21 Fun and Easy Kids Valentine Party Ideas

Valentine’s day is upon us, and for those of us who procrastinate (or who are just really busy), it’s JUST ABOUT TIME TO PANIC. But, fret ye not, mamas of elementary and preschool aged kids! We have you covered. We’re talking EASY kids Valentine party ideas.

We’ve got tons of kids Valentine games (for preschoolers and big kids), crafts, snacks, and decorations so you don’t have to spend all night the night before your child’s Valentine’s party sobbing and scrolling Pinterest.

Girl, we got you.

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Valentines Day Party Games

If you have a young child, you know that any holiday party that involves sugar should also involve games.

Preferably supervised games where children are moving their tiny, glucose-filled bodies in a controlled way.

And why not get in some exercise while they’re at it?

Valentines Day Games for Preschoolers

If you have a preschooler or toddler, you likely know that it can be hard to play games with them. They’re likely running around after all that sugar, and keeping them focuses can be difficult.

That’s why we suggest keeping it simple. Here are our ideas for valentines games for preschoolers:

1. Read a Short Book

You might want to try doing this before snack time. But even if your preschooler won’t sit still, you can still read a book aloud to them. We love Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse and How Many Do I Love You (A Valentine Counting Book). And of course preschoolers love Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day is Cool, which comes with stickers you can use for valentines!

Circle the littles up and let them enjoy a good Valentine’s story!

2. Set Up a Ball Pit

It’s no secret that little ones love balls! What’s better than a Valentine’s-themed ball pit that you can pop up at a party? This one is so cheap that you can order several if you have multiple kids attending.

3. Play “I Spy”

You can start with an I Spy Valentine’s-themed book that will get preschoolers used to the idea of playing the game, and then you can start playing with other things!

We recommend placing various colored paper hearts around for them to “spy” so that they can work on their colors as you play.

Valentines Day Games for Ages 4+

We love the fun ideas for active games from Verywell Family. Relay races and hula hoop competitions are awesome if you want to get kids’ bodies moving and keep them entertained! But if it’s too cold outside, never fear!

There’s no shortage of fun options like Freeze Dance (perhaps to a love song for Valentine’s Day?) or beanbag tosses. (Speaking of, grab some red felt, scissors, a stapler, and a bag of beans, and you’ve got a craft-turned-game. Kids make their own beanbag hearts and then move into a beanbag toss!)

If you need more fun Valentine’s Day party ideas for games, we love these party games you can buy online. 

These fun Valentine’s Day games won’t break the bank, and most of them can be shipped to you quickly:

1. Play Valentine’s Bingo

You can actually play this game with a wide range of ages! This bingo set uses pictures instead of words, so don’t worry if you have kids who aren’t reading quite yet.

This game includes 24 cards and heart-shaped chips to play with. It’s the perfect addition to any classroom party that you got roped into volunteering to plan. (You knew we’d have you covered with class Valentine ideas too, right?)

2. Pin the Heart on the Llama

Pin the Heart on the Llama is an adorable addition to any kids Valentine party! It’s so cute we can hardly stand it, and it comes with a game poster, heart stickers, and a blind fold.

Plus, who doesn’t love llamas??

3. Unicorn Ring Toss Game

If you’ve been within a half mile of a toy store in the past year, you know that unicorns are all the rage these days. So order a Unicorn Ring Toss game, and score automatic “cool mom points” with your kids. 

PRO-TIP: While the bingo game can be played by 24 children at a time, the pin the heart on the llama and unicorn ring toss game can only be played by a few children at a time. 

We suggest purchasing pin the heart on the llama and unicorn ring toss together so that kids won’t get bored while they wait. 

OR, you could have a parent lead some of the heart-healthy games above while children come in groups to play the smaller-group games!

Kids Valentine Craft Ideas

Valentine’s Day crafts for kids are a necessity at any kid party.

Allowing children to take the theme of a holiday (in this case, love!) and make something related to that theme is a perfect way for them to exercise creativity while learning about the holiday and its central message. 

Here are some of our favorite easy valentine crafts that come pre-packaged so you don’t have to worry about what time Michael’s or Hobby Lobby closes. 

1. Scratch Hearts

Scratch hearts are a fun and unique way for kids to get creative! When kids scratch the black heart with the provided stylus, a rainbow message appears.

They come with ribbons and envelopes so you can turn them into ornaments for a Valentine’s Tree or give them out as valentines.

2. Acrylic Pens

Acrylic pens are great for rock decorating.

Hear me out: my nieces and nephews are OBSESSED with decorating and leaving rocks in places where people (i.e. other kiddos) can find them. 

There are even WHOLE Facebook pages dedicated to letting people know where rocks have been left and which ones have been found. 

So, go out into your backyard or local nature trail and collect some rocks! 

If you don’t have time to do that, yep, you can actually order smooth river rocks on the internet. Isn’t the 21st century amazing?!

Have children decorate them with Valentine’s day themes and special messages and then leave them all over school or their neighborhoods for others to find. 

This is a great way to illustrate spreading love and positivity to others, so take a minute to make sure you talk through this with your kiddos.

3. Decorate a Valentine’s Day Photo Frame

Decorating a Valentine’s Day photo frame is always a fun craft, and as an added bonus, you can take photos of the kids doing it to put inside the frame.

This pre-packaged set comes with over 100 doilies, 24 foam hearts, and 2 bags of stickers! Kids can craft to their little hearts’ desires and you can sit back and each chocolate while admiring your success.

Valentine Party Food Ideas

Alright, so we’ve arrived at the central part of any good article on kids Valentine party ideas: food. 

Hands holding up a heart-shaped piece of sugar cookie dough with flour in the background
Baking can be such a fun activity, and who doesn’t love heart-shaped Valentine’s Day cookies?

In this section, we’ll give you some ideas for healthy snacks, traditional Valentine snacks, and allergy-friendly snacks!

Healthy Valentine Snacks

Most schools now discourage sugar-filled parties, and we can get behind that (let’s be real, your kids are going to get tons of sugar from other children, anyway). Here are some great ideas for healthy Valentine’s day snacks to take.

1. Fruit Cups With Free Printable Labels

We love this super easy idea! Buy some plastic cups with lids, fill them with fruit, and then use labels like “bananas for you” or “you’re really grape!”

2. Frozen Strawberry and Yogurt Treats

These look so yummy we want to eat them now! Just be sure you’re preparing them for older children, as frozen treats can present a choking risk for younger kids.

These can be used to make your favorite little ones healthy, heart-shaped sandwiches, or you could even use the cookie cutter to make a low sugar/healthy heart-shaped Valentine’s cookie! We love this round-up of healthy cookie recipes.

Traditional (Sugar-filled) Valentine Snacks

Check out these adorable Valentine’s Day sugary snacks for when, well, you just need to serve something truly sweet.

1. Rice Krispie Treat Cupcakes

Let your kids get in on the fun and help you make them the night before for some quality family bonding time. (Or do it yourself like the true control freak you are–no one here is judging you!).

2. Valentine’s Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies

Got some extra time on your hands? These Valentine’s Conversation Heart sugar cookies are soooo cute! 

3. Mix and Match these Ideas!

For instance, you could easily use the cookie cutters from the Healthy Valentine snacks list to simply cut rice Krispie treats or sugar cookies into a heart shape. 

Remember that it’s not about going all out: it’s simply about making a treat the kids will enjoy.

Allergy-friendly Valentine Snacks

Finding allergy-friendly snacks for kids Valentine party ideas has become something we need to do to protect kids with food allergies. Try these ideas!

1. Fruit Yoyo Snacks

These fruit yoyo snacks are pre-packaged, but don’t get the wrong idea! They are also non-GMO, gluten free,vegan, and sugar free.

Aside from being super healthy and allergy friendly, these fruit snacks are packaged in a really cute, Valentine-colored package. We love it.

2. Red Velvet Cupcakes

Make some gluten-free red velvet cupcakes! Kids love cupcakes, and with this recipe, you can be sure that children with Celiac’s can be included in the fun.

Also, the author has made lots of notes about other allergen replacements, as well, like milk and eggs. 

3. Allergy-friendly Sugar Cookies

We’ve already mentioned sugar cookies, but did you know they can also be gluten free, nut free, and vegan??

This recipe is actually for Christmas-themed cookies, but use the recipe and the above-mentioned heart-shaped cookie cutters, and you’ll be good to go!

And the entire recipe is written to be allergy-friendly beyond gluten, so you will have your bases covered (be sure to know what your bases are, though!).

Young boy holds up a heart-shaped piece of construction paper that reads "Happy Valentine's Day"
We hope you enjoy Valentine’s Day with your kids!

Valentine’s Day Party Decorations

One of the most magical parts of any Valentine’s party is the decor. And nope, you don’t have to spend a ton of money or lose your mind trying to make it perfect. In fact, get the kids involved!

Decorating for a party will give them a sense of investment in the event and a sense of responsibility. Win/win.

Here are some of our favorite party decorations that you can order easily:

1. Valentine’s Heart Garland (Vertical)

We love the idea of hanging this heart garland in doorways. It will give the kids the sense that they are walking into something really special and fun. You can also create this same effect with red tinsel.

If you need a horizontal garland to hang behind the snack table, this hearts garland is super cute! Pair it with heart sugar cookies we mentioned earlier, and you’re good to go!

2. Balloon Arch Kit

Create some pizzazz with not a lot of money by ordering an adorable balloon arch kit! This one from Etsy is super cute.

Gorgeous red, white, and pink balloon garland with valentines hearts in front of a wooden background

The great thing about balloon arches is that they also make a fun backdrop for a photobooth! Have an adult stationed there to take photos of kids, and grab an easy photobooth kit for kids to use.

3. Homemade Arts and Crafts

Not much is sweeter than viewing the hard work of little kids. Why not display that everywhere as party decor?

Grab a huge pack of construction paper (these are pre-cut into hearts), kid-friendly scissors, doilies, and markers, and let your little ones make hearts to their hearts’ desire.

What are your favorite go-to Kids Valentine Party Ideas? Tell us in the comments!

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