Valentine’s Day Gifts for Kids
I love Valentine’s Day. Not for any Hallmarky-romantic reasons, but because I truly believe it is important to tell the people you love how you feel about them. And I am big on thoughtful gifts any time of year — not expensive, just thoughtful.
So if you are looking for fun ways to tell the children in your life how much you love them, here are some of my best ideas.
Joe Wos’ Maze Books
Joe Wos is a bit of a celebrity in our house. He occasionally teaches cartooning classes at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and online, and my son has taken several of his classes online — and LOVED them. So I highly recommend checking out the museum’s course offerings to see if there’s something coming with Mr. Wos that might work for your kids. He is fabulous!
Mr. Wos’ claim to fame, howerver, is his series of maze books which are incredibly fun! Several children in our lives recieved Our A-Maze-Ing National Parks for Christmas, and my son loves working through those mazes — and then using the illustrations as inspiration for his own cartoons.
A New Card Game
We play a lot of games in our house, and recently many of our favorites have involved tacos, burritos, and lots of silliness. These are great games for kids and grown-ups alike, and I love the fact that a game is not only a gift but it is also the gift of your presence each time you play. One note: Throw Throw Burrito is better with 4 or more people which was a disappointment to our singleton — just know that.
A Bug Hotel
If you have been around awhile, you’ll know that I am working hard to make our yard more wildlife-friendly and inviting to pollinators, in particular. One way to do this is to provide places for solitary bees to lay their eggs and for other insects to rest by building bug hotels. This is a simple DIY project, but if you don’t have the time to DIY, I found this wonderful kit from HABA, one of my favorite toy brands. I gave my older nieces (ages 9 and 6) each a bug hotel for Christmas, and we put them together one afternoon. For both of them, it was their first time building something using tools, and they had a blast! The kits only require a screwdriver — and would go together very quickly with a driver. They are child-friendly, and the older children were able to assemble it completely without much help at all.
Whether you build from a kit or buy one ready-made, your bug hotel will provide all kinds of interest for little ones as bugs find it. Your budding entomologists will love watching for insects to move in and do their buggy thing. Don’t think you need one? Check out what happened when I was refinishing a vintage door in our backyard!
Great Bath Toys
If you are looking to make bathtime fun, these Bath Bombs are our favorites! They smell great, don’t irritate sensitive skin, and come in lots of fun colors! Pair them with some great bath toys, and you have a happy child who loves getting clean!
Books for Young Readers
You know we LOVE to read in our house, and no gift list would be complete without a few book recommendations. These are some of our favorites recently. I also have a wide range of book lists for kids and adults which you can find here.
Picture Books
Younger Readers
Read Aloud and Older Readers
Valentines to Make
If making things is more your style, I have lots of gift ideas that won’t take much time, too, including dress-up clothes, personalized clipboards, and a flower press. Additionally there are Valentine’s Day crafts, decorating ideas, and more on the full Valentine’s Day page. Enjoy!
