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Alternatives to Valentine’s Day Candy

10 Non-Candy Valentines Day Ideas

Guess what.  Valentine’s Day is coming upPe.  You may not make a big deal about it, but your kids classroom might.  That means getting an updated class list, making sure you have enough Valentine’s Day cards that work for the boys and the girls.  Then you have to decide if you are going to give candy in a cute little gift bag.

As I try to limit my kids exposure to the synthetic food dyes, I’ve tried to come up with a fun list of candy alternatives for the classroom.  This list is geared to the preschool/elementary age.  If you have other suggestions, I would love for you to share them in the comment section.

  • Stickers~ get a couple of packages and give a sheet for each child on your list.  We go through stickers so fast in our house, I’m always happy to get something new to decorate paper (or people.)
  • Craft supplies~ new Crayons, Markers, Chalk.
  • Bubbles~ spring is just around the corner!
  • Temporary Tattoos
  • Bouncy Balls
  • Musical trinkets~ little kazoo?
  • Healthy Snacks~ Annie’s fruit snacks come in fun-size packages, or pretzels. (better than candy!)
  • Homemade Cookies or Granola Bars 
  • Play dough
  • Pencils. (love this cute printable!)

At my daughter’s school, the choice was made easy this year.  There are so many food allergies that there is no candy allowed.  The kids will celebrate with a big party on Tuesday and pass out Valentine’s Day cards. (see my Pin for the card I’m going to make.)  I will be making sugar cookies, and I think I’ll just pass on the Red Dye #40 sprinkles. 😉

If you have a little free time and $2.50 to spend, this owl printable sheet is adorable! Print on sticker paper and cut out using a circle punch.  So cute!!

Source: Etsy via CherryClipArt

 

Do your kids pass around Valentine’s Day cards?  

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Excess wrapping paper?

Creative uses for excess wrapping paper ideas
As the holidays come to a close, do you have piles of random wrapping paper scraps? Maybe it’s time to create some storage space in the attic and use up some of the random pieces you have been saving.

There is a great picture gallery on the now defunct Whole Living.com full of ideas of what else you can do with the leftovers. It also serves as an inspiration to buy prettier wrapping paper that is less holiday specific so you can get more life from it, and use it year round. Some other easy ideas are:
  • Cover your table with the opposite side of the holiday wrapping paper and let the kids go to town coloring such a giant canvas
  • Laminate some flat pieces and create cute placemats for the kids
  • Create a banner to use in the winter or save for the next holiday season
  • Line your drawers
  • Shred for packing needs
  • Build a Christmas cone pine tree
  • Celebrate holiday photos and use wrapping paper as a mat
If you need ideas of how to organize your gift wrap and tissue paper, I shared an easy project of how to sort through it all and make it so much easier to quickly wrap a gift before the next party.
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