Eco-friendly Valentine's Day Ideas for Kids

Roses are red. Violets are blue. Valentine’s Day can be fun … but only if you think about the planet, too! 

Valentine's Day is a special day to celebrate the ones we love – romantic partners, sure, but also friends, family, pets and of course our sweet kiddos. Just don't forget to include Mother Earth in your Valentine's celebrations, too! We can help with sustainable Valentine's Day ideas you and your family are sure to love.

From the 250+ million roses that are grown for Valentine’s Day to the 36+ million boxes of heart-shaped chocolates that are sold just on the day itself, there sure is a lot of extra, well, stuff made just for this holiday. And, this extra stuff has a direct impact on our planet. 

Valentine’s Day decor, gifts and accessories produce 9 million kilograms of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. In fact, these carbon emissions are greater than driving around the world 4,000 times! At 60 mph, it would take approximately 17.5 days to drive around the world just once. Multiply that by 4,000, and that’s a LOT of time and a LOT of carbon emissions.

Once the holiday is over, most of the Valentine’s Day-themed gifts inevitably end up in the trash. Heart-shaped balloons and trinkets covered in glitter can take hundreds of years to degrade once they end up in our landfills. Even flowers have a large environmental impact, since most are grown from greenhouses fueled by natural gasses and outsourced from other countries.

For many, holiday decorations are an essential part of the celebration. We don’t want to rain on your parade! When you opt for more sustainable decor, Mother Nature can celebrate, too.

More than 350 million metric tons of plastic waste are made each year. And, because there’s no other way to dispose of it, this plastic ends up in our landfills and can take anywhere between 20 to 500+ years to break down. Avoiding plastic materials when choosing your holiday decor is one of the best ways to reduce waste.

Choosing decor made from fully recycled or recyclable materials instead! At Lullaby Earth, we’re big fans of using recyclable materials to help care for the planet – that’s why we use uncoated, recyclable kraft paper to roll-pack our kids mattresses. 

And a tip from the pros? Repurposing the kraft paper from your Lullaby Earth purchase to craft valentines, paper hearts, gift wrapping, streamers and more is a win for the planet in more ways than one.  

Aside from being mindful when choosing your holiday decor, there are lots of fun ways to celebrate this day of love more sustainably with the ones you love! Here are a few more Valentine’s Day ideas for kids.

Do-it-yourself Valentine’s Day cards are a great way to showcase your love for others and care for the planet. By using materials that you already have at home, you can reduce waste and create something special that can be kept and cherished for years to come. 

Encourage your kiddos to use their creativity to draw pictures, write poems and decorate their Valentine’s Day cards to their liking. (We love this pop-up card tutorial – just always  be sure to supervise your little ones if they’re using scissors!)

Opting for gifts that are practical and personalized to your loved ones preferences – rather than heart shaped stuffies or red roses – is one of the best ways to reduce waste this time of year. Instead of roses, opt for potted plants or seeds. Instead of heart shaped chocolates, cook their favorite recipe. Instead of “stuff,” gift an experience and make a memory together. Get the picture?

These simple, non-toxic Valentine’s Day crafts are sure to keep your little ones entertained and make a wonderful keepsake. Plus, they use non-toxic materials, so they’re safer for littles and better for the environment.

Try crafting:

• Hand-painted plant pots
• Pressed plants or flowers
• Cardboard hearts or Valentine’s Day boxes (Use your Lullaby Earth mattress box!)

For more non-toxic craft inspiration, make sure to check out this blog post, too!
 

If spending quality time with your loved ones sounds more like your love language, one of the best things to do together is to make tasty treats! Choosing fresher, cleaner ingredients can make these treats even more appealing – and homemade is almost always healthier than store-bought when it comes to sweets. 

Here are a few festive treats to try out that your littles are sure to love:

• Chocolate- or yogurt-covered strawberries
• Homemade popcorn – sweet or savory!
• Apple chips
• Heart shaped PB&Js (use a cookie cutter!)
• Heart-shaped pancakes
• Pink fruit kebabs 

Valentine’s Day is all about showing your loved ones how much you appreciate and care for them – and that includes caring for the planet we all share. By incorporating these sustainable Valentine’s Day ideas into your holiday celebrations, you will be sure to let Mother Earth know how much you love her, too!

Check out some of our other blogs for more sustainable parenting and non-toxic living tips, too!