Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and the excitement is building as parents and caregivers seek out the perfect treats for their little ones. While candy may be the traditional go-to, there's a growing trend toward non-candy gifts that are equally delightful and have lasting benefits for kids. In this blog post, we'll explore the advantages of choosing non-candy Valentine's Day gifts for children, offering creative and thoughtful alternatives that promote health, creativity, and lasting memories.

27 Non-Candy Valentines Ideas for Kids and Classmates

Make Valentine’s Day classroom school exchange gifts really fun for boys & girls this year. Be the coolest parent on the block with these amazing non-candy Valentines Day ideas for classmates or friends! Valentine’s Day is such an exciting time for people in love and also for children who are gearing up for Valentine’s Day exchanges at school!

Finding fun and unique Valentine’s Day gifts for friends and classmates is so much fun and allowing your children to have input in what they are gifting on Valentine’s Day is key! Non-candy Valentine’s are a great way to avoid allergy issues and gift items that can be played with in the future versus eaten or thrown away! If you are looking for a last minute Valentine’s Day idea for classmates, these will arrive quickly and be a total hit!

There are so many fun Valentine's ideas on this blog to start your creative journey! Since all three kids are in school this year, I am getting my bake on and creating lots of fun Valentine’s Day treats to spoil their teachers and classmates. Making a Valentine’s Day bark recipe is an easy go to for me because you can make a large serving quickly with minimal ingredients!

I adore these Valentine’s Day Homemade Suckers as a great idea for a cute Valentines Day dessert and treat or gifts at a kids Valentine's Day party.

Placemat free printables are a free valentines cute idea when you are planning classroom parties at school. These fun Valentine's Day dice game printables great to use while setting up activities, while having a valentine’s themed snack, or during quiet time during the school day. If you are a room parent at your child’s school, send the FREE printable I spy game to the teacher so they can use others throughout the month or send home in an email for parents to use as well. Color by number Valentine's Day sheets are a great way to work on number recognition.

Favorite Non-candy Valentine Ideas

Benefits of Skipping Candy and using Easy Non-Candy Valentine Ideas:

Health-conscious Choices:Opting for non-edible valentine ideas allows parents to make health-conscious choices for their children. With rising concerns about childhood obesity and dental health, providing alternatives to sugary treats is a step towards promoting overall well-being. Also this allows kids with food allergies to engage in these valentine's day activities without worry!
Allergy-Friendly Options: In today's diverse world, where allergies are prevalent, non-candy gifts provide an inclusive alternative. Steering clear of edible treats minimizes the risk of accidental exposure to allergens, ensuring a safe and enjoyable celebration for every child.
Promoting Creativity and Learning: Non-candy gifts can foster creativity and learning. Whether it's a puzzle, a craft kit, or a book, these alternatives engage children in activities that stimulate their minds and encourage development, providing both entertainment and educational value.
Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly: Many non-candy gifts are reusable, reducing the environmental impact of disposable candy wrappers. Choosing eco-friendly options aligns with the growing global awareness of the importance of sustainable living.
Long-lasting Enjoyment: While candy is quickly consumed and forgotten, non-candy gifts have the potential for long-lasting enjoyment. Whether it's a toy, a game, or an art project, these gifts provide ongoing entertainment and serve as a reminder of the special Valentine's Day celebration.

27 Awesome Valentines Day Ideas

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Valentine's Day Card & Diamond Painting Kits This kid approved Valentine’s Day card and gift combo is perfect for boys and girls. These pet animals are paint by numbers and are individually wrapped in a 24 pack. Kids can select specific animals for classmates from the following options: dog, cat, frog, and bunny rabbit. Children are going to love receiving this non-candy Valentine’s Day gift because it inspires creativity and imagination. What I love about this as a Valentine’s Day gift for classmates is that its unique.
Unicorn and Dragon Wood Painting Kits I love these kids Valentine's Day card and gifts because they include so much! These Valentine’s Day non candy gifts are perfect for both girls and boys with unicorn and dragon options. This Valentine’s Day wood painting kits come in a 24-count set. Make your child’s Valentine’s Day classroom school exchange gift so much fun. Each Valentines card includes a wooden animal craft w paints, brush, and sticker.
Bubble Wand Valentine Gifts & Cards You can never go wrong with bubbles, right? Children will love opening their Valentine’s Day gift from a class friend with an animal bubble wand and card. This Valentine’s Day package comes with 32 bubble wands and 32 Valentines cards for kids which is plenty for a classroom and will have leftovers for home! This Valentine’s Day non candy gift for kids comes with 8 animal designs Valentine Day gifts. These Valentine's greeting cards are printing on high-quality cardstock, roughly measures 4 inches and perfect for kids and classrooms!
Valentine’s Day Cards with Gift Mini Sports Ball Figure My boys are obsessed with these as a Valentine’s Day gift for classmates who are into sports! This non candy Valentine’s Day set comes with 28 mini balls and 28 headers that features 4 different designs. Each design of the Valentine’s Day header has a pattern and a Valentine’s Day punchline of greeting to match the ball. Go on and give these squishy foam footballs a squeeze! They are made from non-toxic materials as well!
Hatching Dinosaur Eggs Gift Valentine’s Day These are my favorite valentine cards and non-candy gifts to get for my children’s friends! This bulk Valentine’s Day set includes 30 cards, 30 colorful eggs, and 30 self-adhesive clear bags. Dinosaur eggs can hatch out various dinosaurs, including T-Rex, Spinosaurus, Triceratops, Heterodon, Ankylosaurus, Diplodocus. Dino toys let your kid give more than a card for them to hatch when they get home! Great non candy Valentine’s exchange cards for kids!
Valentines Day PlayDoh - Valentine’s Day Gift Cards with colorful play dough for kids Valentine party favors and gifts. I love the play dough idea for non-candy Valentine’s Day gifts because all children love play dough. This set of Valentine cards and play dough includes 28 Valentine's Day cards and 28 cans of play dough. The Valentine’s Day cards come in 4 cute designs with each card has its special Valentine saying. The dough comes in 7 colors and the play dough is nontoxic. This is a great Valentine’s gift for families who want the gift to be for all genders!
Heart Themed Fuse Bead Kits Kids Valentine's Day Cards are so much fun and take me back to my childhood! This package of heart themed fuse bead kits is a 24ct which is perfect for a classroom! This non candy Valentine’s Day gift idea is perfect to make classroom school exchange gifts fun for boys & girls. Each Valentines card includes pixel art craft activity with perler beads.
Valentine’s Day Foam Squishy Set Valentine's Day Foam Squishy with Cards comes in a smaller set of 12 compared to the others so make sure you buy enough for your child’s class. This non candy Valentine’s Day squishy fun foam modeling foam will be a big hit for a classroom Valentine party.
Fidget Toy Valentine Idea Fidget toys are always a hit for children and this gender neutral non candy Valentine’s Day gifts will be a great choice! This Valentine’s set comes with a 28 pack of pop tubes with Valentine’s Day Gift Cards included. These Valentine's Day sensory toys for a classroom gift exchange!
Create Your Own Colored Sand Art Kits These are not specific to Valentine’s Day but I really love this idea to have a unique non-candy Valentine’s Day idea. The set is a 12 Pack Create Your Own colored sand art kits and includes 12 Bottles, Funnels, Sticks, and 48 Bags of Sand.
Pop it Valentine Gift Idea Be the coolest parent in the classroom if you sent in these Valentine’s Day non candy pop it gifts for kids classroom. This set is a 30 pack of sensory heart pop it toys with Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids included. This takes all of the work out of it for you and your child to send into school.
Slap Bracelet with Jokes Valentine’s Day Cards and gifts for kids that they will actually not throw away and keep? Yes please! My boys are obsessed with slap bracelets, so this set was an easy sell for them to pass out as non-candy Valentine’s Day gifts. This Valentine’s Day gift set for kids comes with 28 Cards with Envelopes and Slap Bracelets!
Colorful Crazy Loop Reusable Drinking Straws 32 Pack Valentine’s Day Gift Cards with a fun straw is cute and practical! Gift Colorful Crazy Loop Reusable Drinking Straws for Classroom Exchange Prizes are a wonderful non-candy Valentine Party Favor for your child in their classroom this year! This pack comes with so many that you may have extras for siblings as well!
Valentines Day Gift Cards with Realistic Mini Sea Animal Figure Toys With this non candy option these sea animals and valentine's card set is adorable and so unique! Your kids can surprise their friends with a sweet Valentine’s themed message using the card but also play with sea animal toys. Valentine Gift Cards with Sea Animal includes 28 Valentine's day cards and 28 sea animal toys. It comes in 7 designs and each design comes with a realistic sea animal and a funny unique punchline related to a pun of this animal.
Valentine's Day Gift Cards with Tic-Tac-Toe Keychain These non-candy Valentine’s Day gifts and cards are so cute, I kind of want one for myself! This Tic-Tac-Toe Keychains Set includes 28 valentine’s cards with cute, humorous messages that uniquely match the keychain. There are 4 Valentine’s Day card designs, each design with attractive decorations, and a special punchline matching a Toys’ theme. This option is also really easy to assemble by simply attaching to the cards.
Valentine’s Day Gift Cards with Gift Heart Maze Toy This fun Valentine maze card set includes 28 heart maze toys and 28 cards which feature 4 colorful heart designs. Each design of the card has a special Valentine’s Day punchline of greeting words and unique patterns matching the maze; each card has a maze game on its back too. These are cute and fun way to celebrate Valetine’s Day with a non-candy gift!
Fidget Spinner Valentine’s Day Fidget spinners are all the rage at my house and the boys wanted to buy these for their classmates this year. This Fidget Spinner Set Valentine’s Day Cards includes 28 valentine’s cards with cute, humorous messages that uniquely match the theme of the toys. I really love this idea for kids to have something to do that isn’t candy for Valentine’s Day gift exchange with classmates.
Race Car Valentine’s Day Race cars are forever a hit with kids of all ages, and this non-candy Valentine’s Day gift and card is a great selection! This Package Has in total of 28 Valentine's Cards with 7 Different Types of Die-Cast Racing Cars. These are easy for you to tie and remove the cars. Use the twist-ties to attach one racing car on each Valentine's card. This Valentine’s Day option is great because the cars are made with great quality and perfect for even smaller children.
Glow sticks - Glow sticks are always a hit whether you are using them to make a fun bath time or to run around outside at night! These easy ideas will
Bouncy Balls - These cute bouncy balls were pre-filled into translucent plastic red heart shells. Our set also comes with thick paper heart shape valentine’s cards for kids. A fun way to encourage social skill development and a chance to express gratitude to family, friends, and classmates.
Washi Tape - Creative ideas for kids! Your love bug and their friends will love this gift for an easy DIY valentines idea that will keep kids busy with washi tape and construction paper for hours! Throw in some other art supplies and make a crafters dream come to fruition!
Crazy straw - These silly straw options are so much fun for even older kids! Best of all kids can go home and have a sugary treat or drink with their new silly valentines straw.
Seed Valentines - "Plant Me" Enclosure Cards. Add an eco-friendly touch to school parties, product or gift with these adorable enclosure cards! These are my favorite things to give out and children will love watching them grow and bloom!
Hot Wheels - There are 7 card designs in this non candy Valentines ideas, each with attractive decorations, and special punchline matching a Toys’ theme. Easy to assemble with foil ties and no glue required. Kids will enjoy playing with our 28 pieces Die-Cast Racing Cars with Cute Valentines Card! Ideal Val
Friendship Bracelets - Valentine's Day designs including unicorn, heart, sweet, bear and more. Each one is carefully designed. Cute and Unique. Kids will love them. These Valentines cards have a unique groove design to which the friendship bracelet can be attached. FRIENDS FOREVER GIFT FOR KIDS!
Bath Bombs - 12 heart shape bath balls and contains 4 different scents and colors, such as sage, lavender, jasmine and other scents, making you can get a different warm experience every time you take a bath!
Sunglasses Valentine will love these fun idea that is unique, especially if you live in a warm weather area!

Classroom parties are such an exciting time for school aged children, and I love all of these non-candy Valentine’s Day ideas!

This Valentine's Day, consider stepping away from the conventional candy route and explore the world of non-candy gifts for kids. The benefits extend beyond the immediate joy of receiving a thoughtful present, encompassing health, inclusivity, creativity, sustainability, and lasting enjoyment. By choosing non-candy alternatives, we not only show our love for the little ones but also contribute to their overall well-being and development. So, let's make this Valentine's Day a celebration of love, creativity, and healthy choices for our children that they will cherish for years to come.