no-candy valentine’s day treats :: a simple tip

Confession:: I still have two giant plastic bags of Halloween candy sitting in my pantry. Yes, I just said Halloween candy! And that was after I bribed my husband to take the third bag to his weekly poker game and told him not to come back into this house with that bag in his hands.

I know, I should figure out something to do with it all because, seriously, we’re approaching the 4 month marker on it but there it sits.

So, you can understand why I have gone all anti-Valentine’s Day candy this year. {Except for the box of oh-so-yummy chocolates that my husband better be bringing home to me.}

This year forget the candy and check out one of these super adorable Valentine’s ideas:

1. Printable Puzzles & Pencils
Do a simple Google search for a printable word search, mad lib, or scavenger hunt centered around Valentine’s. Print, cut and attach a fun pencil! I love this fun word printable matching game from Spoonful.com! They also have other printable games appropriate for various ages.

 

2. Magnets
Create a classic “candy heart” magnet like these from HenryHappened.com! Adorable!

 

3. Crazy Straws
Kids are suckers {pun intended} for crazy straws! And you can pick up a variety of straw colors and ‘shapes’ from places like Party City (pictured below). Attach them to a card you purchased from the store or get creative and make your own. Here’s an idea — “You’re ‘sip’ply amazing, Valentine!” Go with it!

 

4. Crayons
One of my girls’ favorite Valentine treats have been homemade crayons! And they are so easy to make!! Here’s a cute heart shaped crayon tutorial and card from WhipperBerry.com.

 

5. Bracelets
In the wake of the Rainbow Loom craze, this one might be right up your alley! This how-to & printable are for adorable classic thread-made friendship bracelets but you could do a similar idea with a simple Rainbow Loom chain or fish-tail bracelet!

 

Bonus :: FROZEN lovelies
While these don’t necessarily involve candy, they do involve sweets. But I just couldn’t let us get away without some FROZEN inspired Valentine’s this year! So, for your FROZEN indulgence, I present:

FROZEN hot chocolate and “Do you want to build a snowman?” Snowman kits from Modern Chic Tots.

 

What will your kids be handing out this Valentine’s Day?