Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Teens

By the time kids reach their teen years, so many things that parents do can seem sappy and dull. Gifts on Valentine’s Day can become one of those things. This year, give a gift that shows your teen that parental love is still a cool thing to have in their lives.

Teens these days are into vintage and eclectic things. This includes their clothes, shoes and gadgets. Think of a throwback gift that you can surprise your teen with that will get you a hug or at least a smile of gratitude. Remember the Rubik’s cube or the magic 8 ball? These gifts are especially fun for a girl.

What about your son? He could use a Nerf football or basketball. Every boy should have an over-the-door basketball hoop in his room. Making a few baskets helps him to think over his problems or just let off some steam. He would enjoy the Rubik’s cube or a Simon game. Nowadays they make these kinds of games pocket size and keychain size.

When I was a teen, my walls were covered in posters. The posters were of celebrity idols and movie scenes. Find out what kids of movies, music celebrities, and games your kids like and get them some new posters. They’ll be surprised that you even know where to find those posters.

Gifts from the heart show that you are interested and care about their life and their passions. They may be interested in the guitar this week. Even though you have a sneaking suspicion that next week they will want to be an artist, give them a gift certificate for a few free guitar lessons. At least they will have a chance to try it out and see if they really want to play the guitar.

Girls and guys like jewelry. Surprise your daughter with a necklace and earring set in the color of her birthstone. Boys are usualy more into silver rings or necklaces. Instead of choosing a piece of jewelry for him, get a gift card to the jewelry store and let him pick out his own accessories.

Create some cards that they can redeem for free services around the house. If your teen is on the younger side, they might appreciate getting to stay up an extra half hour, a free movie, or a sleepover with friends. Older teens would like an extra half hour or hour out with friends on the weekends or extra driving time in the family car.

A good way to choose gifts for Valentine’s Day for your teen is to look at what they didn’t get from their Christmas list. If there was something that you couldn’t get at that time, you can choose from those things and get a Valentine’s Day gift. This could be an electronic toy or even a new cell phone.

Give a special card to your teen. This card doesn’t have to come from a store. If you have a card creating program on your computer, you can make it as lavish as you want. Express to them how you feel about them and how proud of them you are. A card is a keepsake that they can look back on in days, months and years to come and remind themselves of your feelings.

Valentine’s Day affections don’t have to be lost on your teen. Think of something that would interest them. They may act annoyed by it, but deep down they will cherish the sentiment forever.

Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Kids

Kids love any occasion where they get presents. Valentine’s Day is no different. Let them know about the meaning of this particular day through the gifts that you give to them. Here are a few ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts for kids.

Kids give quirky valentines to kids in their class. Let them know that these valentines are not about romantic love but friendships. Valentine’s Day is about celebrating love for one another which includes more than romantic love. Parent-to-child and friend-to-friend relationships are also important to highlight on this day.

Wake them up with a gift basket. Kids like to dig for things. Hide as many treats as you can in the basket for them to find. Include books, coloring books, crayons, stickers and the like in the basket. Toys are also good additions in a Valentine’s Day basket.

Are your kids into sports? They are always in need of new equipment. A basket filled with sports-related gear gets them excited. My son is into skateboarding. An idea for a skateboarder would be a new set of wheels, shoe laces, elbow pads or a helmet.

Kids usually don’t get to spend nearly enough time with mom and dad. When both parents are busy, precious family time can be lost. More than one child in the house reduces that time even further. Kids like one-on-one time with parents so that they can feel special.

This Valentine’s Day, award them with that special time. For girls, why not make an appointment for a spa day with your daughter(s). Show them how to relax and spend time with mom. Talk about girly things as you get a manicure and a pedicure. Ask them how school is going during lunch. Don’t set a timetable. Clear your schedule for the entire day so that nothing will interrupt the bonding time.

For boys, time spent with dad can be like winning the lottery. When planning a special day like this, don’t forget to consider what your son would like to do, even if it is something that you are not particularly interested in. As a parent, you get to be the one trying a new thing this time. Spend the day at the arcade playing video games, fishing, playing baseball, or whatever else your child wants to do so long as you are doing it together.

Take them to the store for a new outfit. They may want a new pair of pants, shoes, or a dress. At Christmas we give them clothes that they need, but on Valentine’s Day they can get something that they want. No matter how outrageous it seems, let them be in control of their wardrobe for one day.

Let your kids be king or queen of the castle for a day. They get to have their parents do the chores for them on Valentine’s Day. They can stay up later and watch movies if they wish. It’s only for one day, so don’t worry about a loss of sleep.

Kids are thrilled about any occasion that they get to celebrate something. Teach them about showing love on Valentine’s Day through the gifts that you give.

Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids

Kids like to create things. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to let them get creative. Here are some ideas to get them started.

If there are girls in your child’s class, jewelry is a good craft. Stores sell kits to create bracelets, necklaces and rings. Your kids can visit a craft store and choose their own necklace material and the beads to go on them. In keeping with the theme of the day, they can choose heart-shaped beads in various colors and a necklace material that is suitable for school age little girls. Create one necklace yourself so that they can see how it is done. Matching bracelets can be made using the same beads.

Kids can give their teachers a bouquet of roses. These aren’t just any roses! These special roses are made of tissue paper and pipe cleaners. Show kids how to fold the tissue paper and wrap it around the pipe cleaners. The flowers can be presented in a vase or with a ribbon tied around them.

Candy is still the most popular thing to use for crafts. Instead of beads, use candy to create bracelets for boys in the class. Candy pieces can be strung over a piece of string. It’ll look nice at first and the boys can nibble on the candy throughout the day, kind of like a snack on the go.

Valentine’s Day crafts can be created for family members. If grandma is into flowers, kids can give them a flower pot with seeds and a little bag of potting soil. Using paints, kids can decorate the pots in Valentine’s Day fashion.

Instead of buying packs of Valentine’s Day cards, let the kids use a card program and make their own for other members of the family. They can add whatever they want to the card. Some cards come blank for the kids to write what they want or with cute sayings already inside.

Kids can make Valentine’s Day decorations for the house to put everyone in the mood to express their love. Using a piece of string, construction paper, scissors and glue, they can create a banner to be hung in the kitchen or anywhere in the house. Each paper heart can contain one letter in the words “Valentine’s Day”.

Make arrows for the boys so that they can pretend to be Cupid. Instead of metal, use wooden skewers as the arrow. Styrofoam pieces in the shape of hearts can be painted red and stuck on the end of the skewer. Pieces of ribbon can be glued to the other end to act as feathers on the arrow. To create a quiver for the arrows, use an empty cereal box.

Your child can make a Valentine’s Day box for each child to hold their precious cards. The boxes can be purchased at a dollar store. If the boxes are not already decorated for the occasion, kids can use markers or paint to add hearts to the box. Write each child’s name on the outside of the box. A piece or candy can be added to the box so that the kids don’t open it and find it empty.

Valentine’s Day is fun for kids. They get to have a good time making crafts for others and enjoying gifts given to them.

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