Surprise your kids with a special treat this Valentine’s Day. Whether you choose to bake cookies together or cuddle up to a special movie, spending time together builds the most precious memories. Another way to show your love is with a heartfelt gift. Valentine’s Day gifts for kids can fit any budget. The meaning behind the gift is more important than the amount that you spend. Show your child how much you know about them with one of these gifts that I selected for my Valentine’s Day gift guide.

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Kids

Shoes

My girls love a good pair of shoes. Go for a fun pair of shoes for dress up occasions. Nene shoes is a shoe company that sells the festively colored, pink Emma Flats Pink and Taupe. I couldn’t get enough of this style, so I got a pair for each daughter and one for myself. Check out Georgiana in her pair. She’s got her Valentine’s Day look down well in advance.

Writing a Valentine’s Day gift article so soon after Christmas, I was worried I would spoil my girls, but all fears were squelched when I saw the look in Georgiana’s eyes. As a second child, she gets all the hand me downs, and she makes excellent use of her shoes that are almost two years old. Having a brand new pair made her so happy that she agreed to be in an adorable, rare photo shoot for me.

 Jewelry and Accessories

Jewelry shows girls how special and appreciated they are. Does your daughter adore sparkly, beautiful jewelry? My older daughter Samantha does. She’ll be six in a couple months, and she loves dressing up with jewelry. She’s had a hard time adjusting to kindergarten lately, and she’s been sad that I can’t stay home to be there for more important moments this year. As a symbol of how much I care, I’m giving her a La Vita Linx necklace chain with the lots of love charm. Each charm can connect with the next in the chain, so it’s a gift you can add to on every special occasion. You can build a memory that begins with love.

Another fun gift idea for girls is a purse or bag. Bags help with organization. Many girls enjoy making their outfit look different with a new accessory. Hip City Sak carries the Follow Your Heart bag that my daughter Samantha adores. She’s been wearing it since Christmas, and she finds it really useful. The neat thing about the bag is that it attaches to a belt. Girls can wear this bag on the go, and they can stay active as well as organized.

Gifts for Classmates

The Stationery Studio sells heart cupcake Valentine exchange cards. These are some of the cutest Valentine’s Day cards that I’ve seen! I liked the font and the coloring. Last year, we made our own cards, which was a thrifty and crafty option. These cards look way better than what we made last year. Samantha’s going to be very proud to hand these cards out to her classmates. The design looks professional, and the cards are printed well. Kids will love to receive these cards.

Treats

What would Valentine’s Day be without some sweets? There’s no quicker way to make my kids smile than to give them some candy. Gimbal’s sells a trio of lovers-inspired candy that would go together well for a fun, family movie night. Check out the Cinnamon Lovers candies, shaped like tiny hearts! The Cherry Lovers fruit chews have some healthy components, with real cherry juice, antioxidants, and Vitamin C. For a tart flavor, Sour Lovers will hit the spot.

Give a delightful mix of sweet and savory with a Monkey Love popcorn tin from Popcorn Factory. With several choices of flavors to choose from, your kids will be elated. In the tin, you get a classic butter popcorn, cheese popcorn, and caramel popcorn. All of the flavors are delicious! I sampled this with my family, and we couldn’t get enough of it. Since the tin comes with so many choices of flavors, it worked out well because we were all happy to share.

This next set of treats reminds me of when I was a kid, and my class would all create mailboxes at our desk for exchanging Valentine’s Day cards. As a throwback to a fun childhood time, buy Mini Mailbox Sets from Cheryl’s cookies. I surprised my daughter with this cookie set when I volunteered at her school, and she was so happy.

I told her, “I brought you some mail so I can give you this very important message…” and as I opened the mailbox, I said,”That I love you!”

She was especially excited for the treats, and when the candy is gone, she’s going to love playing with the mailbox. I also gave a mailbox to my younger daughter, so both girls have been treating themselves to something special every night after dinner. Both girls were sweet enough to share their pink, heart-shaped sugar cookies with their parents. I was delighted with the taste and soft texture. It was delicious.

Cuddly Toys

The best toys are long lasting. Give your kids something warm that they can cuddle with for years. Two of my favorites are the Valentine Hedgehog and teddy bear from Papyrus. Hedgehogs are unexpected, original gifts that kids will find endearing. I liked that the teddy bear was large, almost a foot tall. With a bright red bow, the teddy bear is festive and adorable. Papyrus is well known for their incredible cards, and they offer excellent gifts too. Both the toys are soft and ready to be cuddled.

Another fun duo of stuffed toys are the Luv U Chimp and Lopsie Wopsie Phant from Aurora World. I found the chimp to be particularly fun. If you squeeze the chimp’s left hand, it says I love you, and its cheeks light up. The elephant was especially festive with its pink, heart patterned ears. I’ve given my kids Aurora World stuffed animals in the past year, and I’ve always found that the stuffed animals have a great, long lasting quality.

Bath and Beauty Supplies

Whether kids enjoy getting clean or not, it’s a great idea for parents to encourage excellent grooming skills from a young age. For preteens, I would recommend the Everyday Protection kit from Ottilie & Lulu. The kit comes with face wipes to help with clear complexions. Ideal for this cold winter weather, the face moisturizer is light and non-greasy, which makes it perfect for preteen skin. Samantha tried this kit out to see how well it worked. Her skin looked beautiful! Check out the result on my Instagram page.

For girls and boys, Crazy Foam bath supplies are one of the most fun ways to get clean. Instead of a liquid or gel, the product is a foam that makes getting clean a silly and exciting experience for kids. My daughters have been using this since December, and they can’t get enough of it. The foam is made of ingredients that work as a body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, so you can get clean as you play.

Games

To give Valentine’s Day an educational spin, give games that build skills. I tried out three games from the company ThinkFun. One game that makes learning music a more creative experience is Compose Yourself. You can try out different musical compositions, go to the website, and have your composition played back to you with a full symphony orchestra. My daughters both enjoy playing piano, so this game is a fun way to get them to challenge themselves.

Another favorite is Robot Turtles. This game introduces programming concepts to kids ages four and up. Since my kids adore turtles, they loved playing the game. With my background as a teacher and my husband’s background in computer programming, we both like the concept of encouraging coding literacy in kids from a young age. Kids can actively build the skills necessary for advanced computer work. I liked that the game was hands on and could be played as a whole family.

For more skilled coders, buy the Code Master game. Kids ages eight and up learn to use programming logic as well as critical thinking skills. To play, you are an avatar using a map in a faraway land to discover power Crystals. Although I know little about coding, the instructions are simple enough that anyone can play.

Gifts for Creative Preteens

Thoughtful gifts encourage your kids to further their passions. When you shop for your kids, buy items that fit with their interests. One gift idea for creative preteens would be the writer’s toolkit, basic canvas tote from Greymade, a Brooklyn-based clothing and lifestyle brand. The tote bag is a medium size, so it could fit all of a kids’ school supplies for a day at school, while it would also work for an afternoon out with friends. Another gift idea from the same company is the Listeners shirt with bright red headphones. I tried this shirt out, as you can see on my Instagram page. The T-shirts fit well, but they do run a little small.

Books

For my younger daughter’s Valentine’s Day gift this year, I received a personalized book with her name and photos from I See Me!, a company that sells personalized books and gifts for kids. The Who Loves Me? Valentine’s edition came with a storybook and stickers. Because the book is personalized, it’s educational and engaging for kids. As part of the sticker set, you get a sticker for each person who loves your child, up to six people. Inside the book, there’s a photo of your child and a story about the many people who love her. I have found that personalized items help teach kids how to spell their names, which gets them more involved with reading.

What I most like about Valentine’s Day is that it’s a reminder to show my love to those around me. As a mom, I often myself in the position of nagging the kids to clean and do their homework. Giving a thoughtful gift makes me happier, and it helps me focus on the positive in our complex mother-daughter relationships. On Valentine’s Day, I will look forward to giving my kids a reminder of how much I appreciate them as they are.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your kids? Share your ideas in the comments section below.

Disclosure

I received a free item, but it in no way influenced my opinion!