Valentine’s Day is upon us! Looking for a daycare-friendly treat option that is low on sugar? We’ve got you covered!
Most daycare centers won’t let you pass out home-made treats and require the valentines to be in store-bought packaging. Here are some ideas to help you work within those guidelines, and all of these can be made for at least 20 kids for less than $20!
Conversation Cuties
Materials Required:
- Colored permanent markers (or black, if that’s all you have)
- 1 bag of clementine oranges
These little buggers are super easy. Buy a bag of clementine oranges and write your fun sayings on them. No printer, glue or kitchen mess with this project!
Love Bug Fruit Cups
- Dole Fruit cups (in pink or red)
- Pipe cleaners
- Pom-poms
- Googley eyes
- Foam hearts
- Hot glue or other strong adhesive
- Add a black sharpie and about a minute per cup to make black dots for a ladybug version!
Goldfish Valentines
Materials Required:
- Goldfish snack packs
- Marker or pen
- Paper cutouts for labels
- Tape or adhesive
Another easy and healthy option for the kids at daycare. Grab a snack pack and tape on a general, non-personalized message. Need some ideas?
- “You’re O-FISH-ally the best, Valentine!”
- “I’m hooked on you!”
- “So glad we’re in the same ‘school!'”
- “Fishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!”
There are lots of printable labels out there as well, if you don’t trust your handwriting and want to dress it up a little!
There is technically sugar in Goldfish, but it’s such a small amount they don’t have to list it on the nutritional label, so there is likely less than 0.5g in one snack pack. A win in my book!
Fruit Pouch Valentines
Materials Required:
- Fruit pouches
- Labels or tags
Another super quick and easy (and potentially healthy) option here. Figure out the saying you want to use based on the pouches you buy (or find in your pantry) and attach the tag or label!
Printer labels would work well here but there are lots of printables available online.
Other tag options include:
- “You’re awesomesauce Valentine!”
- “You’re BERRY sweet, Valentine!”
There can be a little bit of sugar in these, but if you get a quality pouch it’s usually naturally occurring sugar and not added sugar.
Rubber Ducks (Infant friendly!)
Materials Required:
- Little rubber ducks
- String and paper for the tag
These are SUPER simple and infant friendly. Just grab some rubber ducks (you can get a 20 pack at Walmart or a 100 pack on Amazon) and then attach a cute little tag to it that says something like:
- “Valentine, you QUACK me up!”
- “I’m a lucky duck to have you as a friend!”
Again, there are lots of different printable options out there, including this one!
Plus, there is ZERO sugar in this valentine, which is almost nearly impossible to come by!
So take a break from the sugar rush and enjoy this fun holiday with your kiddos!
