I was surprised a few days ago when I got the email from our school saying they would be having a Valentine’s party this year. Last year, our schools were closed due to COVID-19. I brought the party to us by decorating their home desks and coordinating with a couple of parents to mail valentine cards. It wasn’t the same but we still made it fun. Given our school still has a lot of COVID safety protocols in place, I was guessing that meant no parties.
My eight-year-old daughter was over the moon when she learned there would be a celebration.
I’ll be honest, part of me had that thought of rolling my eyes because it now meant I had to figure out Valentines for 21 kids. But then, I thought of last year and all that these kids missed out on. I thought of the families who struggled greatly. I thought of the fact that there are kids in our classrooms who have not had a lot of joy these past two years.
This reminded me of all I have to be grateful for. It immediately changed my attitude from eye rolling to, instead, looking at this as an opportunity to help these kids find some joy. Some normalcy in a world that is still unfortunately working through a pandemic.
Three years ago, I would never have looked at a classroom party this way. But now I do. I can now see God working to open my eyes and my heart to remain grateful for something as seemingly silly as a Valentine’s Day party; because we know what a year without it looks like.
If you are looking last minute for Valentine ideas, we’ve got you covered.
I am working with a school rule of no sharing of food allowed so there will be no candy this year for our Valentines.
Mini flashlights My daughter is opting for this idea this year. Maybe not your typical Valentine but we are tying a simple “to: from:” tag on each one and she thinks her classmates are going to love them. Pack of 24 and batteries included.
Box of Crayons Our Dollar Store sells packs of 4 mini boxes for $1. Add a cute tag saying something like “Have a colorful Valentine’s Day” and you are all set!
Fidgets I don’t know what the continued obsession is around fidgets but my kids cannot get enough of them. I got lucky around Christmas and found 3 packs of keychain fidgets for $1. If you can’t find that, you could get something like this. Of course, be mindful if you want to ensure each kid get the same item.
Printable Riddles (sometimes free!) My son is in 5th grade and is too cool for a lot of things. He is contemplating utilizing this idea for his party. You can go to places like Etsy and purchase cute printables to download and print that same day. You can also Google Valentine Riddles and print out your own.
Sunglasses Dollar Store to the rescue here or try places like Target that likely sell packs of cheap sunglasses for a lot cost. I thought this was such a cute idea and you can handwrite or print out something like “you are so bright” to attach to them.
Bonus- Don’t be afraid of store bought Most of these have candy so they will not work to meet our school requirements. But if your school allows, check out the variety that a Dollar store, Target, or grocery store has to offer. I have been pleasantly surprised in years past when we went this route.
Related:
Funny Valentine Gifts for Your Spouse or Friend under $20
Read more of Stephanie’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
