Go Green for Valentine's Day with these DIY Classroom Treats

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! With all the cards, individually wrapped candies, stuffed animals, and flowers, it easily becomes one of the most wasteful holidays. If you’re a parent to a school-aged child, you’re probably already checking Pinterest for creative Valentine’s they can give their classmates. As an eco-conscious family, we strive to celebrate these kid-friendly holidays by gifting with intention, while also keeping it healthy and vegan-friendly. We always send non-candy treats with Milo for his classmates - last year he passed out Annie's organic bunny grahams with a little handwritten note card. But this year, I vowed to step it up and send him with something that’s actually useful and eco-friendly. While I know the “standard” is sweet treats or little plastic trinkets, I’m hopeful that by teaching our children to gift with intention, Valentine’s Day no longer has to be such a wasteful holiday.

While scouring Pinterest, I found quite a few non-candy Valentine's ideas, but most of them were not very eco-friendly. While those tiny plastic toys can be fun for a minute, they will soon be thrown away, forgotten, or just added to the piles of stuff you’re already looking to get rid of. But after searching a little more, I found a handful of cute eco-friendly Valentine’s crafts you can do with your child, which become useful gifts to give their classmates. Best of all, you don’t have to be the most creative “Pinterest mom” to make these!

FOR TEACHER

Make a cute printable "you're the balm" tag; decorate it and attach our vanilla + rose lip butter (poured in a compostable tube). This would also be fun for one of your girlfriends or family members!

Skip the cut flowers and instead spring for a tiny succulent or air-purifying plant for the teacher’s desk. Flowers will wilt and die before the week is over; however, a plant can last years and is more environmentally friendly. PRO TIP: If you have any empty UO glass jars handy, this would be a great way to repurpose! Read more about repurposing our glass containers here.

FOR CLASSMATES

Give new life to broken crayons using these instructions. This is super easy and repurposes crayons that might have just been tossed anyway. Check out this silicone heart mold that’s safe to use to make these fun crayons. Create a Valentine's Day themed tag to go with these! We really like “Color your heart out!”

Seed paper is super cute and fun to make using these instructions. Plus, it is eco-friendly and has the potential to last much longer than any typical trinket you get from Valentine’s Day. Your little one’s classmates can plant it in the yard and watch the flowers bloom in the spring.

One of our faves are these conversation cuties. This is a great way to provide a healthy snack and to get creative with the holiday theme.

One last sweet gift is this DIY play dough. This recipe only takes a few ingredients, that you probably already have in your pantry, and has the option to add in some of your fave essential oils. We recommend lavender (calming) or citrus (helps with concentration) for the kids. These cute little tins are perfect to store the dough so it doesn’t dry out.

What healthy and eco-friendly Valentine’s will your kiddo be bringing to school this year?