What kind of valentines do your kids give out?

[mamazee]

Do they make valentines, print them off the internet, or just get the licensed ones you find in the stores? Do you buy the ones that have candy? Are you picky about what kind of candy or is the whole food coloring, HFCS, thing not a big deal for that one day for you?

My older daughter always wants ones that have candy but I hate having another holiday become a big candy fest. I will admit that I give on on this issue though. I just don't like it. I generally buy this one kind that comes with little bars of free trade chocolate. Some valentines come with stickers but she says she's too old for that. She'll be in middle school next year so I imagine this will be the end of it for her.

One year she made homemade ones, but usually we just get them from the store.

The younger one will need valentines this year as well. And so it begins again!

[Sunshyn74]

We usually get the ones with candy. Oldest is in 5th grade and still plans to exchange this year. Youngest is in Kindergarten and they are not doing valentines at all. She is pretty upset, and honestly, so am I. The teachers say that 50 valentines is just too much for them. I disagree since DD did them the last two years, with preschool and preK. Anyway. So, I do agree it is another candied up holiday, but I am sad for DD that she doesn't get to do them at all this year.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

Ds does homemade. We are doing a homeschool Valentine swap through mothering and he gives them out at his coop. He is one of only a couple of kids that usually gives out. At some point we must have had a book or a magazine that talked about valentines day because he has wanted to do it for years and it is not something I think I would have suggested.

Last year and this year we made/are making heart shaped crayons to give out. I gave out heart shaped crayons last year when I was student teaching in a 2nd grade class. The kids thought they were cool.

Our co-op school doesn't allow candy so it is a non-issue there.

I also don't know if ds knows you can buy valentines. I think he knows but we've never talked about it.

We usually start the crafting project in January to get them done in time.

[pbjmama]

We buy, I actually buy the year before when things are 90% off on clearance. No candy, our school strongly discourages it and I won't because of potential allergies. My kids will make some homemade valentines usually for friends from church, grandparents, special teachers, etc.

[One_Girl]

We buy the candy ones. It gives my dd a feeling of being included and it is much cheaper. I don't care how other people eat and am not religious about organic anyways so I focus on what matters most, my dd's happiness.

[revolting]

This is my first year with a kid in school, and we will be making simple homemade valentine necklaces. I think it's a very frugal option, since we are just making tree cookies out of a branch that fell off a tree of ours some time ago, using paint that we already have to make hearts and write the name, drilling a hole in it (we already have a drill) and using yarn scraps from my knitting to make turn it into a necklace.

[Nightwish]

Originally Posted by pbjmama 

We buy, I actually buy the year before when things are 90% off on clearance. No candy, our school strongly discourages it and I won't because of potential allergies.

same here

[mumkimum]

We're doing homemade ones, with markers as a non-food goodie. But mainly because dd1 had a big idea for them this year. I would've gotten some kind of candy/food kind or printed out any fave character kind if she'd have preferred (she was thinking of stargate or dr who valentines for a bit.) it's mostly about what will make it fun for her. We'll also do elaborate homemade family valentines, like usual for us.

[bmcneal]

We buy them, but I don't get the candy kind. The only reason being, DS is allergic to red dye, and with it being Valentine's, everything is a variation of red. (I could probably  find candy that was colored naturally, but then it more than likely wouldn't be the kind he likes, so... we stick to non-candy ones.) Sometimes they pick out ones that have temporary tattoos, or stickers or some other little goody, but sometimes not.

[dbsam]

Our school suggests homemade valentines and will not allow candy or other 'goodies'.  So, my children make their valentines.  Although last year,  they made very detailed valentines and copied them.  (They had 36 in their class so making a lot of those w/h taken forever.)

I enjoy looking at the valentines they receive.  Last year, one boy made origami valentines in an origami envelope. 

[JudiAU]

Our charter k class was asked to exchange "homemade (or purchased)" without candy. So we collaborated. Ninja paper dolls ending with a heart. We cut them out for him. He did the decoration and all of the writing. "Lego my heart" plus the names. Plus we added a Lego mini figure in each with lots of accessories (eBay).

[meemee]

not sure what we are going to do this year. 

dd is in 5th grade - probably her last year too since she will start middle school next year. i am open to whatever she wants. sometimes its been candy, sometimes cookies. sometimes little cards with jokes in them, or riddles. we'll just do what she wants. she has never wanted to do homemade V stuff. however she does do special ones for her close friends. so they get two from her. 

the kids look forward to candy. it IS all about candy. it is candy they want - whether they get it or not is immaterial. 

at the end of the day they have a candy exchange and trade for their desired candy. 

[bmcneal]

DD and DS will be giving out My Little Pony and Hot Wheels Valentine's cards, respectively. My only issue with that is, the number of kids in DS' class, he will have ~15-20 unused cards. (There are only four boys in his class, including him, so even the smallest pack is entirely too big.)

[mtiger]

To those of you who think 5th grade will be their last year... Be advised that they often go back to it in HS. And then the tacky bought ones are VERY popular.
 

[meemee]

mtiger i was meaning as a class requirement. one for every student kinda thing. 

personally i cant see my dd stop valentines. for her close friends she prefers to make homemade ones and get them an actual present which is usually a gourmet baked good or a book.