Kids Valentine Cards for school

[happily single]

Its that time again-when kids pass out Valentine Day cards to their classmates. For the past few years the school has had a "no food no candy" policy. I am looking for ideas other than erasers, pencils or stickers to include with the cards?

 

[OneOftheB's]

I found a printable last year that was something along the lines of "hope your Valentine's Day is a ball" and put a bouncy ball in bags for each kid.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My daughter once received a small stuffed animal, a bear holding a heart. Yes, it was given to every kid in the class.

 

[Malibustyle23]

Play doh, bubbles, Target Dollar spot has multi pack sets of Valentine's themed items, take a look at the party favor aisle.

 

[scrapquitler]

How about keeping it simple and go with just the card? The kids don't need a ton of 'stuff' most of it is probably just going to end up in the trash within a day or two anyway. Maybe I'm the only one that thinks the stuff is just excessive.

 

[Narnia_girl]

There are some cute ideas on Pinterest:
You make my heart glow, Valentine (glow stick)
You're ExSTRAW special (crazy straw)
We were built to be friends (handful of Legos)
You are A-Mazing (mini heart maze from dollar store)
Whooopeee! It's Valentine's Day (mini whoopee cushion)
Valentine, You Deserve a Hand (mini hand clapper)
Our class would KNOT be the same without you! (friendship bracelet)
Blow me a Kiss (either bubbles or fake red lips kazoo)
Valentine, You're Out of this World (mini astronaut figurine on a moon cutout)
Dropping down to wish you Happy Valentine's Day (mini figurine with parachute)

 

[aprilchem]

It's probably too late for this, but we bought something called "twisty twigs" in little packs from a restaurant supply company. Apparently they're just like a toy called Bendaroos - little bendable sticks in different colors that you can craft into shapes. We made homemade cards on the computer because the "themes" my kids wanted to do are impossible to find, and then we stapled the Twisty Twig packages to those. Our school banned food this year as well.

 

[havaneselover]

I'm so glad this is my last year doing these. After my dd was in kindergarten they banned candy (can't bring anything in for birthdays, Halloween doesn't exist, etc) in Valentine's. Ds likes the Valentine's that come with a wood stylus (box says "the stylus contains a sharp point") and you scratch off the design so I got him two packs of those. It's all a bunch of junk.

 

[Colleen27]

We've done glow sticks and tattoos when we didn't want to do candy. I like to give something that can be played with/used and then tossed rather than something that'll just be clutter tomorrow.

I was thrilled that our school moved this year's party so we could just send candy (Catholic school, parents are asked not to send candy when Valentines Day is during Lent because so many kids give up sweets). They're celebrating today - paczki day and a Valentines party, those kids are going to be so sugared up by the end of the day! - to avoid the issue this year.

 

[onescgirl]

Not sure where you live, but Krispy Kreme has Valentine cards that include coupon for a free donut. Wendy's used to have cards to give out too that included a free mini frosty

 

[leahgoogle]

We just do the cards (32 for $1.00 at Dollar General). We did get bubbles at Target in the Valentine's section though to donate to the Mom doing the treat bags.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Not sure where you live, but Krispy Kreme has Valentine cards that include coupon for a free donut. Wendy's used to have cards to give out too that included a free mini frosty

This is the best idea. If not this, I'd just leave them without extras. I usually encourage all parents to make collages of the received cards and then take a pic with their kid...and "things" don't stick well to posterboard (and this idea has the advantage of the Valentines all now "saved", so when the poster is ruined, it can be tossed...

 

[tvguy]

It is amusing that schools can't observe Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, but Valentines Day is still P.C.

 

[KarenAylwood]

Ack. My kid is two and having a V day party on Friday. I was going to bring the other half of the Valentines I didn't use when he was ONE last year. When does it become a thing to give stuff other than a card??

 

[havaneselover]

It is amusing that schools can't observe Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, but Valentines Day is still P.C.

Seriously this one I'd be happy to lose! We still can do Thanksgiving (kindergarteners have a Thanksgiving Feast) but that's pretty much it.

 

[cel_disney]

Prior to kindergarten we always did something homemade - a pack of crayons 'you color me happy', a pack of tic race (you make my heart tick'), for the infant year I picked up a package of board books (my heart reads for you), or the squeeze applesauce (you are my main squeeze)...

Once they hit elementary school, they just picked up a package from Target...when we were there last week they had tons of choices that had no candy...pencils, window clings, foam fingers, cards that turn into the football field goal game, the pencil drawing things mentioned earlier...my DS also really likes the scratch and sniff ones!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I might be the only one, but I'm taking a stand against "junk" and only sending a card this year. I HATE, HATE, HATE, small pieces of crap that linger around the house. I don't want erasers, plastic things, glow sticks or any other junk and I'm sure I'm not the only one. My kid doesn't care, and until he does, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon.

 

[LJSquishy]

I don't know the age you're doing cards for, but I recently saw a one with a little plastic zoo animal toy attached (giraffe, monkey, tiger, elephant, etc) that said, "Will ZOO be mine?". I know you can buy those animals really cheap in a large container and I thought it was cute!

 

[DisneyHardin]

It is amusing that schools can't observe Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, but Valentines Day is still P.C.

I'm a teacher and none of our parties are called anything to do with a holiday, even Valentine's is called a "Friendship Party".

 

[nugov2]

I throw all the crap the kids get right in the garbage when they go to bed that night. We don't need anymore pencils, erasers, bouncy balls or any of the other little crap people pass out. Just the simple card is what we send. Alot of kids pass out goldfish or pirates booty and that I'll keep, but I hate that junk that comes in birthday treat bags and is passed out on Halloween or valentine's day parties at school.