Get Crafty with Valentine's Day Food!
January 29, 2025

Get in a festive Valentine's Day spirit at mealtime and through some fun crafts! Read on for some fun and creative resources to celebrate the season!
Valentine’s Day playdough (*NOT edible!)
These fun play dough recipes, while not edible, will give your child a fun, seasonal activity to do inside. With flavors like chocolate, flower bouquet, and cherry, they will smell delicious too! Grab some cookie cutters or a plastic knife and let them explore!
Cupid’s Crunch
Cupid’s Crunch is a fun snack to celebrate Valentine’s Day. You could modify the ingredients for any holiday and add in your favorite dried fruits With popcorn (full of whole grains, yay!) and the possibility to add whole grain pretzels, this could be a filling treat too. If you make this, be sure to let us know what fun ingredients you added in for your family!
Valentine Fruit Wands
Looking for a festive fruit snack to add to your child’s lunch or for after school? Look no further! These fruit wands use strawberries (full of vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber!) and watermelon (great for hydration and full of vitamins and antioxidants). Add on top of a yogurt cup for a well-rounded snack!
Raspberry and Cream Popsicles
Homemade popsicles - yes please! You could modify these tasty frozen treats with any fruit your children prefer, raspberries just add a festive punch! Don’t have popsicle molds, no worries, use paper cups. You could also use any yogurt flavors too. Greek yogurt is a great source of calcium for strong bones and teeth and adds extra protein which will help keep little bellies full.
Valentine’s Day Fruit and Graham Cracker Snacks
Here’s a fun food craft! Give your child all the ingredients and see what silly smiles they can create. If you aren’t a peanut butter fan or are allergic, substitute in Wow Butter or Sunbutter for an equally delicious treat! Add whole grain graham crackers to amp up the fiber content and fill those little bellies.
Cupid’s Arrow String Cheese Snacks
These are great Valentine’s Day treats that are easy to make and offer something a bit different than candy greetings. Cheese sticks add calcium to our day to help with strengthening our bones and teeth. Pair with some whole grain crackers (whole grains will be listed as the first ingredient) for a tasty and hearty snack!
Valentine’s Day Frozen Fruity Yogurt Bites
Another way to enjoy frozen yogurt and fruit… these little treats can be made by little hands and put in muffin liners with adult help. Raspberries offer a great source of vitamin C, but you also use blueberries, peaches, strawberries, and/or bananas. You could mix in granola too!
Strawberry Pancake Skewers
Feel free to whip up your own homemade pancakes or use frozen ones from the store. These adorable pancake kabobs will get your child’s day off to a great start! Add yogurt to have 3 food groups at breakfast and fill those bellies to start their day.
Tic Tac Toe Toast
Start your day off with a game and a fun way to use conversation hearts. Play tic tac toe with your food! Not a fan of peanut butter, you can definitely substitute in Wow butter or Sunbutter for an equally yummy treat! Peanut butter is a great source of healthy fats and vitamin E. Use whole wheat toast for added fiber and some protein. A perfect combination for a filling meal or snack!
Heart Bird Seed Crafts (edible too!)
These adorable bird feeders are a fun snack for kids too! You can use any cereal you like so long as it has a hole in the middle of it. Stringing the cereal on the pipecleaner is great for littles to work on their fine motor skills. Hang up outside and watch the birds or use for a fun portable treat!

Getting a selective eater to try new foods is a process. Keep in mind that the goal is to provide your child with the opportunity to be exposed to new foods. Continue to introduce them to unfamiliar foods, have them see that you eat and enjoy them, all the while making sure they have safe foods that they know they can count on. Giving your child permission helps to reduce anxiety around new foods. Inviting your child to be around and try new foods is a very different experience than forcing them to try new foods.

With summer here, your kiddos are likely on a constant hunt for snacks. To help them develop healthy eating habits, try spacing meals and snacks about two hours apart. This gives their little tummies time to feel hungry, enjoy a snack, and recognize when they’re full. When kids “graze” throughout the day—eating small amounts here and there—their bodies have a harder time learning to recognize hunger and fullness cues. Grazing can also lead to more frequent choices of less nutritious, grab-and-go snacks. Let's Support Healthier Habits To support healthier habits, pre-plan snack options and post a visual snack “menu” on the fridge. This gives kids structure, helps them feel independent, and encourages better choices. And why not make snack time fun and educational? Try simple food crafts together—it’s a great way to bond with your child(ren), have fun in the kitchen, and explore possible new foods at the same time! UNDER THE SEA: Shark Snack Cups from Mommy's Fabulous Finds Festive treat made with yogurt, jello, cool whip, graham crackers and optional gummy shark Shark Week Bait from Alex Daynes A lighter treat that includes popcorn, white chocolate chips, f ood coloring/sprinkles, Sixlet Candies, gummy sharks, and pretzel goldfish Candy Sushi from Happy Family Recipes Themed snack made with Rice Krispie Treats (butter, marshmallows, vanilla, Rice Krispie Cereal) Fruit Roll-Ups, large Swedish fish, mini Swedish Fish BEACH + ANIMAL THEMES: Beach Bear Dirt Cups from Made To Be A Momma Celebrate summer with pool inspired lounging! Ingredients include: Teddy Grahams, white chocolate pudding, milk, cool whip, graham crackers, gummy life savers Curious George Snack from Mess for Less (tip, Read a Curious George book to go along with this one!) Enjoy a book and a snack with this Curious George inspired snack! Ingredients include: Nutella, s liced bananas, b lueberries, r ice cakes Animal Tracks Snacks from Loreen Leedy Great snack for the outdoorsy kid who enjoys animals! You can use a variety of ingredients including: cheese, crackers, pretzels, cream cheese, almonds and pepperoni FOR THE NATURE LOVER: Nature Snacks : Edible Crafts for Kids - Parties With A Cause A large variety of snacks for nature lover of all kinds including all sorts of flora and fauna options! POPSICLES: Fresh Fruit Popsicles from One Little Project How to Make Fruit Popsicles with Real, Fresh Fruit Strawberry Breakfast Popsicles from Fraiche Living We can imagine all sorts of variations of this recipe! Start with the following simple ingredients: yogurt, fresh strawberries, milk (or your choice) lemon juice and granola Frozen Yogurt Banana Pops from Kalejunkie Such a simple, yet festive recipe that uses ingredients commonly found in the kitchen such as bananas, yogurt and sprinkes! FOOD IMPOSTERS: Pancake Donuts from Balanced with Babies Made with just two ingredients: pancake mix and milk! You will need a fun donut shaped mold for this recipe Breakfast Banana Split - Art From My Table Ingredients include: banana, yogurt, blackberries, raspberries, granola, mini chocolate chips Fruit Cracker Pizzas from Sunshine & Hurricanes Crackers + cream cheese + fruit! Watermelon Rice Krispy Treats from My Heavenly Recipes Festive treat to be shared! Made with butter, marshmallows, R ice Krispies, food coloring and chocolate chips

Think your child is "just" clumsy? They may have Developmental Coordination Disorder, DCD, an infrequently known, but very treatable condition that affects 5%-6% of school aged children! Medical specialists, such as pediatric physical therapists, pediatric occupational therapists, and neurologists can help address the underlying nervous system and muscular issues contributing to DCD.