Are you looking to simply your kids’ Valentine’s Day gifts this year? Me too! You can still celebrate Valentine’s Day with simple Valentine gifts for kids. Let’s see how!
In recent years, many of us have felt pressured to turn some of the minor holidays that happen throughout the year into Christmas 2.0. The first of these minor holidays that feels this pressure is Valentine’s Day. What used to be a holiday marked by a card and a red heart filled with chocolate has become a monstrosity that includes high-ticket presents that can break the bank. We don’t have to do this!
You can go back to simpler times this Valentine’s Day. Consider this post me giving you permission to give your kids simple Valentine gifts. You can have a fun, simple Valentine’s Day with simple Valentine gifts for kids. Let the love take center stage this Valentine’s Day. The consumerism can take a back seat this year.
Now, I’m not saying that you should let Valentine’s Day pass without celebrating it. Valentine’s Day is super fun with young kids, and you should enjoy it. Just keep it simple. I promise your kids won’t feel slighted. They’ll love a simple Valentine’s Day, and they’ll love that you aren’t stressed out in the lead up to Valentine’s Day so that you can have fun with them. All you need is a few simple things for a great simple Valentine gift for kids: candy, a book, a small toy or game, and a t-shirt. It’s as easy as that!
Simple Valentine Gifts for Kids
Candy
Ah, the classic Valentine’s Day gift, candy! It’s really not Valentine’s Day without candy. When I was a young adult and didn’t have anyone to buy me Valentines, I always bought myself a little bit of candy on Valentine’s Day. It just marks the occasion. So, when you’re putting together your simple Valentine gifts for kids, you have to include at least a few pieces of candy.
Now, don’t go overboard here. We are keeping it simple this Valentine’s Day, remember. Just a few pieces or small box will do. My suggestion is just to lean into what you know they like. If your kid likes chocolate, then by all means, give him chocolate. But if your kid prefers gummy worms, go for it! You don’t have to buy the heart shaped box of chocolates if your kid isn’t going to eat them.
Book
My kids love books, and I want to do everything I can to keep it that way. So, I buy my kids books every chance I get. I particularly like to hit up the used bookstore. A cheaper and more sustainable way to get books into my kids’ hands? It’s a no-brainer, really.
It’s no surprise that my simple Valentine gifts for kids must include a book. It really doesn’t matter which book you choose, just give your kid a book for Valentine’s Day. If you want to stick to the Valentine’s Day or general love theme, there are a bunch of great options.
Valentine’s Day
- Happy Valentine’s Day, Curious George – My kids love every Curious George book we have, but they are particularly drawn to the Valentine’s Day Curious George book. We read it year-round. My 5-year-old loves George’s antics and my 2-year-old loves the flaps that she gets to lift (and only she gets to lift, thank you very much). It’s a real Valentine’s Day winner.
- Where Do Diggers Say I Love You? – The digger book series is another favorite book series in my house. I think we have every single book in this series, and there isn’t a stinker in the bunch. I mean, who doesn’t love anthropomorphized vehicles? This Valentine’s Day version is super sweet. Especially if you have a truck-obsessed kiddo, this is one to add to your collection.
Love
- Guess How Much I Love You – There is a reason this book is a classic. It’s so darn heart-warming. I love to snuggle up in a chair and read this book with my kids. It perfectly illustrates just how never-ending a parent’s love is. This is definitely a year-round gem that always works well as a Valentine’s Day gift.
- The Giving Tree – The Giving Tree was a foundational book from my childhood. When I was in second grade, we even did a dramatization of this book for an all-school Mass (sort of like an assembly in Catholic school). I was upset because I was assigned to be the narrator and didn’t get to play a part, but looking back, that was probably for the best. Subsequent dramatic roles didn’t go so well. Anyway, this book is such a moving depiction of love, and the use of the tree really makes it accessible for even the littlest kids to understand. If you don’t have this book yet, you need it.
- The Velveteen Rabbit – This is a beautiful book that demonstrates just how life-changing love is. If that’s not a great message on Valentine’s Day, I don’t know what is.
Small toy or game
I’m not completely against more traditional presents on Valentine’s Day. I like to see the joy on the faces of my kids when they open a present just as much as the next guy. I just think we should keep them small. And manageable.
What does this mean in reality? Keep it physically small and relatively inexpensive. Need ideas? I’ve got some, of course I do!
Spot It
My 5-year-old is obsessed with the game Spot It. They play the classic version of the game in his Pre-K class, Santa brought him the Pittsburgh Penguins version of the game in his Christmas stocking, and he gave the Marvel superheroes version of the game to his friend for his birthday. I’d say we play Spot It at home at least 6 times each week. All this to say that if you have a kid of a similar age and you don’t own Spot It, this is a great idea to include in your simple Valentine gift for kids this year. Pick the version that will speak most to your kid, and be ready to play a lot of Spot It. It’s fun, I promise.
Lego
My 5-year-old is definitely entering his Lego era. He really enjoys free building with the classic Lego bricks, but he can also sit still enough to follow a simple build. The Lego Creator 3 in 1 kits are perfect for him. It gives him options for what to build and keeps him busy for a few minutes, and then he can disassemble what he makes and keep himself busy again a few days later. When you think about it, this is really a gift for you too.
Art supplies
My 2-year-old loves crayons. She asks to color several times a day. That means we run through crayons pretty quickly in my house and I’m constantly needing to buy new crayons. Because crayons are a common purchase, that makes them a great gift to include in simple Valentine gifts for kids. If your kid prefers markers or colored pencils and goes through those supplies quickly, swap them out for crayons. You do what works best for your kiddos. Just keep your fingers crossed that they’ll be the next Picasso, although preferably without the misogyny.
Stickers
Who doesn’t like stickers? I’m almost 40-years-old and I still love to play with stickers, so stickers are definitely a great item to include in simple Valentine gifts for kids. You can opt for simple sticker sheets or books of their favorite things or go with something a little fancier like a sticker art activity. Just be warned – buying your kids stickers will end with stickers over every available surface in your house. If you’re not OK with stickers on your walls and your couch, skip the stickers.
T-shirt
I love to use minor holidays to update my kids’ wardrobes, just a tad. I don’t know about your kids, but mine are very hard on their clothes. They get stained, develop holes, or are simply outgrown at an alarming rate. Of course, I’ll buy my kids clothes when it’s not a holiday if they need them, but I really like to kill two birds with one stone when I can. Not literally, of course. PETA, please don’t come after me.
At the very least, I like to include a seasonally appropriate t-shirt in my simple Valentine gifts for kids. Some years I go very Valentine’s Day specific and buy shirts with puns or have a boatload of hearts on them. Other years, I lean more generic and buy shirts in red or pink that my kids can wear long after Valentine’s Day. It really just depends on how I’m feeling.
Although I’ve linked some cute Target options above, I really want to suggest that you try out your local thrift or consignment store first. Especially if you want to go the Valentine’s Day-specific route. They often have very good quality options for really great prices. I mean, usually these clothing items were only worn once or twice so they’re in pretty perfect condition. Don’t sleep on the thrift store!
Other posts
Looking for more Valentine’s Day content? I’ve got a few more posts I can share now (and there will be more to come):
I hope you feel like you can simplify your Valentine’s Day this year and stick with simple Valentine gifts for kids. What is your Valentine’s Day gift tradition with your kids? Please share below or over on Instagram @sarainseason.
[Note: None of this content is sponsored. The links above may be general affiliate links, which earn me a small commission so I can keep making great content for you!]