Help Kids Spread the Love on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday for all ages. But children get especially excited about the love-inspired theme. With a little help, it’s a hands-on opportunity for them to show their creativity. What could be sweeter for kids than to create a gift of heart-shaped treats? Here are some ideas that are simple and fun for children to create and share.

Conversation Hearts
Writing kids’ thoughts on cookies is the perfect way to send a personal message to someone special. Inspire their creativity by drawing pictures or making fun designs using egg yolk paint or frosting. If you’re short on time, use food-safe markers or colorful frostings available at the supermarket.

Cream-Filled Wafer Hearts
Deliciously sweet, and cute, too! This recipe makes enough to share with the whole classroom. Younger kids can help cut out the shapes and you can transfer them to the cookie sheet. They can also spread the raspberry-flavored love (also known as frosting).

Queen of Hearts Brownies
Decorating with sprinkles is easy and always fun. To prevent the sprinkles from going everywhere, place the frosted, heart-shaped brownie in a 13x9 inch pan. Let the kids put on the sprinkles and the pan will catch all the strays.

Pastel Marbled Hearts
Each cookie is an individual masterpiece because it has its own design. When rolling out the dough, keep your rolling pin lightly covered with flour to prevent sticking.

Be My Valentine Cookies
Baking heart shapes is a great way to show your love. So is dipping them in chocolate.

While it’s so easy to just go out and buy something from a store, these heart-shaped cookies and bars are a special way for kids to make things with their hands. And no matter how they’re decorated, it’s a fun way for kids to say, “I Love You,” to friends and family. It’s also a good way to remind adults about the true meaning of this special holiday.