daycare valentine party

lorist202 · February 2014

Last year when I returned to work, I was caught completely off guard by the cute stuff the other moms did for the valentines. We only did those tiny cards. Other moms did treats, etc. What do you attach to the valentines, if anything?

JessAnnJ · February 2014

I don't have any advice, but if you don't mind I have a question to add. At what age do the valentines start? My daughter is 13 months and they are having a valentine party on Friday. I've been wondering if I'm supposed to make something.

jf198400 · February 2014

Last year nothing, this year dumdum lollipops. I don't have time for anything crafty.

RachieTK · February 2014

For DS's first valentines day, I made him a shirt with a brown heart and white stitching to look like a heart shaped football. I was a lunatic about it, and made giant sugar cookies painted with brown royal icing and piped on the white stitching. They took forever and he was too young to even have one! Last year I did bags of 6 smaller heart cookies decorated with different colors of sanding sugar. This year will be chocolate covered pretzel rods I think... I need to get organized. There at 15 kids at his in home to bring for.

jf198400 · February 2014

JessAnnJ said:
I don't have any advice, but if you don't mind I have a question to add. At what age do the valentines start? My daughter is 13 months and they are having a valentine party on Friday. I've been wondering if I'm supposed to make something.

Thats a tough age, it will probably be some but not all. Definitely by 2yrs old everyone will do it. DS was in infants last year and I didn't send anything but one mom gave out pouches that said "you're my main squeeze"

shannm · February 2014

I can't tell how old your LO is. For DD who is 22 months, I will do nothing. Maybe something nice for her teacher.
For DS who's five, last year we made heart shaped rainbow crayons and stuck them to cards that he wrote out himself. This year, I have valentines pencils stashed away and I will attach a hand written note. If LO is not old enough to "get it" I usually don't do much.

thedash · February 2014

I ordered these from etsy:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121030323/glad-we-are-in-the-same-school

jesuisfatiguee · February 2014

I might bring a treat in for the teachers. I won't bother with anything for the babies, though.

emberlee3 · February 2014

No crafts here. I bought some kind of Monsters Inc cards that come with erasers. DD is just going to give cute puppy and kitty cards. I think the school is having a late afternoon party, so I will probably try to make a treat to bring. Or maybe I'll just bring fruit.

traveltheworld · February 2014

We just got sent DS's class list by the director so I assume we have to send something in. DS is 18 months. It never even occurred to me that I have to send something other than cards, so I guess I should look into that. Yeek.

NicoleWI · February 2014

I had this happen at DD's preschool. I just sent the cards, thinking that was what we were supposed to do, and people sent all these cute gift bags and handmade/themey things. I think this year I will probably just add a lollipop or something easy.

MamaAllison · February 2014

Last year was our first V-day at DC and we just did the little card thing, which even that I thought was ridiculous for 18 month olds - they can't read! Must be the PP hormones but this year I'm way more into it - it helps that DD really has friends now and I feel like she will be into it too. I found little animal three piece wood puzzles (lions, giraffes, etcetera) at Michel's and made little tags that said "wild about you", they came out cute!!

ccam · February 2014

Oh man, I hope DS doesn't need to bring anything.

mlee116 · February 2014

Last yr I just did cards. DS is almost 2, so this year I am giving them little bags of Teddy Grams with a card that says "Bear hugs from Sam to ____." It will be easy and cheap since there are only 4 other kids in his class and it's an alternative to candy, which I'm sure they will all get plenty of from the rest of the class.

I totally love holidays, esp Valentine's Day, so I get pretty into it!

mlee116 · February 2014

*sorry, I meant Teddy Grahams.

ccam · February 2014

That's really cute @mlee116

ss+el · February 2014

Lots of Valentines come with stuff already now. Stickers, tattoos, pencils, etc. We just did plain ones last year. This year, I bought a fun foam kit at Target to make his own.

mlee116 · February 2014

ccam said:

That's really cute @mlee116

Thanks! Gotta love Pinterest

litzo27 · February 2014

I think just cards are fine! Frankly I was annoyed when DS came home when he was 2.5 with a bag of lollipops and other candy junk. At 3.5 we did card + stickers.
When he was 4.5 we did this cool project on the weekend before with melted crayons. You can do them as hearts but we did dinosaurs.
https://spoonful.com/crafts/crayon-hearts

justjinny · February 2014

I ordered some personalized classroom valentines on Minted that will have LO's photo on them. I think you can still get them delivered in time if you do 2 day shipping.

Then I just bought a little $8 tub of bath/teething toys & am planning on putting 1 toy for each kid in a little gift bag & attaching the cards (7 kids altogether). If I had my act together I would have picked out a card that had some sort of theme related to the toys, but oh well! I just got a little thing of chocolates for his 2 teachers.

He's in the infant room and about half of the kids aren't even eating solids yet, so I figured any sort of edible treats weren't an option!

jlaOK · February 2014

When DS was 1 I gave each kid an applesauce pouch. Last year (2-yrs-old) I gave each a small box of crayons. Now that DS is 3, I'm a little more lenient about him eating treats. I'll do the store boxed valentine's and some sort of treat. Maybe something like gummy snacks or graham crackers.

Leap08 · February 2014

This year DD1 and I are making card for her class and her sisters. They are basically an index sized card with a heart glued in the middle and some stickers. I'm going to glue a heart shaped hersheys bar to the center heart. That's it. No other treats. I wanted to do the melted crayon hearts instead of chocolate, but I don't have time. We're going out of town this weekend and I think I'm going to be lucky to get all the cards done in time. It's been kind of fun working on the cards with DD1. She is really into the craft/art stuff right now.

rubber_chicken · February 2014

I bought some cards for DD to "distribute". She's 20 months.

Do kids, and babies, seriously need goody bags with candy and toy cr@p for Valentine's day??

WBMom · February 2014

I am a big fan of free printables and then I attached them to something - (fruit snacks, goldfish crackers). Makes it super easy and pretty inexpensive.

I am using these this year:

https://delightfulorder.blogspot.com (the free valentine printables)

https://iheartnaptime.com (they have free valentines printables)

jf198400 · February 2014

rubber_chicken said:
I bought some cards for DD to "distribute". She's 20 months.

Do kids, and babies, seriously need goody bags with candy and toy cr@p for Valentine's day??

Seriously Pinterest is destroying our lives people! We're all on this board b/c we work, ain't nobody got time for that.

Soon2BMrsN · February 2014

NicoleWI said:

I had this happen at DD's preschool. I just sent the cards, thinking that was what we were supposed to do, and people sent all these cute gift bags and handmade/themey things. I think this year I will probably just add a lollipop or something easy.

This happened to me last year as well. I need to up my game this year and really like the Teddy Graham idea, @mlee116!

Mustardseed2007 · February 2014

We've been told that the kids in DS's class (18-3 yrs, Montessori) will decorate a valentine bag and that we should bring a card for each child (they emphasize the small cards they sell at walmart in packs of 12 rather than a large card, which tells me 2 things. 1) Some parents go over the top with large or homemade super cute and crafty cards and 2) DC encourages the store bought ones. They say we can bring something small to go with it like stickers but no candy.

I was planning on buying store bought cards and stickers. DS loves stickers. We actually have a bunch of stickers left over from his birthday party so I was considering using those, but those are superhero themed so...we'll see.

82Sonia · February 2014

Thats a tough age, it will probably be some but not all. Definitely by 2yrs old everyone will do it. DS was in infants last year and I didn't send anything but one mom gave out pouches that said "you're my main squeeze"

I was going to do this. Is it over the top?

mlee116 · February 2014

jf198400 said:

I bought some cards for DD to "distribute". She's 20 months.

Do kids, and babies, seriously need goody bags with candy and toy cr@p for Valentine's day??
Seriously Pinterest is destroying our lives people! We're all on this board b/c we work, ain't nobody got time for that.

I'm trying very hard to remember this. With DS's classes (he's transitioning between infants and toddlers), all the parents work FT so I imagine there will be more store bought cards. But DD's preschool class has a 50/50 mix of FT DC/preschool kids and kids that are just there for the "school" day and have SAHMs. It seems like her class has more crafty cute stuff as a result (like for the Christmas party) and I feel a need to compete - and I don't even know why. Maybe I'll outsource crafty valentines

The only reason I'm doing the little bear thing is because there are a total of 5 kids in DS's class. And because I love Valentine's Day and this is a super easy project. But no, I'm not hand making some Valentine's Day cards for a bunch of 2 yr olds to rip, lose or eat. Last year most parents did those little cheapy cards and some didn't do anything. And it was perfectly fine. Don't feel like you need to compete...I seriously think those people are doing it more for themselves bc what do toddlers care about Valentine's Day?

jf198400 · February 2014

82Sonia said:

Thats a tough age, it will probably be some but not all. Definitely by 2yrs old everyone will do it. DS was in infants last year and I didn't send anything but one mom gave out pouches that said "you're my main squeeze"

I was going to do this. Is it over the top?

It's not over the top. I just don't think it's necessary. The kids are too young to know or understand, so I personally don't see the point. Whereas DD is 3, and all the kids get excited about what they are giving out and what their friends gave them.

jc&cat · February 2014

DS's preschool did a post office theme this week to get ready for valentine cards next week. I ike that they are adding an exercise to practice writing the classmates name on a valentine card (got the little valentine boxed cards from target) and the whole mail delivery system. No pressure for goodies attached but they will have a valentine party on the 14th and parents are invited to sign up for special snacks.

DD's class is valentine cards and party.

QueSrah · February 2014

DD is four and this is the first year we're doing anything. Last year she got maybe 6 or 7 valentines (out of a class of 20+ and one was from a friend in another class), so clearly I wasn't the only one to say "ain't nobody got time for that" :P I just bought some packs from Target to pass out. Craftiness is not my jam.

mittensonkittens · February 2014

Our daycare does Valentines in the toddler room and up. I got some printable valentines from Etsy (they design it and send you a PDF), and I will tape them to a package of animal crackers or a small toy. Last year I had store bought cards and I taped them to bubbles for my toddler and treats for my oldest. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on crafts to impress other moms. Maybe when the kids are old enough to make their own we'll do something.

groovygrl · February 2014

Didn't read all the replies but I always get the kind that come w/ a tattoo b/c most kids like tattoos and it is like they're getting 'something' besides the card. At our school we have gotten tattoos, stickers, lollipops, the candy things that double as valentines (like you can write to & from on the candy or pretzel bag) etc but no one thankfully has gotten all crazy & crafty.
We started doing them in the 2 1/2 yr old room and honestly the kids really don't care about the cards that much, they want to see the character & then if there is something small with it, they are more into that than how the card looks.

dizzycooks · February 2014

I just took dd to pick out valentines after seeing a sign that they are passing them out on Friday. She got a box of Minnie Mouse cards that came with pencils. I wrote her name, she scribbled on them and then she put a sticker on each card. Done. Cutesy? Not really, but she helped the whole time and to me that's the point.

Samiantha101 · February 2014

What @bearsbearsbears said. My daughter is 19 months. Any valentines she may receive will go in the trash.

Meery82 · February 2014

82Sonia said:

Thats a tough age, it will probably be some but not all. Definitely by 2yrs old everyone will do it. DS was in infants last year and I didn't send anything but one mom gave out pouches that said "you're my main squeeze"
I was going to do this. Is it over the top?

I did it. I thought it was a cute idea. But I love Pinteresty crap like that. I cut the heart tags out of construction paper and wrote on them with a Sharpie. I got the little baggies from Target's dollar section.

court115 · February 2014

bearsbearsbears said:

Wow, IMO a lot of this is overboard, especially for the age of the kids.

Most of these treats that you worked so hard on would go into my trash can as soon as she got home. I have no patience for clutter or candy for her at this age.

My kid's school is having a party and we were requested to give out cards. We got some cards from Target for $5 that have stickers of dogs and cats. Done.

Love love love love love.

CarrieB. · February 2014

Is it bad that this whole thread makes me glad that my kids aren't in daycare (they are home w DH) so I don't have to make crafty cards and gifts? I guess I will worry about this next year when DD1 is in preschool.

I did buy a pack of cards and some heart stickers for DD1 to decorate for the grandparents and great grandparents.

jf198400 · February 2014

CTGirl30 said:
I have one about to move into preschool room and we are doing goodie bags with a pack of Crayola crayons ($1) and a bag of Goldfish.

Baby room (my younger one) - each kid gets a pouch of Ella's Kitchen stage 1 apples with a gift tag tied around it.

See here's my thing, this doesn't sound that over the top, but DD has 20 kids in her preschool room and DS has 10 kids in toddlers. So even if I spent $1 per kid that's $30! No thank you. Maybe I'm being cheap but I just don't see any value in it.

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