January 26, 2012

How to: Healthy Valentine Treats to Give Away

Ooo! I’ve seen so many cute ideas for Valentine’s Day! I’ve loved all of the cute sayings and things that are attached to a treat. One thing I noticed though is that not too many were the kinds of treats that I would want my kids to come home with. I have a hard time giving out things that I wouldn’t want in return. Now don’t get me wrong. I love sugar, but they just get SO much in one day. Why not be the one to provide a little non-sugary treat? Healthy Valentine treats anyone?

So here are some great healthy(ish) snacks to hand out on Valentine’s Day. One thing I kept in mind was price; these are healthy and inexpensive treats! I have a friend with 3 kids in elementary school and 1 in preschool. Between the 4 of them, she needs to have almost 100 Valentines ready to hand out! That is serious commitment to the Valentine if you ask me.

The Dollar Store really did me good this year! The little baggies (which are the zip close kind) were 40 for $1. The little foam heart stickers were also there in a pack of 240 stickers!

Lots of the ideas are prepackaged so they can be taken to school and fall into the categories of gluten-free, egg free, dairy free…all good options for kids with special diets! Most of the sayings aren’t super mushy either, just fun!

My Other Recipes

Healthy Valentine's Treats to take to school!

1. I’m Wild About You, Valentine

Treat: Animal Crackers (Giant 2 pound bag for $2.59, makes at least 30 bags)

How to: Fill up a little baggie with animal crackers, fold animal print paper over the edge of the baggie and staple it, glue the sheet of paper with your words on it to the animal print (to cover the staple).

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, animal cracker valentine

2. Knock, Knock

Who’s There?
Orange!
Orange Who?
Orange you glad it’s Valentine’s Day?
Treat: Fresh Orange
How to: Cut a 4 inch long heart out of green paper, write the first 4 lines of the joke on the front. I added little lines to make it look like 2 leaves. Cut a smaller light green heart, write the last line of the joke on it, and glue it to the back. Wrap 2 orange pipe cleaners around an orange, poke end through green hearts and twist to secure. Add a foam heart “cutie mark” (My Little Pony reference, for all you mothers of little girls).

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, orange valentine

Healthy Valentine Treats, fruit valentine, orange valentine

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, orange valentin

3. Fruity Valentine

Have a “berry” great Valentine’s Day! (strawberry or raspberry fruit leather)
You are the apple of my eye! (apple fruit leather)
You are “grape”! Happy Valentine’s Day! (grape fruit leather)
Treat: Stretch Island Fruit Co. all-natural fruit strips (from Costco)
How to: Cut a 3.5 inch by 7 inch piece of paper. Fold the paper around the fruit leather and secure with a glue stick on the back. Cut another piece of paper and write your saying on it. Attach with glue. Embellish with stickers.

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, island co fruit leather, fruit leather valentine

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, fruit leather valentine

4. Let’s stick together, Valentine!

Treat: Cheese stick
How to: Cut a piece of paper 3 inches wide and 6 inches long. Cut two holes about the size of a penny in the paper about one inch from each end. Add saying and embellish with stickers. Insert the cheese stick into the holes as shown. This is a great gluten-free, prepackaged idea!

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, cheese stick valentine

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, cheese stick valentine, string cheese valentine

5. You are a natural! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Treat: Nature Valley Granola Thin, or any other granola bar (These came in a box of 36, individually wrapped at The Dollar Store! That makes them about 3 cents per treat. Don’t worry. I bought 5 boxes!)
How to: Cut paper slightly bigger than your granola bar. Write your saying on the paper and use a glue stick to attach the granola bar right to the paper!

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, granola bar valentine

6. It’s Valentine’s Day! What’s “knot” to love?!

Our class would “knot” be the same without YOU!
Treat: Pretzels or if you are a real thrill seeker, chocolate-covered pretzels.
How to: Fill your treat bag. Cut a large heart and staple it to the top of the bag. Cut a smaller heart, write your message on it, and gluestick it to the bigger heart (covering the staple). You can make a rectangle top by cutting a paper as wide as you’d like and twice as long. Fold the paper in half and staple to the top of the filled treat bag. Glue another paper with your saying on top to cover the staple.

Healthy Valentine Treats for kids, healthy Valentines for kids, pretzel valentine

Now Snapple isn’t something I would give away to every kid in the class, but it would make a cute teacher gift or something nice to stick in the hubby’s lunch box!

7. You’re the snApple of my eye!

Treat: Snapple Juice
How to: Cut a large heart and write your saying on it (outline it with another paper if you like). Put a piece of tape in the middle of a pipe cleaner and attach it to the back of the heart. Twist the pipe cleaner around the neck of the bottle.