forms a ball. Once it’s all nice and clumped together, place it on a clean counter or wax paper to cool. Give it a good kneading and package blobs of it in decorated, airtight containers (plastic baby food containers work well). Make as much as you “knead” for the whole class!
Of course, before you send your child in with goodies, always check with the teacher ahead of time for approval, and make sure to get an updated class list to make sure no child is left out. It’s never a bad idea to send in a few extras, just in case a new student has joined the class. Also be sure to ask about any restrictions the school may have on what can be brought in.
And if a few pieces of candy make it into the goodie bags…well, it is Valentine’s Day!
How do your kids celebrate Valentine’s Day with their friends?
Dress Up a Plain Suit
