Kids & Company Blog

Crafting Eco-Friendly Love with Sustainable Valentine’s Day Gifts

Valentine’s Day is often criticized for its commercialism, but you don’t have to ask us twice to embrace a holiday dedicated to showing our loved ones extra attention,  (while keeping Mother Nature’s heart in mind). It’s the perfect day to teach kindness and empathy, and have fun making new family traditions. 

We’ve put a sustainable spin on the top three traditional gifts you associate with February 14th, and added a little bit of trivia you can share with your children

CARDS:

History: Sending a little love note to your secret crush originated in 18th-century England. They were always homemade (obviously), usually decorated with flowers or rope, and often included puzzles and lines of poetry. 

Project: Let’s take a page from our ancestors and create one-of-a-kind Valentines for our friends and family at home. Start with recycled paper (keeping a little pile of leftover holiday or birthday cards comes in handy), and get out the crayons. Encourage your poets-in-training to use rhyming words to create silly messages, or use “Roses are Red” to inspire those too young to think of their own original masterpieces. For puzzle ideas, check out Discovery Education’s handy Quiz Maker tool.

CHOCOLATES:

History: Another Valentine’s Day tradition is credited to Richard Cadbury, the British chocolate-maker and philanthropist who came up with the genius idea to market his namesake chocolates in heart-shaped boxes in the late 1860s. The special packages had a sustainable purpose, too: They were designed to be kept to store sentimental gifts. 

Project: We are going to take this tip, but put a healthy spin on it with a recipe from Kidco Kitchen, our Rainbow Berry Bars! Check out how easy these are to make with your children and how pretty they will turn out for a sweet Valentine’s treat for the entire family to enjoy. 

If you do choose to shop for special treats, try to shop at a local chocolatier to support independent makers and reduce your carbon footprint) and/or choose fair trade whenever possible. 

FLOWERS:

History: How did the rose become synonymous with this holiday? Apparently, it was the flower of choice of Venus, the Goddess of Love, because it symbolizes strong, intense, loving feelings.

Project: Leave the flowers in the garden and give some seed packets instead!  This gift can be fulfilled in a few weeks to start growing some flowers at home. Choose easy-to-grow varieties like sunflowers or sweet peas, (or start some herbs for foodie loved ones). Grab some biodegradable pots, soil, and make a mini gardening station. If you’re new to this, too, learn the basics so this becomes a teachable moment for all. Let your children take charge—planting, watering, and monitoring the progress. It's a great way to teach responsibility and patience while witnessing the miracle of growth. Plus, the joy on their faces when they see those tiny sprouts will be priceless!

If you really, really love to gift flowers, look for a florist who embraces eco-friendly practices like working with local growers, especially those who avoid pesticides and dyes, and skips the plastic wrap and floral foam. For those of you who receive a bouquet, you may be surprised to learn they are easier to dry than you may think, or, remember to add them to your compost or green bin.

Like we always say, if we all take little steps to protect the environment, it will be in better shape for our children. And that’s the best way to show our love. We hope everyone has a lovely, sustainable Valentine’s Day!

Posted on: Wednesday February 7th, 2024

Posted by: Kids & Company