Ah, Valentine’s Day. Is there any sweeter representation of the holiday dedicated to love than class valentines?
As a preschool mom, I love the giving and receiving of class valentines! But I’d imagine the answer to the question above is met with many a groan of despair as your kids progress through elementary and into middle (and high) school.
Though I am, unapologetically, “that mom,” I fully appreciate that not everyone has the time, funds, or inclination to buy and put together fancy valentines for the whole class. The good news is, there are lots of really affordable and thoughtful options, and an equal number of online resources to make sure your kids’ class valentine is one of the very best in the basket.
Read on for a list of 50 class valentine ideas! The vast majority of them are non-food options, which means they can be enjoyed by all, irrespective of allergies. It’s super important to me that everyone feels included and can enjoy their treat! The edible options I’ve suggested cover a variety of age groups, from the littlest littles to tweens and teens. Where possible I’ve provided a link and suggested a valentine “theme” to accompany your goodies, and at the bottom is a list of resources that offer online printables, paper tags, cards, and cute ribbons, to help finish it all off.
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Class Valentines
Non-Edible Gifts
– Bubble bottles or wands [you blow me away!]
– Friendship Bracelets or or create your own Bracelet-making kits from a set like this [in our friendship era]
– Lego Figures [we’re built to be friends!]
– Mini Construction Vehicles [let’s dig up some fun!]
– Hot Wheels [I’m wheelie glad we’re friends!]
– Bead Necklaces [bead mine!]
– Lip Gloss or Lip Balm [hugs and kisses xoxo]
– Snack Cups — the perfect choice for babies and toddlers!
– Novelty Water Cups [sip sip hooray for Valentine’s Day!]
– Play Doh [Valentine, you’re a-doh-able!]
– Glider Planes [you make my heart soar!]
– Paint Sets [Valentine, you color my world]
– Mini Dinosaurs [you’re ROARsome, Valentine!]
– Socks (perfect for preschoolers, buy a pack and split!) [you warm my heart!]
– Eye-Patches [Happy Valentine’s Day, matey!]
– Heart-Shaped Glasses [you brighten up my day!]
– Sticker Sheets for little ones, Water Bottle adornments for big kids [Valentine, I’m stuck on you!]
– Hair Scrunchies or Ties — perfect for ballet or dance classmates [you’re tutu cute, Valentine!]
– Pencils
– Erasers
– Boxes of Crayons [you color my world, friend!]
– Mini Slinky
– Fidget Poppers [poppin’ by to say, Happy Valentine’s Day!]
– Glow Sticks [you light up my world, friend!]
– Mini Squishmallows — a pricier option, great if you’ve got a small class, dance class, or friendship group who all love these squishy friends [a hug from me to you!]
– Bouncy Balls [Valentine, you make my heart bounce!]
– Crazy Straws — a personal favorite of mine, loved by all ages [sip sip hooray for Valentine’s Day!]
– Bookmarks [snuggle up with a good book, Valentine!]
– Mini Maze Games — great bang for your buck with these little games, and perfect if you want to offer a small gift with candy alongside!
– Green Army Men [dropping in to say, Happy Valentine’s Day!]
– Stretchy Caterpillars [you’re a love bug!]
– Slime [have a slime of a time, Valentine!]
– Rubber Ducks [I’m a Lucky Duck to have a friend like you!]
– Whoopee Cushions [whoopee! It’s Valentine’s Day!]
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Tasty Treats
– Bubblegum Tape Rolls [poppin’ by to say, Happy Valentine’s Day!]
– Conversation Hearts — classic for a reason! The perfect candy to pair with a mini construction vehicle or tiny toy in a cellophane bag [sweets for my sweet friend!]
– Hershey Kisses — available in all kinds of holiday wrappers, buy a few large bags and create a mixture of hugs and kisses for each Valentine [hugs and kisses! xoxo]
– Crackers: Goldfish or Cheez-it [this may sound cheesy, but I think you’re grate!]
– Popcorn — either ready to eat, or sleeves of microwave popcorn work really well [poppin’ by to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day!]
– Pirate’s Booty — perfect for little ones [Ahoy Matey! Happy Valentine’s Day!]
– Lollipops — easy to turn this childhood staple into something special by printing a card and making a small hole to push the lollipop through. [Have a sweet Valentine’s Day!]
– Cookies — think, bags of mini Chips Ahoy!, Oreo, or Nutter Butter; or small packs of full size Oreos. I also like the individual bags of Made Good cookies for preschoolers
– Apple Sauce Pouches — perfect for the littlest valentines! [A big squeeze for my Valentine!]
– Mini Honey Bears — buy these little Honey Bear bottles and use a small funnel to fill each to the top with honey. Adorable! [Bee my Valentine?]
– Fruit Strips — fruit leather is a great edible option, alongside fruit roll-ups! Gummy fruit snacks are widely loved and available in seasonal heart shapes.
– Gummy Bears [I’m Beary Glad You’re My Friend!]
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Put a Bow On It: Cards, Tags & Ribbons
I would like to take a moment to say that, although I’ve just listed all of these ideas — the key part of the Valentine is always a card. Whether they are specially printed, bought in packs at Target, or made at home, the true sentiment of giving a valentine is the message it sends! If providing a gift of any kind for your kids’ entire class is beyond you this year — for ANY reason — then go back to basics: let them make cards for their friends and teachers with whatever you have at home and call it a day.
Whatever you choose to gift, making them stand out from the rest is relatively easy, it just takes a little extra time. If you’re giving more than one item — say, a vehicle and some conversation hearts; or a mini slinky and some Hershey kisses — or what you’re giving isn’t in its own packaging, I’d recommend corralling everything into a cellophane bag. The likes of Target, Walmart, and Michaels all sell packs of cellophane bags, including ones with valentine designs. You can either put the card inside, or use a printed (or handmade) tag or sticker in lieu of a card. An item in its own packaging (bags of cookies, packs of popcorn, Hot Wheels cars, etc) is the perfect candidate for simply applying a sticker.
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I typically choose the tag option, and there are a lot of great resources out there! From ordering specially printed tags from the likes of Katie Corley Art, Joy Creative Shop, and small businesses on Etsy; to buying tags/stickers in big box stores and letting your child write their name; to creating your own tags and stickers on Canva, Zazzle, or Chickabug; you can create a Pinterest-worthy class valentine with minimal effort.
Last but not least, dress up your bagged gifts with ribbons in red, pink, or heart-prints. You’ll need a single hole punch if you want to thread your tags onto the ribbon, which I usually do so they don’t fall off in the bag or basket class valentines get put into. I choose a red satin or grosgrain ribbon like this because it looks classic, and a large spool will do double-duty for class Christmas gifts.
Above all else: get your kids involved in making and putting together their class valentines! It’s a great way to spend time together, encourage their creativity, and learn more about what they think about their classmates.
Read more about why choosing for non-candy valentines is always a good idea here, and how to celebrate V-Day with teens here.