I have to admit that I fall firmly into the camp of loving Valentine’s Day. And I love that my kids are on that bandwagon too. They love to think of kind (and often elaborate) gestures to show people dear to them how they feel. And that includes each other. Seriously.
Now, don’t get me wrong. They spend plenty of time bickering over the most trivial things possible, but when pressed, they’d both answer that they are each other’s best friend. But because so much of the holiday is fueled by candy, I like to help them put together a sweet valentine for each other that sends the love without the sugar.
And Paper Source is the perfect place to find everything you need for all kinds of Valentines! To get started, pull together:
- a large Tumbler with Straw (we used these fabulous Love Potion cups)
- a few small goodies
- tissue paper or confetti to cushion the gifts inside (we used Paper Source’s Heart Tissue Paper Confetti, but the shredded paper would work well too)
- valentine making supplies, including ribbon or twine (Paper Source has a huge selection of goods to choose from, but we went with the all-in-one Mini Valentine’s Kit, holiday washi tape, and metallic paint markers).
Set all the items up and let your kiddo fill the Tumbler with goodies and the confetti. Help make sure the cup closes properly with the straw inside. Kane filled his glam sister Cami’s cup with these fabulous heart sunglasses, a purse mirror, and chocolate scratch n’sniff nail stickers. Kane has a wide variety of interests, but we were able to cover a lot of ground choosing a diggable diamond set, a teeny-tiny Etch-A-Sketch, and a secret message writing set for him.
Then, while your child gets going on the valentine, try to chat them up and see what it is they love about the recipient. I like to get at least three good tidbits and then incorporate those thoughts into the valentine. Tie a length of ribbon or twine onto the valentine(s) and loop them over the top of the cup, closing the top firmly to hold everything in. And there you have it: sweet without the sugar!
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Rebecca is a mom to two young kiddos and, in her spare time (ha!), likes to pretend she’s a back-up dancer, craft cocktails, and run long distances. She blogs family-friendly activities, DIYs, and celebration fun at Not-So-SAHM. Her first book, an activity-based book for parents, is full of things you’ll actually enjoying doing with your kiddos – due out this fall.