18 classroom Valentine’s Day treats that aren’t candy, but are still sweet

Art supplies are always a great idea for classroom treats–and none are more Valentine’s Day appropriate than these 12-piece stackable heart crayons. They’ve got all the colors of the rainbow and then some!

OK, so if food isn’t allowed for the Valentine’s Day party at school, how about passing out these adorable Valentines that look yummy and smell delicious? These scratch-and-sniff cards come in all sorts of fun and “sweet” shapes and designs, making them the perfect alternative to candy Valentines.

Reusable drinking straws are always a hit—and they’re better for our planet than disposable ones. Whether they’ve got rainbows or dinosaurs or unicorns on them, stick one of these in each child’s goodie bag and you’ll see lots of smiles.

Kids love stickers and kids love crafts. These individual sticker sheets provide a quick craft activity: Make the face of a fox or a llama or even a gnome! The children’s little hands will be busy for a minute or two and they’ll have a cute creation to take home for the fridge.

Young children tend to love tiny friends (mine certainly do!) so taking home a mini- stuffed animal they can hang from their backpack or keep in their pocket is a super cute non-candy related Valentine’s Day idea. This pack comes with a huge assortment of animals so everyone should get something they love or can trade with friends.

How about these sweet little Valentines Day notepads? Kids can write each other letters, play tic-tac-toe, or draw pictures to keep their minds active. My kids love taking notepads when we travel or even just go on a walk to write about all the things they see. An easy add to the Valentine’s Day gift pile that won’t go to waste.

Another wonderful candy alternative is a book about Valentine’s Day. This adorable story about The Berenstain Bears also includes two Valentines in the back of the book that the child can cut out and give to a special someone they love.

Other Valentines Day books we adore include “I Love You, Little Pookie” by Sandra Boynton, “Llama, Llama, I Love You” by Anna Dewdney and “Love From The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle.

Here’s a fun and eco-friendly idea! Rather than filling a plastic bag with goodies that will end up in a landfill, gift them a cup they can reuse instead. This LOVE tumbler is a great choice for  Valentine’s Day and can be filled with pencils, markers, stickers and a fun keychain to make the perfect gift for kids.

You can’t go wrong with Play-Doh. Provide endless entertainment and spark creativity by gifting kids a container of Play-Doh instead of a sugary pile of candy. Save their teeth and watch their imaginations soar!

Wiki Stix are bendable, reusable, and non-toxic. And they don’t make a mess! This imaginative toy is a fun candy alternative that provides endless entertainment. Watch your kids and their friends turn their Wiki Stix into all sorts of shapes and images as they engage in creative play and avoid a tummy ache.

If you’re skipping candy but still want to offer an edible treat, the white chocolate and strawberry Sweetheart Pop snack bags from Lesser Evil are guaranteed to be a hit. The highly-addictive coconut-oil-tumbled, Himalayan-salt-dusted pink popcorn is perfectly sweet and salty and there’s even a spot to write their Valentine’s name on the bag.

Keep kids busy and foster their love for reading with these bookmarks that they can color themselves. This pack offers 12 different cartoon animal designs, including tigers, lions, dolphin, dinosaurs, owls and rabbits. Whatever color to make each animal is up to the kids!

Bright and fun metallic glitter pens? Yes please. (For adults or kids!) If you’re filling goodie bags for your child’s class, you can toss one or two of these fancy pens in each one and you’ll probably be labeled coolest parent ever.

One thing that will usually get kids just as excited as a sugary snack is a fun toy, and fidget toys like these poppers are a top choice these days. This set comes with 24 pieces, so pass them out and your kids’ friends won’t miss the candy at all.

Stamps are another age-appropriate and fun gift idea to offer as an alternative to food this Valentine’s Day. Kids love stamping each other’s hands or adding their stamps to a paper craft. Grab a set like this and you’ll have a stamp for everyone in the class.

Chances are your kids and their friends love squishy toys, which means this set of 28 Mochi Squishies (each with its own individual red plastic heart case) would be a hit. Each one even comes with a card so your child can write all their friends’ names on them.

These bright and fun heart erasers are adorable and come in a variety of patterns. Pair them with a cute pencil and a notepad and boom—Valentines Day party gift complete.

Why write with a regular pencil when you can write with a cool heart-shaped one? These Valentine’s Day themed pencils are a great alternative gift if candy and chocolate are a no-go. Every kid needs a pencil!